Request to Speaker Manufacturers- Adjustable Voicing or Model Versions

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by avanti1960, Oct 2, 2015.

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  1. Rolltide

    Rolltide Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vallejo, CA
    I believe they make speakers that are effectively LS50 drivers in floorstanders in their reference line, which cost much more then the R series of course.

    It is an interesting question in general why KEF can't make good floorstanders at that price point though. B&W's 6 series kills the KEF R's, to say nothing of the CM line.
     
  2. Mike-48

    Mike-48 A shadow of my former self

    Location:
    Portland, Oregon
    Bob, it is apparent in the NRC measurements of this speaker that the range 1.5k to 6k is elevated by about 3 dB. Based on my experimentation with a very high quality digital equalizer, even a 0.2 dB increase is audible, and much over that is very noticeable. So yes, there is not just subjective, but also objective, truth to your observation.

    The Stereophile measurements also show something similar -- not the sort of treble response I would find enjoyable for reproduced string music.

    This of course is exacerbated by the HF emphasis added by many, if not most, microphones.
     
  3. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    To get the most out of the LS50s they need to be placed following the manufacturer's recommendation- especially the maximum stand height of 24". This places them below ear level and presents the smoothest response.
     
  4. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    I believe they can but choose not to for some reason. They make this flagship gem of a class A speaker in the LS50 and nothing better until the Reference 1? Just doesn't compute.
     
  5. Rolltide

    Rolltide Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vallejo, CA
    I don't think anybody chooses to suck.

    It would be interesting to see the economic data on the LS-50. Is it a loss leader or profit neutral designed to bring good attention to the brand? Is it a volume sales proposition, and priced accordingly? Being a bookshelf speaker in a small box allows them to easily sell it on Amazon/etc. My point is I'm not sure that because the LS-50 is $1500 that they could make it into a floor stander for $2000. But note as I write all this I'm in post-facto justification mode, as I don't really disagree with anything you're saying. Kef has basically abdicated the entry/mid level floorstander/5.1 setup to B&W.
     
  6. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    i like that- post-facto justification mode- we should all be so honest.
    I don't think that KEF chose to "suck" with the R series, they just voiced them according to marketing and target demographics - as you said- home theater. Take the dang R500 Box and substitute its midrange / tweeter with the LS50 coincident driver. Basically the LS50 in a taller enclosure with another woofer. The R5oo's do put out some tight, excellent dynamic bass.
    How much would that cost? Probably more than the $2600 retail of the R500 but it would be sound much better than the $3600 R700. I would sell my Harbeths and buy them in a minute.
     
  7. Rolltide

    Rolltide Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vallejo, CA
    That said, the speakers they make that do include the LS50 driver are quite possibly worth the $13K they charge for them. Wouldn't surprise me.

    [​IMG]
     
  8. Mike-48

    Mike-48 A shadow of my former self

    Location:
    Portland, Oregon
    Regarding the original question, I also like adjustments on speakers. Especially when they have fixed steps, which makes it a lot easier to get repeatable settings and to match R and L channels.

    Of course, the ideal solution would be a preamp with a transparent, flexible equalizer. The closest I've had were a Cello Palette Preamp, bought used years ago, and my current Classé CP-800, which has digital PEQ and tone controls.

    A stumbling block is that the best (most transparent) equalizers I've found work in the digital realm, and many audiophiles who play LPs don't want to go through ADC and DAC just to EQ. One would hope that something like the Lynx Hilo could do it well enough -- there was, I believe, a pro-audio comparison in which the listeners found it transparent through the whole A - ADC - DAC - D cycle. But I doubt that most analog-leaning audiophiles would be convinced by any of today's electronics.

    So, I believe that what audio needs most right now is a highly transparent equalizer. We need that far more than quad-rate DSD or another set of $50,000 cables. But maybe I'm drifting the thread too much, now....
     
    Gumboo likes this.
  9. hesson11

    hesson11 Forum Resident

    Thanks, Mike. Yes, I was aware of those measurements, and I was actually surprised that they sounded as good as they did to me in that range. As I mentioned, it seemed to be quite a narrow range of brightness that troubled me, especially in violins. The curves suggest I might have been bothered more than I actually was.

    Thanks, avanti. That's how I positioned them.
    -Bob
     
  10. murphythecat

    murphythecat https://www.last.fm/user/murphythecat

    Location:
    Canada
    ime with the ls50, they really need to be listened off axis
    litterally aiming them out by a good amount if you have a equilateral triangle LP.SoundStageNetwork.com | SoundStage.com - NRC Measurements: KEF LS50 Loudspeakers

    the soundstage measurements do show the +4 db in the 3-6khz range, once toed out to try to achieve the 30 degree curve, the LS50 sounds pretty darn good. its still just a 5 inch based loudspeakers, cannot expect miracle and I personally think they are absolutely overated by the joke of Stereophile magazine
     
    Mike-48 likes this.
  11. Eamon

    Eamon Forum Resident

    Have to say I really like my r700s they have great sound staging. Not sure what amps you heard them paired with but they sound nice with Roksan.
     
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