Best Speakers for hearing Linda Ronstadt

Klipsch Cornwalls with a good 45SET amp. Holographic.

 

HB,

Heard Linda live in the 80's doing gigs with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra...Her voice complimented that genre Very Nicely!

Not sure what your budget is but for a superb dollar value, might I suggest THESE that have a great and balanced mid-range sound!!

Ted

 

If you are looking for gear to make one specific genre sound good, let alone one singer, something is wrong.........Good audio components can play any genre. People who state something totally different are mixing up preferences with facts.

 

Agreed...was thinking this, should have been my 1st response!

Ted

 

This thread has given me an idea. Maybe I should build a new system to get the most out of my extensive Kate Bush collection...

 

I’d imagine she’s a lot smoother on wax.

 

Towers big enough to snuggle.

 

Big issues: Quite a few Linda Ronstadt LP discs (and their digital counterparts) were mixed with the Aphex Aural Exciter) and also suffer from Val Garay's engineering. Therefore, very processed (I also happen to like the music).

 

I find panel speakers do voices best, especially concerning minute vocal inflections that an inexperienced listener probably wouldn’t notice. Possibly, this is because the diaphragms are closer in mass to human cords than are a typical dynamic-cone driver. Planar-magnetics like Magnepans are not the best for absolute resolution but they are hard to top in the midrange freqs. They also get timbre correct when setup properly. Martin Logan ESLs can produce more detail but are somewhat lacking in the natural body and weight of a human voice IME. I can’t speak for Quads, but the old-timers I know locally swear by the ESL 57s.

 

I have been enjoying Linda via JBL L100t3's since 1986 and now, since installing a 2.1 Parasound P6 Preamplifier/DAC, bass management to my JBL B380 makes Linda Ronstadt, as well as my other favored female vocalists, like Diana Krall, sound even more life like.

 

lacking any specifics of the seating and speaker layout of the relatively large room-

listening large, e.g. 60 feet away along the length of your room you will need some speakers that are efficient and capable of higher SPL.
klipsch heritage are the obvious choice, la scalas or cornwalls will do nicely, even forte iv. they will project a huge sound in that room arrangement, sound live as if delivered by a concert hall PA system, yet lack some refinement and transparency of other speakers and are not the ultimate female vocal speaker.
avante garde speakers are a big step up on this theme but are much more expensive.

listening medium large, e.g. 30 feet away would still be best suited to higher efficiency horn speakers unless you want to upgrade your amplifier power significantly.

litening medium, e.g. 15 to 20 feet away opens up some other possibilities that zero in on female vocals.
the spendor D7.2 towers are fast, relatively efficient and slightly forward leaning, image with precision and have a clear hi res sound which would spotlight linda extremely well.
if you have a big budget single driver speakers like Voxative is about the best you can do for female vocals. i was literally amazed when i heard Voxatives playing female soprano.
the Harbeth SHL5+ are right up there with the spendors and have stunning, slightly forward clarity perfect for linda.

listening nearfield, e.g. 10 feet away, the Spendors and Harbeths still work but you also have the option of the entry level single driver Voxative boxes which are again the best speakers for incredibly real female vocals.

 

Exactly! When I find a good recording, it shows the difference. My quest is to make the poor sound good!

 

I’d recommend Zu Omens (Dirty Weekend). The voice is incredibly accurate in Zu speakers.

Another good speaker for budget purpose.. Klipsch RP series towers. RP-6000/8000
Older ones are cheap in used market

 

Furthest I sit away is 15 feet (5 yards). My room is soft furnished; carpet, upholstery, curtains. Plaster walls with bookcases. Stone fireplace. Metal radiator. TV (plasma) on a cabinet.

I want Linda singing on the floor (standing up!) in front of me, or closer!

 

15 on July 15th!

 

As someone noted, 2.1 = Left, Right, and the 0.1 is a subwoofer. The reason 0.1 refers to a subwoofer is related to the limited-bandwidth low frequency channel used in cinemas for special effects woofers.

A centere channel will not help the recordings you have at all. There are just a couple 5.1 titles, albeit really wonderful ones:
https://www.discogs.com/Linda-Ronstadt-The-Nelson-Riddle-Orchestra-Whats-New/release/4291883
https://www.discogs.com/Linda-Ronst...omantic-Evening-In-Old-Mexico/release/9596599
I was thinking there was another but I have to check my bins.

She sounds great on an all-Focal setup (936, CC900, SR900, with the center boosted +1 dB compared to the raw Audyssey settings).

Now as @Boltman92124 asked, what do you feel is lacking with your Diamond 9.1? I have Diamond 11.4 in two different systems and while they are not quite the Focal they are quite nice. Stereophile sure loved yours:
Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 loudspeaker
BUT. At one place the 11.4 do indeed sound somewhat recessed, I'm going to put a slight mid-boost when I get some new shelves made. At the other location, they don't sound recessed at all.
(1) Maybe what you need is going to 3-way up from 2-way. I can tell you as a loudspeaker engineer that having a crossover in the middle of the vocal range is never the recipe for the utmost clarity. Even if the on-axis response is flat there will mathematically be a dip in the total power response (though a few designs can manage to mostly avoid this).
(2) Some PICTURES of your setup and room would be very relevant. It is quite possibly not a speaker problem at all! It could well be the room and/or positioning within

 

Hold on let me check....

Linda Ronstadt......

Cornwalls.

 

I see your Cornwalls and raise you Jubilee's.

Yes, I checked.

 

ATC SCM150ASLTs

 

Another possibility for a smaller room is a pair of these.


Driven by one of these,


Or one of these.


Either combination will do Linda’s voice the justice it deserves.

 

You may be banking too much on speakers. To make a voice well defined in front of you and come away from instruments and orchestra you need a good chain. I achieved it by adding a power filter and a good power cable to my hybrid integrated amp. I even use a quantum noise suppressor, which gives a voice just this extra little bit of definition and expression. Linda (and all other good singers) sound magic.

However there is a danger, after setting up a good chain you may not like your headphones anymore!

 

Good article. I have no problem with other music, just wanting Linda "on my lap" or at arm's reach. Its those recordings up to and including "Mad Love", though ML is halfway OK.

 

Go for it!

 

This.