Pro vs hifi drivers - pros and cons?

[technofreak]

Originally Posted by badman

Cone coating is one thing that's much more prevalent in home drivers, This tends to create a tradeoff between MMS and top end damping. Pro drivers tend to tolerate a little more top-end nasties, probably for several reasons:

• They're more likely to be used actively with steep slopes
• They don't have to worry about designers who can't design a crossover with good breakup suppression
• They want to maintain as much efficiency as possible

Makes sense, you don't often see a JBL driver used in a poor design (L100 excepted ), where you see Scan-Speaks and Vifas in low quality stuff all day long.

Good points. I would add that since paper is the material of choice for pro audio, break-up modes are not that bad at all. Except, for example, Eminence "big&cheap" drivers (alpha and beta series 10" and bigger drivers) which have quite nasty break-ups. OTOH, higher end pro drivers often use cone coating, mainly for weather-proofing. PHL, for example. Carbon fiber/kevlar filling is also used as filler for adding strenght in pro driver cones.

Where I don't agree is pro drivers and poor designs - in low-end market you see a lot of poor drivers and overall design (I like to call them "punk band speakers" for obvious reasons ). JBL JRX series and EONs are two examples. Then again, home audio is no different.

[cbdb]

BD / HDDVD? fight and it still seems like they can't make up their mind what standard to use.

That fight was over a while ago (dont buy a HDDVD player).

As far as no reference in movies compared to acoustic music; nonsense. Movies have acoustic music in them (and probably more solo instruments than just music), not to metion the sound everyone knows like there mothers voice, the human voice (try playing spot the ADR). The hardest sound to recreate is a close lightning strike, I have never heard a system even come close. Other SFX that work well, close helicopters and prop planes, vehical engines, a forest full of birds, any full sound one regularly hears.

[Andre Visser]

Originally Posted by Robh3606

It seems it depends what side of the fence you are on.
Rob

Hi Rob

The only side of the fence that I'm on is SQ, I would certainly smile if HT can deliver musicwise. Even SACD is very limited in availability of well recorded music. What make me wonder sometimes is that it seems that it is too difficult for most to produce a good 2 channel CD, what are the chances then to get a good 5.1 channel recording?

To build a HT system that is comparable in SQ with a good stereo system will for obvious reasons cost much more, what is the purpose of this, musicwise, if recordings are lacking in SQ. As said, I hope BD will deliver, at least there are no excuses of limited space anymore.

To me, up to now, HT are great for watching movies, for movie sound my idea of the ultimate speakers are a little bit different than what I would built for music reproduction only. Just my stupid idea anyway, and that is all that I wanted to bring across, I don't think it is realistic to claim that one speaker is best for all ears and every application.

[markus76]

Originally Posted by Andre Visser

Hi Rob

The only side of the fence that I'm on is SQ, I would certainly smile if HT can deliver musicwise. Even SACD is very limited in availability of well recorded music. What make me wonder sometimes is that it seems that it is too difficult for most to produce a good 2 channel CD, what are the chances then to get a good 5.1 channel recording?

Chances are good because the movie industry has standards - music industry: zero

[peterbrorsson]

Hmm, this thread was interesting before all the crap of formats came in. I THINK this discussion shows exactly why common people abandon new formats. You have to have this and that new equipment/programs whatever, to be able to JUST listen or watch the last blimey extreme bits of resolution that some people pretends to hear or see, SIGH!
I'm maybe getting old and also out of here

Peter

[markus76]

That thing is called progress. Some like it.

Best, Markus

[Andre Visser]

Originally Posted by cbdb

As far as no reference in movies compared to acoustic music; nonsense. Movies have acoustic music in them (and probably more solo instruments than just music), not to metion the sound everyone knows like there mothers voice, the human voice (try playing spot the ADR). The hardest sound to recreate is a close lightning strike, I have never heard a system even come close. Other SFX that work well, close helicopters and prop planes, vehical engines, a forest full of birds, any full sound one regularly hears.

1. Yes, movies have music in them, can you remember what music played after the movie? I certainly can't, I can only concentrate on one thing at a time, sometimes.

2. My mother isn't an actress.

3. Reproducing a close lightning strike is one of the reasons why I believe good movie speakers may be different than good music speakers.

4. Vehicle engines..., perhaps until you hear a Porsche that sounds like a 4 cylinder Ford chasing down a dirt road with screaming tyres.

cbdb, again, I did not say SQ isn't important in movies, it is only that I would put things like dynamics and earth moving bass above absolute SQ when choosing a design and drivers for movie sound, with music, SQ is at the top for me, I would rather compromise a bit on the other aspects.

[markus76]

Originally Posted by Andre Visser

I would put things like dynamics and earth moving bass above absolute SQ when choosing a design and drivers for movie sound, with music, SQ is at the top for me

One excludes the other? Don't think so. Thermal compression IS as detrimental to movie sound as it is to music. So after all it's part of the thing you call "sound quality".

Best, Markus

P.S. Am I back on topic?

[Andre Visser]

Originally Posted by markus76

Chances are good because the movie industry has standards - music industry: zero

They actually have a standard, compress it as much as possible.

[markus76]

Originally Posted by Andre Visser

They actually have a standard, compress it as much as possible.

Agreed

Best, Markus