Came across this article and thought this was really cool. I would love to schedule an appointment to listen to his equipment when I go back up to Tennessee again.
Looks like you schedule an appointment on this website if anyone is interested:
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It’s a beautiful long weekend for me recovering from my last work trip and preparing for my next. I swapped some equipment around and I just can’t decide which system I’m digging more currently, 
Spatial Audio M4 Triode Masters in the main listening room or Charney Audio Companions in the smaller listening space 
The spatial presentation, the soundstage, the recreation of the artists in various positions throughout the listening area as presented by the Spatial Audio open baffles is just so 
satisfying. The large room simply begs for a grand presentation. (No, it’s not lifelike, I don’t have the equipment, time or money to bother to get that ridiculous in my efforts and that’s absolutely not what I’m trying to describe.) It’s an immersive, spacious, enjoyable presentation, based on internet reading, maybe it’s not the audiophile description of reproducing the music as the artist intended or just like a live presentation, but it’s what I can squeeze out of my space for money spent. The speakers don’t locate or isolate easily and that’s a sound and quality character I value.
I will throw a shout-out to the pair of REL T/9x subs solidifying the bottom end. I put some effort in and re-tuned them, (a bit “hotter” than is my usual) and for the money and size, damn do they come alive and energize the room when the material calls for it. 
PSA folks; Don’t skimp on your subs, go big, go expensive, go w/ as many multiples as you can afford. If you are both a minimalist and prefer the purity of what your speakers and room are capable of doing alone in the bottom end, I applaud your tenacity and the expense, Personally I cheat and use subs for the rooms/systems I have put together.
I don’t have the ability to take proper frequency measurement’s in the room, I’m sure if I did I would afterwards just quit the hobby, sell everything off and move onto something else to put my time, efforts, passion and money into. I guarantee this room has all sorts of weird going on, don’t care it sounds good to my untuned ears 
. I make this statement because folks get extremely technical in this hobby and seem to forget that it is about personal enjoyment, so make sure to take ALL I say and present w/ heavy grains of, “figure out your own shit, this is mine.” 
- Spatial Audio M4 Triode Masters being pushed by: Innuos PhoenixNet switch > Innuos Pulse streamer > OG Berkeley Alpha Reference DAC > Vinnie Rossi L2iSE using 45’s, 2x REL T/9X.
Next we move upstairs to the smaller room, this weekend we present Charney Audio Companions fitted with OG Lowther DX65’s, IMO different sound and presentation. The room is a modest 12 x 13 x 8 and my ability to position speakers is limited due to space constraints. The low ceiling does not help matters so when I decided to build out this room I removed all furniture not related to music and did the best I could within my budget; the space is 100% dedicated to music. 
It is enjoyable, it is intimate, it is very relaxing, it has limits and I’m speaking to the music best I can putting forth full disclaimer that I can only get so much in the space. I can’t get the speakers to disappear as well as the larger room but when they do, the precise imaging, deeper, richer more dynamic levels of volume and tighter heart thumping but not wall reverberating bottom end brings a warm smile to my face 
Both style of speakers are to my best ability to describe midrange magic Queens. My opinion is that the Kings of the music world are simply in a completely different or DIY custom range and will be larger w/ more expensive materials and designs. The Queens and Princes though can be had for more modest sums when purchased used and both these speakers IMHO fall into the range of Midrange Queens. You can fine tune their nuances to your hearts content till they play “just right” for your space and tastes.
Spend a little, spend allot, it doesn’t matter as long as we are having fun, remember to play around with your seat and the position of the speakers, it’s free and makes a difference 
Happy listening all, this is my weekend adventure.
- Charney Audio Companion w/ OG Lowther DX65’s being pushed by: Innuos Zenith mk3 streamer > Lampizator Baltic 3 DAC > PASS Labs HPA-1 pre > Yamamoto A08-S, 1x REl T7/i.
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Tell them about the monster side table subs you also have running 
I did say to use as many large subs as possible…I don’t like to be a hypocrite. I mostly power up the 15’s when I run the K-horns or the BMR’s.
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I wasn’t calling you a hypocrite! Simply mentioned as they help fill your concert hall of a room.
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The hypocrite comment was in reference to not doing what I preach, yes I do have multiple subs in that room, yes I power all of them up (and push them allot harder and hotter than my average listening session) when I really want to experience a more visceral session.
I know you weren’t calling me a hypocrite, 
I was making sure I admitted to the rest of the group that I put my money where my mouth is
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what are the boxes you’ve put up on the far wall, planning on built in treatment?
Those are display cases i wound up never using and had covered up with 2 thick blankets. I was going to display my Star wars mini’s in them and just never got around to displaying or removing. Now that you mention it if I take the doors off and fill with Rockwool thats a solid 8 inches of fill they can each hold.
Bravo Johhny i’ve been covering them up for years now and didnt think about stuffing them!
I’ve recently purchased a set of gershman studio 2 “bookshelf” speakers and have them on a set of diy stands that need to be replaced.
I’m looking to build or buy a new set of stands but looking around and there’s a myriad of options…
- low and high mass
- timber vs aluminum
- solid top plate vs open top plate
- isolation between the floor and stand vs isolation between the top plate and the speaker
What do I need to look out for other than getting the height correct (500-550mm) and something that will be stable for the large footprint (25w x 36d cm).
Flooring in the room is Hardwood timber parquetry on concrete slab.
Thank you
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Ask if @oberon might be able to build you a pair of beautiful custom stands exactly to your size requirements. His work is exceptional and gorgeous and prices are super fair🤌
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Hey guys, i have just started with speakers, got myself a pair of Polk ES15 for my desktop and now i have the opportunity to grab a pair of Kef Q150 for a good price as an upgrade.
My question is, will the Q150 be an actual upgrade over the ES15?
I listen VERY close, like 4fr away.
Btw, my amp is a Cambridge AXR100.
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Grabbed a second hand set of stands, was very worried when I got them into the car to hear them ring out for a good 7 seconds when tapped but 1.65kg of sand per leg and it’s dead to the knuckle tap now.
Spikes with shoes into the floor and the wellfloat a4-g between the speaker and the stand.
Herbie’s gliders on order for the feet to try that out and see what else I can get my hands on to demo before I commit.
Will also try replacing the top plate with some thick hardwood at some stage but for now I’m very happy and impressed with the sound these are putting out in my very average room.
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If I’m thinking about a system more dedicated to electronic music, are there materials and designs that I should prioritize and look for over others? I have my own preferences as far as extension, soundstage, slam etc but I was wondering if by scanning options there’s an easy way to highlight specific options or ignore some.
I’ve come to the conclusion that making a system that sounds supreme in a couple of genres is far easier (cheaper) than making a system that’s a jack of all trades across a broad musical genres. It gets even more expensive when you’re shooting for something that’s a queen of all trades across broad genres.
I can’t afford a King of all trades. 
Based on everything you’ve chases and said over the years and you coming back to the electronic music as your foundation, I’d just make two chains, different speakers and perhaps a component or two that’s mutual and that will allow you to focus the one system to what you’re searching for FAR cheaper.
That said, for EDM for my preferences, sealed larger trumps ported smaller drivers. Speed and immediacy over decay. I’d look for speakers that are designed for high power with speed and impact and multiple sealed subs.
It’s all preference of flavors and your definition is going to be different than mine but two systems may be your best way to get to what you want.
I’ve worked really hard to get to my queen of all genres chain but it’s been expensive with a lot of trial and error and being willing to make a mistake and take chance on things. No amount of forum talking can supplant real world first hand experience.
Focus on the best amp/speaker pairing you can for EDM and use the rest of your components communally.
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To borrow your analogy, I’m looking to compliment my queen of all trades current system with potentially a second set of gear that will bring the electronic music to a higher level of performance. If that won’t be possible with budgets and current components, I will look into alternatives of splitting the money differently.
Thanks that’s the type of information I’m looking for.
From my own experience the DAC makes a lot of difference for this as well. I’ve yet to hear a better electronic focused DAC like the Wavedream Signature because of its impact and slam. Not to say Poseidon can’t deliver, but when trying to optimize that last few percentages per genre, it’s noticeable where each DAC’s strengths are.
I actually think in my case that Levante can pull the weight for amplification if the speakers can work with it’s power limitation. I’m not concerned about its performance, just power.
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But honestly man, at the level of DAC you’re playing at, they should all be more than capable enough to cover all the bases.
Synergy is king, that’s why I say to focus on the amp/speaker pairing but at least you know what you want and that’s half the battle.
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I’m looking for a recommendation for a desktop speaker which will be on either side of a computer monitor and about 2-3 feet away from me.
Some considerations:
- I’m looking for a passive speaker. My (tube) amp is an LTA Ultralinear+ (20Wpc), which LTA suggests works better with higher-sensitivity speakers.
- @dB_Cooper suggests that concentric or single point drivers might be better for desktop use.
- This is literally my first pair of audiophile speakers. I’ve always been a headphone person (Focal Utopias).
- While new to speakers, I’m not new to audiophilia: my source chain is quite high-end overall; DAC is a Weiss 501-mk2. So, looking for a speaker that can scale to the level of my chain.
- Resolution and imaging are important to me.
- Something within $2-3k would be nice, but budget is flexible till ~$6k if need be.
- I do plan to get a subwoofer if needed, and of course proper isolation from the desk.
- Music genres: wide-ranging, but I like acoustic & vocals, so I’d say the mid-range is pretty important.
Options I’m considering:
- Omega Compact Alnico. Omega informs me they use LTA amplification themselves and like the synergy.
- Some LS3/5a-style speaker.
- MonAcoustics SuperMon Mini.
- KEF LS50 Meta, but even the manual recommends a listening distance of 5 feet at the minimum and opinions on desktop use seem mixed.
- Magnepan Mini Maggie seems like something totally different (planars). Not sure if a good match for my tube amp.
- Any others. Amphion Argon0?
I’m leaning towards the Omega Compact Alnico, and one specific concern is whether the older Omega design (2008, I believe) is likely to be inferior on detail & resolution to newer technology like the KEF Meta above (2022/23?) or the SuperMon Mini (2024).
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Size is a consideration as well depending on your desktop realestate. From a placement standpoint height is very critical and you’re going to want them closer to ear level for best imaging which on a desktop can be tricky.
@PaisleyUnderground has a current desktop system like you’re putting together perhaps he can chime in.
The LTA, Weiss and Omega was my initial chain and it was perfect in mid field, so I’d wager that it would be very good near field experience with their monitors. The LS3/5a are a classic for the use case as well. I don’t have the SuperMon mini.
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I think the person with the best nearfield experience is probably @driftingbunnies . I believe driftingbunnies also had the Super Mon Mini, so maybe he can chime in here on how it sounds and how the clarity level compare to other nearfield speakers.
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Not small and not sure if that’s a consideration but I’d read more about these, especially now that they’re on sale.
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