Is being able to 'Understand the words/vocals/lyrics' the sign of a great speaker ?

[60ndown]

I've had some of my music for decades, and still dont know many the words, ive been listening to my most recent build, (CSS EL70 in small corner mounted boxes) for about an hour (speakers have been playing about 10 hours on their own)

every lyric that i never 'got' is jumping out clear as day.

so I started wondering,

is that the defining quality of a 'great' speaker.

while playing all the rest of the music....

it is still coherent enough to reveal the lyrics.......

not just the chorus, but every nuance of every sound uttered from the performer

 

[tomtt]

is that the defining quality of a 'great' speaker.

a bettter speaker, for sure ...



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[badman]

I have very good hearing, but I often have a tough time making out words if they're anything but perfectly clear- it's something I definitely look for in loudspeakers.

 

[enigmaticEntity.]

Well, it is definitely something that helps identify a good speaker, as I have noticed that lyrics are easier to identify even when comparing the worst speakers ever (90*50mm oval computer speakers) to something average. Same thing goes for headphones, though you can identify lyrics easier with headphones, I think

Usually the "clarity" also comes with a character (of sound, not the singer...!)that you enjoy, or so I find.

 

[AllenB]

It will sound the same regardless of level within its reasonable limits, so it won't sound harsh as you turn it up or with loud passages.

It will also not force you to fight the sound, as it will not exaggerate any part of its performance. In other words it will not promote listener fatigue. This helps to reveal details in part because your ears need to be relaxed to hear them properly (if that makes sense, and just an opinion).

 

[weskoki]

Jeah but it does not mean is a speaker is good with vocal will sound good with grand piano.
MY monitors are excellent for vocal but they don't have the range or speed for reproducing piano faithfully ):

 

[Svein_B]

Jeah but it does not mean is a speaker is good with vocal will sound good with grand piano.
MY monitors are excellent for vocal but they don't have the range or speed for reproducing piano faithfully ):

I was just about to write that if a speaker sound good with voices (as in radio listening) and do grand piano well, it is a good speaker to my taste.

SB.

 

[zman01]

I experienced clarity of vocals with my first FR speakers - Fostex FE166en in BIBs. and yes, it plays rest of the music well too, so I love them.

So being good with voices would definitely be one of the qualities of a better speakers, but as others have so correctly pointed out, other qualities like good reproduction of instruments and non-fatiguing sound are also very important, and you can easily think of other attributes like sound stage, quality of bass, dynamics.

Happy to know that you are enjoying your speakers. Trying out FR drivers was quite an eye (and ear ) opening experience for me.

-Zia

 

[TerryO]

The music lives in the midrange, all else is adornment.

 

[jcx]

good vocal intelligibility could be had by cutting frequency to 300-3KKz (maybe + ~ 1 octave) - avoiding IM distortion and masking from bass

riding the volume can help too - too loud is a problem

 

[gcl]

I so agree with OP 60ndown, I have been thinking a few thoughts along these lines as the quality of my gear has improved. I would say that the ability to hear the words is the sign of better speakers but they can only make the best of what they are fed with so it is a sign of goodness in all the parts involved. In my view our hobby is about maximising the pleasure from our music. Clarity, realism of instruments, especially voice, is so important. The greater detail and accuracy allow us to hear the subtle details of a performer’s art which move us.


I believe now that despite being older and not having such acute hearing I can hear more of the performance, more accurately now than I could when I first had LPs 40 years ago. This is because of technical advances such as a good CD player and much better amplifier, more revealing speakers or headphones and much better cables and interconnects.

I can now listen through what used to be congested and distorted end of side LP reproduction to get and enjoy words and musical detail not possible before. One example springs to mind, I have known Dark Side of the Moon since it was released - the last track on side 1, Great Gig in the Sky, is much more listenable and accurately reproduced now.

When talking about audio gear we often throw in comments about detail without being specific. If one is getting good detail retrieval it should be possible to say what you can hear on a given track. For example what is going on at low level in the background on Wings Band on the Run, Track 5 “ Let me roll it” at 2 min 42 sec into the track for about ten sec?