Does your phone have a built-in hearing test for hi-fi parametric EQ? When my XO-less stacked micor55 LX TLonken/MLhorn shocked me how "jaw-dropping" flat it was, and how much more resolving, I had to try to confirm it by "seated-in-ear" measurement. After all, this may be the most direct and truthful method to test what FR is actually heard physically and physiologically -- received and perceived by the listener's ears-and-brain in situ. Personalized high fidelity.
My smartphone Xiaomi 9 (flagship in its day) has a sophisticated built-in hearing test coupled with EQ on the headphone output, and here's the result (thrice repeated only differ at the far right from head positioning). I'm sixty. Tone sweep sounds jaw-dropping flat over my hearing range except 90-100hz ripple.
The Mi9 is technically more hi-fi but I still prefer the music from the Huawei P10plus. OCC interconnect 3.5mm to TPA3221 on steroids; Mi9 with additional Choseal USB-C to 3.5mm passive adapter. Graphite feet between cabs help.
The Mi9 is technically more hi-fi but I still prefer the music from the Huawei P10plus. OCC interconnect 3.5mm to TPA3221 on steroids; Mi9 with additional Choseal USB-C to 3.5mm passive adapter. Graphite feet between cabs help.
That's where I'm at. I don't like the "seam" in the middle of the range. For me, a 500Hz crossover is what I ended up with. The music comes out in one piece. I'm old, I don't really need "tweeters" per se.
People who say that multidriver speakers have unrestricted dynamics are probably listening for something other than what I'm listening for. Dynamic articulation is pretty important to me.
If I ever wanted different speakers, I might go lower than 500, but I'm very happy with what I have.
Yes! Dynamic articulation is my #1 SQ. I agree a good fullrange or fullrange-plus has a natural advantge over speakers with mediocre XO (poor time/phase/transcient design, or cheap implementation using non-aircore inductors etc.). Vintage alnico fullrange especially articulate. Even better with SE tube. (Hearsay) due to alnico flux concentration in the voice-coil gap (according to Ralph of Atma-Sphere OTL), and tube's much better low-level linearity i.e. micro-dynamics. (Near-extinct Vfet being sole SS exception.) I've found very low distortion Class D (e.g. Bel Canto ICEpower, TPA3221 on steroids) to be good enough for diy experiments and everyday listening -- provided the amps are never powered off.
I don't know who has measured/quantified dynamic articulation, but IMO it is perhaps the most subtle yet obvious audible distinction in high fidelity (life-like realism) among already-good speakers. Best I've heard/owned being Ted Jordan's Goodmans Axiom 80 with SE tubes (45 monoblocks -- not sure); reminiscent of that, my micor55 using Michael Audio "drum-skin" coated-paper-cone sold only in China.
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May I know which kind of enclosures was used ?
It's always refreshing to read a debate on fullrange 😎
As I said before I don't believe fullrange is the right term, as it says to other speaker drivers, you are dumb with crossovers, limitations, me alone i can do it all without any electronic...Wideband driver is more accurate. It has a wide spectrum but definitely has some drawbacks.
I am not a fan of cars but i see a // with it. You can not have a cars that have big load capacity, being fast, lightweight, etc. Always each design will have a trade off. Or you can think about shoes...a dress shoes vs running shoe vs construction site shoe etc...
Fullrange is the less is more philosophy. That in itself is already a very strong part. (think about speaker array...)
It's a little bit off topic but i love this diagram from Troels Gravesen
I quote "
Efficiency is inversely proportional to the moving mass and - proportional to the square of the product of cone area and BL.
No matter what we do, we have to balance three basic parameters, size, efficiency and low-end extension, the trade-offs in loudspeaker building."
No matter what we do, we have to balance three basic parameters, size, efficiency and low-end extension, the trade-offs in loudspeaker building."
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Originally it was a neighbor's DIY Karlson X-15 kit in '56 just as stereo was starting to gain some attention, so he built another several years later. Being a very 'colorful' sounding design it really highlighted just how bad the early stereo LPs were even with the likes of RCA's Chet Atkins' mono/stereo LPs I used later on with my then much tweaked Altec A7-500 'pallet' kits circa '64.
After a week of exclusively listening to single-driver Zenith 12", I fired up my 3-way horns and my ears and brain did not like it. However, after some time, it seems like my brain made some self-adjustments and music could be enjoyed. Perhaps that's why one can relax into music easier with full-range speakers, e.g. not having to make as many compensations in brain..
Any speaker change needs adjustements. After big 3 way JBL to lowther full range any average audio enthusiast will have a lost or deny moment 🙄
Listening heavy metal on full range is not what i would describe as a relax and enjoy experience from my own tests.
Listening heavy metal on full range is not what i would describe as a relax and enjoy experience from my own tests.
what I mean by relax was for the ears 😎 to bring joy not pain (or pain that you want 🤓). I know it's not the best term...Stoner is a subgenre with very slow tempo that could fit...
I've found that a good deal of metal is highly compressed with no real bass. The cymbals are just a sheen over the compressed guitars and indistinct rumbling bass, so much of the music is technically noise that is not stressful music to play on any system. I think it sounds good on single driver systems even at ear bleeding levels. An example is Crazy Train. Metal seems to me to be full of midrange. Having said that, there are more progressive styles of metal that can stress the crap out of a system with lower than usual bass, radical dynamics, layered guitars, mixed in with incredible singing, sound effects, and large transients. This kind of metal is OK on full rangers at moderate levels but better on large two or three-way systems that can reproduce the bass without distorting the midrange. Example, Tool, Aristocrats. It takes an exceptional "fullrange" to reproduce modern electronic and large orchestral pieces at concert levels. EDIT: I have never heard a 15" fullrange, so my opinion is limited.
As far as relaxing goes, I've known several people who relax to metal. I don't think they are listening to the music, at least not like I would as a musician. I think they are in a zone of pink noise that lets everything go, their brain clears out, and they relax.
As far as relaxing goes, I've known several people who relax to metal. I don't think they are listening to the music, at least not like I would as a musician. I think they are in a zone of pink noise that lets everything go, their brain clears out, and they relax.
I also feel the same for a lot of metal bands. Kind of a fustration to listen on good systems...One good surprise in heavy rock i would describe was A night at the opera by Queen, The prophet's song, it's almost a heavy metal/rock title but you hear very well each instruments and it definitely doesn't sound flat or heavily compressed.
And once you’ve been introduced to identifying phase shifts, you cannot “undo” it…….changes everything. Unfortunately I was exposed to the reality as a teenager working in a studio in NYC as a helper and then moved up to assistant engineer. Spent hours side by side doing close dual mic setups with the lead til I could identify it 10/10……ruined me for personal listening at home…….the amount of recordings that have phase effect baked in is 😢
That’s common…..your hearing the engineer EQ the kick and bass guitar so that theydo not compete with each other for the same pass band. I use dynamic compression instead with a side chain key frequency on each…..better results……but you can’t do anything with a track where the bass ride is following the kick and the band is against tuning lower. Try Lamb of God…..they get it right most of the time.
Reminds me in my mediocre rock career 🙄 when the drummer is too loud so the bass player plays louder, so the guitar player plays louder etc etc...
Mayhem13, do you have some "ideal" recordings that does not trigger your mental health ? (hotel california is forbidden to mention 😆)
Mayhem13, do you have some "ideal" recordings that does not trigger your mental health ? (hotel california is forbidden to mention 😆)
We would just turn everything up to 11. If you didn't bring enough power or watts, well, too bad for you. It was stupid, and stupid loud.
Tried listening to Lamb of God. Made it about 20 seconds. I can't stand the 'I'm vomiting' style of singing. I did hear what you were talking about with the kick's and the bass. Ya know what? I don't like the 'little kid stuck on the tea cup ride' style of metal singing either. I like metal (and opera) when there isn't any singing, the musicianship is often exceptional. My grandfather used to say, opera and ballet weren't bad except for all the singing and dancing.
To my mind, the greatest advantage of a full range is the single coil of wire is the closest one can get to an elctrostat in terms of coherence and resolution. But, like electrostats, full rangers can't rock Metal, either.
Bah-ha. Amazing how someone does it, then it's a trend, then everyone has to follow to "sell" in a particular genre. I'd never sing like that, but I'm not looking to make a buck, nor make it big.
In the FHAG thread, Joe posted a video of his friend and instrument demo player Casey's band. Happened to listen using my "bassiest" headphones. I was like, what the hell did they do to the bass? I dont even understand how they got it to sound that way, nevermind why anyone would want that.
For those Too Much Hassle To Listen, It sounds like the bass got put through an envelope follower - and all you hear is the DC envelopes with a vague tonal wiggle on top...or something. Must be some modern studio processing trend / fashion... 'I'm vomiting' bass maybe...or whatever.
Given the plethora of "plug in" digital effects available in DAWs, it's interesting where that's all going to go as people mix and match and side chain, to get a sound that somehow stands out.
I must be the only one who enjoys metal on full rangers, currently listening to Opeth (Ghost Reveries)