[glenkol]

Hello, I am a new member.  I have a 2-channel system that is used for music listening.  Not completely happy with my sound.  To my ears the upper mids and treble frequencies are too pronounced on many recordings.  Listening fatigue sets in quickly.  I have added a pair of subwoofers crossed over at 80Hz, which has helped fill in the low bass, but still does not produce the rich, full balanced sound that I desire, nor has it corrected the perceived harshness of the presentation.    It is my understanding that the speakers and room interaction are primarily responsible for the quality of sound, with the quality of the source also being important to a lesser extent.  I mostly stream Tidal MQA files, but also have a CD player.  Not a huge difference in sound quality between the sources, at least to my ears.    I drive the speakers with a pair of mono amps with tube preamp.  I have tried using a cheap solid-state receiver in place of the amplifiers.  I definitely prefer the tube pre sound, but the overbearing upper mid and high frequency character did not seem to change with amplification.   I have tried absorption panels at the first and second reflections to the point of over correcting and producing a dead, lifeless sound.   Have not tried bass trap diaphragms which is a much bigger expense.  Also did not attempt to change out signal cables, power conditioning, or fuses.   It is my belief that the biggest change will result from a speaker upgrade.   I am looking for a full range speaker that produces a smooth, non-fatiguing sound absent of upper frequency harshness.    I mostly listen to rock music.   Any advice would be appreciated. My existing speakers are Polk Lsim 707 full range towers.

[Phil A]

Welcome to AC!  What speakers are you currently using?  Have you measured them in the room with and without the subwoofers?

[richidoo]

I had those Polk speakers for a very short time, and I share your concerns about their SQ. Your listening skills have advanced beyond the quality of the 707s. They are surely not intended for high end audiophile music listening.

I bought mine used after being fooled by a show demonstration that used Audio Research's Reference line tube electronics. In those days that's how you got a "best of show" award, play the AR tubes loudly, on anything, and it will sound pretty good. Perfect for introducing a new product intended for lifestyle market (appearance.)

I played them for some friends at a hifi meet I hosted. They all reacted very badly to the sound of them so we didn't even finish the song and switched to other speakers immediately. Before I sold them I looked them over carefully to learn what I could. I found that the cones and the surround are one piece molded colored plastic similar to polyethylene. A cone is best when stiff while surround is best when flexible. It is not possible to use the same material for both parts and achieve a high performance result.

Legacy Audio speakers are always a good choice for a full range, musically voiced, yet still "high end audiophile" speaker with good performance and good value. IMO, for the money there is very little else with such good SQ. I have their Focus SE which is a big 4 way speaker, but their line is diverse for all sizes of rooms and output level.

Their Signature SE model is sealed cabinet so it may have more tube friendly impedance graph than other models that have low impedance dips in the bass. But they also have internally powered bass models with very high sensitivity and easy impedance for tubes to drive above 120Hz. Good luck in your search

[Yog Sothoth]

I had those Polk speakers for a very short time, and I share your concerns about their SQ. Your listening skills have advanced beyond the quality of the 707s. They are surely not intended for high end audiophile music listening.

I bought mine used after being fooled by a show demonstration that used Audio Research's Reference line tube electronics. In those days that's how you got a "best of show" award, play the AR tubes loudly, on anything, and it will sound pretty good. Perfect for introducing a new product intended for lifestyle market (appearance.)

I played them for some friends at a hifi meet I hosted. They all reacted very badly to the sound of them so we didn't even finish the song and switched to other speakers immediately. Before I sold them I looked them over carefully to learn what I could. I found that the cones and the surround are one piece molded colored plastic similar to polyethylene. A cone is best when stiff while surround is best when flexible. It is not possible to use the same material for both parts and achieve a high performance result.

Legacy Audio speakers are always a good choice for a full range, musically voiced, yet still "high end audiophile" speaker with good performance and good value. IMO, for the money there is very little else with such good SQ. I have their Focus SE which is a big 4 way speaker, but their line is diverse for all sizes of rooms and output level.

Their Signature SE model is sealed cabinet so it may have more tube friendly impedance graph than other models that have low impedance dips in the bass. But they also have internally powered bass models with very high sensitivity and easy impedance for tubes to drive above 120Hz. Good luck in your search

My experience with Legacy speakers is similar.  I have a pair of Legacy Signature series III (on which I have replaced the surrounds on all 6 bass drivers, 3 per speaker) and even for their age they sound great.  Crisp highs, great vocal midrange, and deep well-balance bass extension.

And their power handling capability is shocking.  I can drive them with my McIntosh MC-300 until the amp goes into protect mode and the speakers show no signs of distress.

You can find used Legacy speakers for reasonable prices not infrequently.  Shipping is usually the tricky part as they are large and heavy.

[ArthurDent]

Greetings & Welcome to AC glenkol   

[artur9]

Greetings and welcome!

The room has a great deal of effect on what you hear.  Are you using any kind of electronic room correction?  I've used several and they can help.  RoomPerfect is specifically designed to address the issues you've mentioned.

I auditioned Legacy and boy! do they sound good.  I heard their older models but am sorely tempted by their Calibre.  Their electronics (amps etc) also get great reviews.

There are speakers for every price level and aesthetic.  Have you decided on either of those two factors?

[Lash]

Perhaps Vandys are for you.

[richidoo]

Perhaps Vandys are for you.

Good idea. Vandersteen speakers are well balanced, easy to listen, popular designs that are easy to find on the used market.

[Lash]

Yep. While I'm mostly a Maggie guy, I have a friend who loves his Vandys. They actually do some of the things Maggies do.
Sonus Fabers come to mid also.

[Dieterle Tool]

My first reaction was Vandersteen for full bodied sound at a reasonable price. What are your mono's and how big is the room?

-Dieter

[thorman]

 I would suggest one of the Gershman speakers.

[FullRangeMan]

Welcome to AC 

[rotarius]

Hello, you will get a lot of names thrown at you but as you suspect, your room acoustics and speaker placement may be a big issue that can persist even with a speaker swap.  You like rock, I would focus on speakers with large woofers to give you the heft.  As for Vandersteens, I had the 2ce sigs for almost a year and the 3's for about a week.  I would not recommend them for rock. Heck, I would not recommend them for classical either, just small ensemble stuff or jazz. 
Hey, those big Polk legend L800s might just do the trick, they get great reviews.

[JLM]

Welcome!

Many loudspeakers are designed to initially impress, with boomy mid-bass and exaggerated zingy highs, but fatigue the listener quickly (especially with rock).  Suggest carefully audition next time.  Listen in a room of similar size and setup to your own.  Take your time and take notes which will force you to listen intently.  Limit yourself to no more than 3 or 4 pairs per day to avoid listener fatigue and confusion.  Bring a variety of your own favorite recordings.  Call ahead to make sure what formats of music they can accept and if they can accommodate a serious shopper.  If you have subwoofer(s) there should be no need to buy floor standing loudspeakers. 

[bajaed]

Greetings and welcome!

The room has a great deal of effect on what you hear.  Are you using any kind of electronic room correction?  I've used several and they can help.  RoomPerfect is specifically designed to address the issues you've mentioned.

I auditioned Legacy and boy! do they sound good.  I heard their older models but am sorely tempted by their Calibre.  Their electronics (amps etc) also get great reviews.

There are speakers for every price level and aesthetic.  Have you decided on either of those two factors?

I highly recommend the Legacy Calibre XD'S. I am blown away everyday by how good they are.

[Bob Stark]

What budget are we looking at?  Also, does it matter how the speaker looks or just how it sounds?

Some great speakers for most music including rock:
    Tekton Moab--the latest hot speaker many love.  My closest audio buddy has a souped up pair of Tekton Double Impacts--the only one of its kind thanks to Grannyring.
    SP Technology Revelations, Timepieces, or Continuum 2.5---------I own the Revelation Mk V's
    VMPS RM40 w/TRT caps at least--very adjustable to your room or listening preferences---------I also own the RM40 BCSE with all upgrades except the OXO.
   
All 3 speakers plus any I mentioned are very dynamic, with potent bass and non-irritating highs---the VMPS must be dialed in to say that definitively, however.  The Tekton's can be bought new, but all 3 makers can be found occasionally on the used sights.  They are all large and heavy.  All of them have wonderful soundstaging abilities with good to great clarity.

[geowak]

It would be very useful if you would post the names of your components. Some here may have the source, amp or preamp you have and have found a good speaker match. I have three systems, and by a huge coincidence, maggies, vandersteen and tekton are the three speakers I own! But they are in different configurations for the best sound. Typically Maggies do best with more current, more powerful amps, Vandersteen can do wonders with low wattage Solid state or high wattage solid state, tekton can do well with tubes but probably not flea watt tubes. Give us more info...

[Bob Stark]

Good point geowak,

I have owned much of my current system for 5 years or more:
   Nuforce Reference 9 V3 SE mono amps w/TDSS level 3 upgrades and CapCellBar upgrades both by Bob Smith
   TRL DUDE preamp
   Modwright Sony 5400 Signature Truth CD/SACD
   Lenco 78 heavily modified
   Origin Live Illustrious Mk3 arm
   Denon 103R w/Ebony body potted in beeswax
   Whest .30RDT SE phono pre
   LessLoss Reference PCs, Dynamic Design Spirit II PC, Aether Audio MMB PCs, WyWires Juice II PC, Absolute Audio II PC, Core Power Equi=Core 150's
   Teo GC II double ICs, Acoustic BBQ double IC, Amadi Maddie Signature IC, Darwin Silver IC
   Clarity Cable Organic SCs & jumpers
   Soundstage (Star Sound) Sistrum racks & Rhythm platforms (speakers)
   Many PPT products and black boxes from KT
   High Fidelity Q45T contact enhancer
   Maestro outlets, Furutech GTX outlet
   SP Technology Revelation MK-V speakers w/Star Sound extreme mod, VMPS RM40 BCSE speakers
   SR Purple fuses in all components except DUDE--has a circuit breaker