What do you get from a £10,000 music speaker?

[mahler10th]

LJ Rich examines a £10,000 ($16,000) speaker and finds out why it is impossible to recreate the sound of an orchestra in your living room.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/9562304.stm

[Todd]

why it is impossible to recreate the sound of an orchestra in your living room.

What, is this an article for those who need the obvious explained to them?  What one does often, though not always, get from a (often but not always) big, expensive speaker is more and better bass, more high frequency detail, a larger "soundstage," etc, but no speaker can possibly recreate the sound of an orchestra.  Or string quartet.  Or piano.  Or guitar.  Or human voice.  Etc.

[mahler10th]

What, is this an article for those who need the obvious explained to them?  What one does often, though not always, get from a (often but not always) big, expensive speaker is more and better bass, more high frequency detail, a larger "soundstage," etc, but no speaker can possibly recreate the sound of an orchestra.  Or string quartet.  Or piano.  Or guitar.  Or human voice.  Etc.

Yes, well, it's copied and pasted from the BBC.  I didn't write it myself.   0:)

[DavidW]

The headline is misleading, it's not really about the limitations of speakers... it's about how the music is recorded, and then how much work goes into designing high end speakers and why.  If anything despite the acoustic limitations of listening in your living room, I think the vid does a decent job of explaining why the speakers might be worth the money.

[Todd]

I think the vid does a decent job of explaining why the speakers might be worth the money.

It's certainly a nice, free ad for KEF.

[DavidW]

It's certainly a nice, free ad for KEF.

Yup!

[snyprrr]

LJ Rich examines a £10,000 ($16,000) speaker and finds out why it is impossible to recreate the sound of an orchestra in your living room.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/9562304.stm

What do you get? How bout a reach around?

[Daverz]

$16K isn't that much for a high-end speaker these days.  After all, I didn't pay much more than that for my Hyundai, and I spend a lot more time in front of my speakers (not KEFs!) than I do in my car.

No, you can't reproduce the sound of an orchestra in your living room, but you can create a pretty convincing simulacrum.

[snyprrr]

But what if the technology gets to the point where you have a speaker for every perceived instrument? Wouldn't that be the recreation effect right there?

[Grazioso]

What do you get from a £10,000 music speaker?

Hopefully it comes with a divorce attorney because you'll need one if you try to spend that much on a speaker

[snyprrr]

But what if the technology gets to the point where you have a speaker for every perceived instrument? Wouldn't that be the recreation effect right there?

No? That won't recreate the orchestra?

[DavidW]

No? That won't recreate the orchestra?

You still don't have the concert hall acoustic in your living room.

[snyprrr]

You still don't have the concert hall acoustic in your living room.

ok, well then you can surely recreate intimate Chamber Music,... I mean, I'm sure sooomeone has a swanky enough place to make this true,... I mean, we're only talkin' $$$ here, not the impossibility of recreating an orchestra,... right? What about those new commercials with all the different stereotypes of Super Rich (the Russian guy with the bonsai pet giraffe)?

It can be done, I say.

[Grazioso]

ok, well then you can surely recreate intimate Chamber Music,... I mean, I'm sure sooomeone has a swanky enough place to make this true,... I mean, we're only talkin' $$$ here, not the impossibility of recreating an orchestra,... right? What about those new commercials with all the different stereotypes of Super Rich (the Russian guy with the bonsai pet giraffe)?

It can be done, I say.

http://www.youtube.com/v/rkB9OT2XVvA

"Opulence, I has it." 

[Todd]

It can be done, I say.

Nope, it can't.

[mahler10th]

I have decided to settle the matter by buying, and moving in to the Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, with my bed, a telly, and a stock of food (and some beer), so that when the Classical season starts at the end of next month I don't have to fork out $16,000 to fail at hearing the music 'properly.'

[petrarch]

After all, I didn't pay much more than that for my Hyundai, and I spend a lot more time in front of my speakers (not KEFs!) than I do in my car.

And, especially with tall speakers, you can get a more involving, rewarding and moving experience than with 'normal' speakers. Sometimes I find myself in utter bliss, and that is worth more that a car or three.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

No, you can't reproduce the sound of an orchestra in your living room, but you can create a pretty convincing simulacrum.

I've heard myself a system so good that it reproduced the sound of piano almost to a T. I still haven't shaken off the experience of that moment....

.....and how I would love to have that system...

[eyeresist]

Q. What do you get from a £10,000 music speaker?

A. MONO!

[snyprrr]

And, especially with tall speakers, you can get a more involving, rewarding and moving experience than with 'normal' speakers. Sometimes I find myself in utter bliss, and that is worth more that a car or three.

I finally looked at your system photo. That's impressive.