Just throwing in some advice for whoever since the OP seems satisfied…
Speaker wire makes a difference. Make sure they are IN the socket. Also, they sell really thick wire that has posts attached on the end that ensures a good connection. It’s priced accordingly, but if you can get it…
A later Steely Dan CD works well for system testing; Becker and Fagen were and are VERY meticulous about their sound. Aja and Gaucho seem to work best. Of course, if you do not like Steely Dan, that’s another story…
The listening environment at higher-end audio shops is too unreal for me. My method for determining the best speakers is to take home a pair of both of the top candidates. Most decent stereo shops allow you to return equipment within a week; just put them on a credit card. Once home, I prefer blind A/B testing of both pairs. I ask my wife or a friend to do button pushing on the amplifier while I keep the eyes closed. There seems to be a difference between most speakers; determining which is better can be both fun and maddening.
Other advice: keep the tone controls flat and utilize a good mix of music types including classical solo violin and women’s voices. Having thoughtful friends and adult beverages around helps too.
Yes, Geoduck, I assumed he would take the speakers home on trial at the recommendation of the store, if that were practical.
A spectrum of music is important. Classical, rock (or shudder jazz), vocals. The best quality recordings you have. They should be recordings you “know by heart”, so variations in speaker reproduction can be quickly identified.
“Tone controls flat” also implies cutting out all other effects, too. Such as stereo surrond, echo, equalization…
When A/B testing of speakers, it’s very important to equalize volume between the two. The human ear typically perceives increased volume as being ‘better’, and speakers vary greatly in efficiency. So direct A/B testing is almost sure to give you a skewed perception of which ones are better.
So… If you’re switching between speakers, do this - slowly bring the volume up on one pair, listen, then take it back down to zero again. Switch speakers, and slowly bring the volume up again until the perceived loudness is the same. Have a friend do this while your eyes are closed.
Oh, and sometimes have him not switch speakers at all, so you never know what you’re listening to. That avoids bias from creeping in.
Got to the thread late, but I was going to recommend Paradigm. I’ve had a pair of their Studio Monitor floor standing speakers for a long time now and love them.
Partly_warmer–to answer your question, on less than wonderful equipment, women’s voices seem shrill and unnatural. I find these differences fairly easy to perceive (unlike other sounds and frequencies). Perhaps it is just me as I haven’t researched the science behind my perception. I also enjoy a lot of music that features women’s voices as well. You know, maybe it has something to do with my mom being totally tone deaf. . .thanks for triggering this thought!
Sam Stone, thanks for completing the A/B testing method idea with critical information. Turning up the volume is an old stereo sales trick that one always has to be mindful of.
I’ll throw my hat in with the B&W crowd. Damn those are some fine speakers. Crank em’ up as loud as you’d like and you won’t notice even the faintest hint of distortion. Generally, the bass is a little lacking with them, but that’s nothing a 12” sub wouldn’t cure.
Audio Review is a website I consult before any audio equipment purchase. It’s an excellent resource for the amateur audiophile.
