What audio system do you have, or plan on getting?

[drogulus]

     I remember liking a pair of Celestion Ditton 10s back in the '70s. They were used by the BBC as monitors before the LS3/5a.

[Harry]

Has anyone had any experience with Denon mini systems? I'm thinking about getting a smaller system with just two speakers, which could give good sound.

It is important what you think is  good sound, but out of my experience, I say all mini systems above the 500 euros (Denon) are good value for your money.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Here's a system -- looking like something if Mad Max were an audiophile -- that I was listening to in Greece a little while ago. (Use that picture to make your wife more appreciative of whatever setup you have.  )

[71 dB]

Here's a system -- looking like something if Mad Max were an audiophile -- that I was listening to in Greece a little while ago. (Use that picture to make your wife more appreciative of whatever setup you have.  )

Looks like a storage room rather than a listening room. How about the acoustic treatment? Investing a million dollars to your gear doesn't help if the room acoustics suck and I can almost hear all those frames resonating on the wall with the bass. 

[Mandryka]

Here's a system -- looking like something if Mad Max were an audiophile -- that I was listening to in Greece a little while ago. (Use that picture to make your wife more appreciative of whatever setup you have.  )

Please upload an uncompressed picture so that we can try to guess the components.

.

[Daverz]

Has anyone had any experience with Denon mini systems? I'm thinking about getting a smaller system with just two speakers, which could give good sound.

I would worry about compromises with the speakers.  Where is it going to be set up?  You might get better sound with powered speakers.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Looks like a storage room rather than a listening room. How about the acoustic treatment? Investing a million dollars to your gear doesn't help if the room acoustics suck and I can almost hear all those frames resonating on the wall with the bass. 

The room is chock full of acoustic treatment. On the walls, on the ceilings... just everywhere... except most of it not seen on the picture. The guy thinks room-treatment -- this is something I don't practice but one of the points I agree with him -- becomes the single most important factor once you reach a certain level of reproduction quality.

Please upload an uncompressed picture so that we can try to guess the components.

Unfortunately, the picture isn't all that great to begin with, because I had to brighten it after the fact so that one sees much of anything. [I messed up the exposure on subsequent pix which came out weird.] But here's the best resolution possible: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D-sOcbIWsAALqeo.jpg:large

At the heart of the currently running system (there are several in the picture) is a self-built MusiCHI server (since refined and condensed into one box; here still the prototype in several casings).

I would worry about compromises with the speakers.  Where is it going to be set up?  You might get better sound with powered speakers.

The red speakers are his own construction. Yes, the way they stand next to the others -- a 40-some-year-old pair that he has brought back to life -- they presumably affect each other, but that's a current compromise owed to the reality/hassle of moving either pair at short notice.

[The new erato]

The guy thinks room-treatment -- this is something I don't practice but one of the points I agree with him -- becomes the single most important factor once you reach a certain level of reproduction quality.

This is obviously true, but even if I have a dedicated listening room I wouldn't want to live like that.

[Daverz]

The red speakers are his own construction. Yes, the way they stand next to the others -- a 40-some-year-old pair that he has brought back to life -- they presumably affect each other, but that's a current compromise owed to the reality/hassle of moving either pair at short notice.

My comment was in replay to Artem's question about a Denon mini-system.

But that other guy should just replace all that junk with a Bose.  I hear they are the best.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

This is obviously true, but even if I have a dedicated listening room I wouldn't want to live like that.

In his defense, that's not actually his living-room; it's a dedicated listening- and tinkering-room that's outside his apartment (but in the same building). But for shock-value, I think it's worth suppressing that factoid. :-)

[staxomega]

Do you guys have any opinions on LS3/5a clones and how they compare to Quad ESLs?

I am looking for some speakers for one of my offices, something that can be placed 1 foot from the front wall and listened to slightly further than arms length away.

[Mandryka]

Do you guys have any opinions on LS3/5a clones and how they compare to Quad ESLs?

I am looking for some speakers for one of my offices, something that can be placed 1 foot from the front wall and listened to slightly further than arms length away.

I think that's too close for ESLs myself, I don't think you should treat them like a massive pair of headphones. I think LS3/5As are overpriced. If I were you I'd take a punt on JR 149s, which are good value and ideal for near field listening and cute. JR149s were the original LS3/5A, they have the same drivers etc. I think I read Jim Rogers compromised some of the design to meet some BBC requirements (maybe they wanted cuboids!)

If you go that route come back and talk with me about amps to go with them, as I've been doing quite a bit of experimenting with mine. Amps matter a lot.

[Mandryka]

The room is chock full of acoustic treatment. On the walls, on the ceilings... just everywhere... except most of it not seen on the picture. The guy thinks room-treatment -- this is something I don't practice but one of the points I agree with him -- becomes the single most important factor once you reach a certain level of reproduction quality.

Unfortunately, the picture isn't all that great to begin with, because I had to brighten it after the fact so that one sees much of anything. [I messed up the exposure on subsequent pix which came out weird.] But here's the best resolution possible: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D-sOcbIWsAALqeo.jpg:large

At the heart of the currently running system (there are several in the picture) is a self-built MusiCHI server (since refined and condensed into one box; here still the prototype in several casings).

The red speakers are his own construction. Yes, the way they stand next to the others -- a 40-some-year-old pair that he has brought back to life -- they presumably affect each other, but that's a current compromise owed to the reality/hassle of moving either pair at short notice.

Thanks for the pic.

You know, if I put all my stuff in one room close together it would look a lot like that picture.

[staxomega]

I think that's too close for ESLs myself, I don't think you should treat them like a massive pair of headphones. I think LS3/5As are overpriced. If I were you I'd take a punt on JR 149s, which are good value and ideal for near field listening and cute. JR149s were the original LS3/5A, they have the same drivers etc. I think I read Jim Rogers compromised some of the design to meet some BBC requirements (maybe they wanted cuboids!)

If you go that route come back and talk with me about amps to go with them, as I've been doing quite a bit of experimenting with mine. Amps matter a lot.

The box speakers are for a different system, I have the ESL57s in another system. I was curious how they compare to the 57s to get a rough idea in my mind how they sound, particularly in the midband.

What about roughly 500 GBP for a kit of Falcon LS3/5a, does the value proposition sound a bit better? They sell the matched crossovers, genuine drivers and cabinets. Just requires putting them together which I could do. By one account on another they are the best sounding LS3/5a clones and the only ones making genuine drivers for them. Someone mentioned them having midrange as good as 57s which is what caused my ears to perk up. I am really new to British BBC style speakers so I will do some reading on those JR 149s.

[Mandryka]

The box speakers are for a different system, I have the ESL57s in another system. I was curious how they compare to the 57s to get a rough idea in my mind how they sound, particularly in the midband.

What about roughly 500 GBP for a kit of Falcon LS3/5a, does the value proposition sound a bit better? They sell the matched crossovers, genuine drivers and cabinets. Just requires putting them together which I could do. By one account on another they are the best sounding LS3/5a clones and the only ones making genuine drivers for them. Someone mentioned them having midrange as good as 57s which is what caused my ears to perk up. I am really new to British BBC style speakers so I will do some reading on those JR 149s.

Are the components in the Falcon Acoustics "LS3/5A STYLE"  kits really the same as the components in the Falcon Loudspeakers "BBC LS3/5a"?

[johnlewisgrant]

Listened to countless speakers and supporting systems for my 12X20 LR.  The best I heard (for a space of those dimensions, not treated) were the Revel Salon 2.

That is, UNTIL I heard these sound engineering speakers (the amp is in the speaker and the only speaker cables it accepts are balanced XLR).  These aren't pretty (like the Salon 2... at least for some people), but they sound much more realistic (yes, more realistic than the Salon 2).   With a decently recorded source they are often more enjoyable (sonically) than a live concert.  They are the FOCAL "SM9" nearfield/midfield monitors.   

I have heard loudspeakers as good as these, but nothing any better.   They easily fill my LR with orchestral music, making it sound completely as if you were listening live in a concert hall.  Extraordinary speakers.  All music, big or small, sounds completely real in force and accuracy.  Uncanny speakers.   Balanced XLR connections and internal amp ensure that the speaker is completely silent.   ZERO hum.   

So far the only source I use for them is TIDAL (Master, where possible) and a Marantz CD player with balanced XLR out.... so completely silent.

I couldn't be happier.

[Daverz]

Listened to countless speakers and supporting systems for my 12X20 LR.  The best I heard (for a space of those dimensions, not treated) were the Revel Salon 2.

That is, UNTIL I heard these sound engineering speakers (the amp is in the speaker and the only speaker cables it accepts are balanced XLR).  These aren't pretty (like the Salon 2... at least for some people), but they sound much more realistic (yes, more realistic than the Salon 2).   With a decently recorded source they are often more enjoyable (sonically) than a live concert.  They are the FOCAL "SM9" nearfield/midfield monitors.   

I have heard loudspeakers as good as these, but nothing any better.   They easily fill my LR with orchestral music, making it sound completely as if you were listening live in a concert hall.  Extraordinary speakers.  All music, big or small, sounds completely real in force and accuracy.  Uncanny speakers.   Balanced XLR connections and internal amp ensure that the speaker is completely silent.   ZERO hum.   

So far the only source I use for them is TIDAL (Master, where possible) and a Marantz CD player with balanced XLR out.... so completely silent.

I couldn't be happier.

You saved a lot of money over Salon 2s and the needed electronics!  I wonder how having all the drivers mounted on a wide baffle like that would perform.  Would love to see a polar plot or spinorama measurements.

[staxomega]

Are the components in the Falcon Acoustics "LS3/5A STYLE"  kits really the same as the components in the Falcon Loudspeakers "BBC LS3/5a"?

They are genuine, everything Falcon uses in their own LS3/5a- both drivers and matched crossovers. They do have a complete one stop click kit that uses Monacor drivers, but the one I am referring to requires you buying everything individually, then you can get the KEF/Falcon B110, their T27 tweeter, crossover and cabinets.

[Mandryka]

They are genuine, everything Falcon uses in their own LS3/5a- both drivers and matched crossovers. They do have a complete one stop click kit that uses Monacor drivers, but the one I am referring to requires you buying everything individually, then you can get the KEF/Falcon B110, their T27 tweeter, crossover and cabinets.

Then £500 sounds like a good price, if you can do the assembly yourself (the cabs may be hard to make, BBC speaker cabinets are thin and have to be glued in a special way, the cabinet vibrations are an important aspect of the sound. They need to be on stands in a way which allows the cabs to vibrate.)

I don't have LS3/5A, I have bigger BBC monitors, Spendor SP1, the closest I get to LS3/5a is with my JR149s, which  are really speakers which are only excellent for low volume near-field listening, they really can't fill a room with sound very well. I suspect the same is true for LS3/5As

That's bound to be a major difference between ESLs and LS3/5As -- the panels of the ESLs can move so much more air.

[Artem]

I would worry about compromises with the speakers.  Where is it going to be set up?  You might get better sound with powered speakers.

I'd like to set it up at home. I'm looking for a minimalistic kind of look. Don't want to have big or too many speakers. Right now I have 5+1 system, but I'm getting the feeling that all those speakers aren't that necessary for listening to something like Morton Feldman, for example.