Speakers

[karatestu]

You've surprised me Stu with your 80db sensitivity for the Cube 3's, not that they are listened to load, but the volume knob is never past the 11 o'clock mark, in fact maybe not as high as that, I'd have to check with my brother.

It's just a guess using the un doped manufacturer claimed sensitivity of 84dB - it could be lower than that as manufacturers often tell porkies. It's not hard to lose 4dB with doping and the fact that the driver is not pointing directly at you.

Or we could roughly work it out by calculating the dB reduction of a 12 ohm resistor in series with an 88dB tweeter.

[CN211276]

I wanted a lighter driver for the new Cube because my gut feeling having owned Klipsch Heresy (and a conversation with Steve57 at a bake off) convinced me that a lighter driver would improve transient response / immediacy. It has taken time to find a lighter driver that would work well without a traditional crossover.

89db is not high efficiency but it is a big difference on the original Cube drivers.

[Docfoster]

Coming back to the original post of this thread, Richard nominated NVA and Klipsch as 2 speaker brands that he likes.

Would anyone like to nominate any brands that can be bought new today that they like in addition to, or to a greater extent than those 2?
Preferably with a brief explanation why.

There are companies like Avantgarde that make good sounding speakers, but the prices are so doolally high that I don't like them.

The speakers I owned immediately prior to NVA Cube 1 were Dynaudio Audience 82.
They were pretty good.

It took me about a month to decide (probably about 10 years ago) I preferred the Cube 1. It wasn't a night and day choice, but in the end I definitely preferred the Cube 1.
I think Richard sold me the Cube 1 for £1400(?), new the Audience 82 were closer to £2k (though I'd bought them 2nd hand for about £800 IIRC).
I think the Audience 82 were actually a good implementation of the type of design that Lindsay despises. The double 8 inch woofers obviously helped. (Was the woofer in the Cube 1 a 10 incher...?) Really nice tweeter in the Audience 82 too. Overall they sounded big and the bass was fine. Not awesome, but fine. Port seemed well integrated. No chuffing or farting or obvious timing issues. (I also owned the smaller Audience 62 floor standers which had a single woofer (6 inch...?) and they probably did lack a bit 40-80Hz. But again, not terrible overall. I bought them new for £600 and thought that was good value.)
I haven't really followed Dynaudio since, but I think they have neglected the cheaper end of the market of late. Possibly the Audience range was the last one they did that was attainable new for someone of my means. Happy to be corrected on that if I'm wrong.
Incidentally, the Cube 1 I owned were subjectively a fair bit less sensitive than the Audience 82. which google reminds me are 87dB (and in the final analysis this did not stop me liking the Cube 1 more).

[Docfoster]

Cube 1 is 8 inch driver

[SteveS57]

I wanted a lighter driver for the new Cube because my gut feeling having owned Klipsch Heresy (and a conversation with Steve57 at a bake off) convinced me that a lighter driver would improve transient response / immediacy. It has taken time to find a lighter driver that would work well without a traditional crossover.

89db is not high efficiency but it is a big difference on the original Cube drivers.

I don't know if I should be listened to..
Hope the new speakers work out OK.

[savvypaul]

I wanted a lighter driver for the new Cube because my gut feeling having owned Klipsch Heresy (and a conversation with Steve57 at a bake off) convinced me that a lighter driver would improve transient response / immediacy. It has taken time to find a lighter driver that would work well without a traditional crossover.

89db is not high efficiency but it is a big difference on the original Cube drivers.

I don't know if I should be listened to..
Hope the new speakers work out OK.

Thanks, Steve,

I listened to you at my own risk

I'll bring a pair to the next get together.

[valvesRus]

I wanted a lighter driver for the new Cube because my gut feeling having owned Klipsch Heresy (and a conversation with Steve57 at a bake off) convinced me that a lighter driver would improve transient response / immediacy. It has taken time to find a lighter driver that would work well without a traditional crossover.

89db is not high efficiency but it is a big difference on the original Cube drivers.

I don't know if I should be listened to..
Hope the new speakers work out OK.

Thanks, Steve,

I listened to you at my own risk

I'll bring a pair to the next get together.

Good, I'd like to hear them.


*

[SteveS57]

Thanks, Steve,

I listened to you at my own risk

I'll bring a pair to the next get together.

I'll look forwards to that Paul,
The last time we spoke was at Dave's place, his new premises, he tells me is not big enough to host a meet, which is a shame.
But there will be another owston next year, but the date is not settled yet as I don't want it to clash with the wam show or any other hifi events or shows

[dazed_and_confused]

Hello...
I'm new here, just found your forum earlier today while Googling Quad 57 info.

I'm surprised by the OP's comments regarding British speakers, perhaps it was meant to be tongue-in-cheek?

I'm a Brit, but I've been in the USA for 25 years. British speakers are well respected and well sought after over here, particularly Harbeth, ProAc, Quads, etc.
As for them sounding like garbage? I can only think this sweeping generalization is aimed at the BBC "Dip" which is a design feature in the XO of various British speakers, tending to give them a familiar 'house sound', but hardly making them all sound the same.

As for Klipsch. Their Heritage series ranges from respectable to high-end, depending on who exactly is voicing their opinion. Anything outside of the Heritage series is basically the Chinese made junk that litters the aisles in the local Best Buy here in the US. (Dixons-Curry's ?).
I've owned Klispchorns and the small Heresy, and they have qualities that are hard to find in non horn designs, but there are more 'refined' offerings of horn speakers on the market, Avantgarde springs to mind.
Anyway, it's an odd perspective voiced by the OP and doesn't seem in keeping with reality, that's my opinion as someone involved in audio for 45 years and has 'boots on the ground' here in the USA.

Cheers to ya'll from sunny Virginia, USA.

[Geoff.R.G]

Hello...
I'm new here, just found your forum earlier today while Googling Quad 57 info.

I'm surprised by the OP's comments regarding British speakers, perhaps it was meant to be tongue-in-cheek?

I'm a Brit, but I've been in the USA for 25 years. British speakers are well respected and well sought after over here, particularly Harbeth, ProAc, Quads, etc.
As for them sounding like garbage? I can only think this sweeping generalization is aimed at the BBC "Dip" which is a design feature in the XO of various British speakers, tending to give them a familiar 'house sound', but hardly making them all sound the same.

As for Klipsch. Their Heritage series ranges from respectable to high-end, depending on who exactly is voicing their opinion. Anything outside of the Heritage series is basically the Chinese made junk that litters the aisles in the local Best Buy here in the US. (Dixons-Curry's ?).
I've owned Klispchorns and the small Heresy, and they have qualities that are hard to find in non horn designs, but there are more 'refined' offerings of horn speakers on the market, Avantgarde springs to mind.
Anyway, it's an odd perspective voiced by the OP and doesn't seem in keeping with reality, that's my opinion as someone involved in audio for 45 years and has 'boots on the ground' here in the USA.

Cheers to ya'll from sunny Virginia, USA.

I have to agree with the comment about Best Buy, they have some big brands but also some real dogs.