Hi Ronald. Here is my report
I will make apologies in advance for my English but I give it my best shot!
----He explained it all to me. The whole building process of his now grownup 7 ft twins. It is impressive, the way they gaze at me with each holding a long row of little speakers. I do not understand and comprehend everything Ronald told me about his project in a very enthusiastic way but I feel a lot of respect and admiration. Blood sweat and tears were shed to accomplish what is standing in front of me. “This is it, they produce sound and I think I did a good job” Well,….. a good job is a big understatement…because I have listened and they certainly produce sound. To call it just sound is way too simple to describe what is entering your ears. Tone colors is a better way to put it. Any color you like is there. Anyway, I was asked to give my honest and frank opinion about his tall and rank self-built stereo speaker set.
So, how do I do that? I asked myself. I don’t want it to become a lyrical piece of prose so people will doubt my honesty…..but I am lyrical. And that is because I am a critical listener, picking up details and can feel music to the bone. But anyway…at this my findings, while having a coffee on the ‘hotspot’ at Ronalds place.
Opeth, Windowpane from the album Damnation. I immediately feel like I’m on very right spot in the concert hall. The ultimate place to be, everybody is always looking for, I am experiencing now. Every instrument is clearly in place and it is very extraordinary, I can almost feel the space in between. It is a wide sound with room for everything that is going on. There is prominent clarity but the bass and deeper tones are perfectly present without domination. Hearing and feeling them in a very pleasant way as if sound and air cooperate to make it just right. This is how it should be. Like putting on 3D glasses. The musical landscape gets an extra dimension. It is warm and deep and I can’t help it so say….”Holy macaroni” (which is an old Dutch saying meaning: ….I’m flabbergasted) This is some hearing experience!!
Something completely different. He puts on the Sugababes. Hole in the head. It is not music I prefer but that is not the reason why I am sitting on the hotspot. So babes, let’s go J. I’m surprised that my ears tell me something different from my prejudgment. The extra dimension these speakers offer makes it very nice to listen to. While listening I made an image of a rectangle on my piece of paper. This rectangle is where this dominant kind of pumping song has its body. This was meant to be I guess…for the crowd….in your face…. But don’t get me wrong…everything is still on place and has its own distinctive position with clarity and warmth. And then there is out of the box… there is this nice tingling Ping-Pong panning effect which makes you happy… No other way to put it. It is hard to explain what makes these speakers so special but I think it has to do with a very nice wide stereo image without losing the natural reproduction. A sort of…the real thing!
David Bowie, Ashes to Ashes. I will confine myself to the striking details now. That I am very enthusiastic about the speakers needs no further explanation. I now notice how many tracks have been used for vocals in this song. There is a upper stream and a undertow with vocals and bizarre effects. These speakers apparently do have the distinctive character to reveal these details.
Blackfield – Blackfield. The clarity of the rhythm guitar is striking. Not that I couldn’t hear it on my own speaker set but over here, on the hotspot it comes more forward.
Blackfield – Hello. In a way a little shocking to find out about the honesty of these speakers. The high frequencies that are floating above it all in this song are too dominant in my opinion, it is really hurting a bit. Too bad….but a honest message. Didn’t notice this before, at least not as strong as now, not in a way it disturbed me like now.
Overall….
Like I said, I’m a devoted listener but not a technician. Don’t know about charts and measurements and why it should have this or that value. I know what I hear and I know it sounds great. Like I mentioned, I’m a critical listener but….. It was a revelation.
Ronald, for me, for what it is worth, you accomplished a great result. Thanks for being a little part of it!