[BruceSB]

Went to the Melbourne HiFi Show yesterday.
I have some reflections that maybe should go somewhere else (& if someone wants to shift them that's OK) but I often post here.
The show was fantastic.
Heaps of people, great buzz, lots of great gear.
I took along my 'test' CD of acapella neo doo wop music.
This was the first time that I had asked a lot of rooms to play a CD for me.
Both I and my audiophile friend Tim were shocked about what we heard!
Some of the famous, super expensive big name speakers sounded good when playing some jazz that suited them but when required to play four part harmony they sunk like stones!!!
One particular speaker whom lots of people love (not a planar!!) could cope when there was a single voice but died when there were two voices and was a skeleton when the whole four voices were going!
Quite staggering!
Of maybe a dozen speakers only three were able play it well, JBL Everest, the Quad electrostats, and Lenehan Audio.
The maggie room did not have a CD player.
Spoke to the Lenehan guy after the demo of his comparatively inexpensive speaker and he tellingly remarked, "it is not easy to get the mid range right!"
Reflecting, the rooms are doing what we all would do if we were selling speakers - put on the music that makes them sound good!!!
That's great if the buyer wants them for that type of music (perfect match!), otherwise make sure they can play well the music that you like!!
Other lesson, cost is not a measure!
Probably not rocket science but it is the lesson that I learned  (again maybe?!) at yesterday's HiFi show.
Best rooms of the show?
The Melody/JBL and the McLean's DEQX/Maggie rooms.
Great show.
Very well run.
Heaps of people.
Wide range of gear.
Friendly helpful people.
What more could you want?
Bruce

[Pryso]

Thanks Bruce.

Can you provide specifics for your "acapella neo doo wop" test CD?  Not sure what to look under with that description. 

[Rocket]

Hi Bruce,

Great write up about the Melbourne hifi show.  Just wondering if you had the opportunity to listen to Osborn Speakers whilst you were at the show?  I'd been considering purchasing a pair of speakers until I decided to build a War Audio speaker kit.

Cheers Rod

[BruceSB]

More specifically, my acapella neo doo wop" test CD is Kenny Vance and the Planotones, 'Acapella', track 11, Please Be My Love Tonight, 2013.
Personally, I find that acapella music gives the voices nowhere to hide so it really pushes speakers to reproduce the voices.
I find that four part harmony with the singers singing very different parts pushes the speakers much much more than just a single voice, acapella or otherwise.
My impressions of speakers using this 'test' track is that, below a certain (pretty high) mid range reproducing ability it just sounds like lifeless mash.
Once that theoretical line has been passed then it comes down to the ability to clearly separate and reproduce the individual voices.
My acoustic spectra 22s do this fairly well with our being brilliant.
The quads at the Melbourne HiFi Show were about on a par with my spectra 22s.
Thought that maybe the little red Lenehans (Magenta/Lenehan room for those who were at the show) were, I thought, were maybe a whisker better.
The big JBL Evereats with the Melody amps really separated the individual voices out and made them as clear as a bell.
You could hear each voice come in and out of the harmony and also when, for example Kenny Vance changed for normal voice to falsetto.
I suspect that the maggies in the maggie/DEQX room would also have coped really well but they did not have a CD player!
Look, I know that in our hobby different people look for different things in speakers and I personally look (listen!!!) for mid range clarity, voice separation and lack of distortion - I guess that's why I am an electrostatic guy!!
There were people at the show who obviously looked for base reproducing ability and others who were after crescendo  ability, based on their own 'test' CDs.
That's personal taste!
I reckon that on the planar circle there would be lots of kindred spirits!
I used to use female vocals as my speaker assessors (like many other planer guys!).
I even took along a female vocal CD but did not get it out of my coat pocket!
These days it is strong multipart acapella harmony!
Needless to say none of the music playing in the rooms or any of people's demo CDs were anything like mine.
Back to my cynical opinion of demonstrator music, they played stuff that made their speakers sound good without testing them out!!
The people who had their test CDs had their own different priorities - and that's as it should be.
I hope that I have given the planer people something to think about.
Would be interested on other people's speaker assessing music and some reflections on what they look for.
Bruce

[BruceSB]

Hi Rod
No, Tim and I did not go into the Osborne room.
We were a bit short of time and we wanted to go back to the DEQX/maggie room (and see if Bill would play my test track - they didn't have a CD player!!).
Saw some positive posts about the room on Stereonet.
BUT I also saw some positive posts on some of the big name big priced speakers that could not deliver on track eleven (see above).
it really seems so obvious but you really do need to give speakers a thorough test out with a CD of your own!
Don't trust the manufacture's publicity or his high price!!!
Apologise for being a bit cynical, I have suddenly contracted this cynicism attack since Saturday's Melbourne HiFi show!!
One of the great things about a HiFi show is that you get a big cross section of audio in a small area.
I saw full range speakers, horns electrostats, 'standard' speakers, DACs, valves, solid state, SACD, vinyl and so much more all in the one place, AND, with the ability to go back to a room as much as I wanted to have another listen!!
I urge everyone, go to a HiFi show and have a listen.
You will be surprised at how how much good stuff there is as well as being surprised by how much ordinary stuff there is!!
Good luck with your building project Rod.
Bruce

[Hugh]

Thanks for posting Bruce.

This is of great interest to us.
I think we'll exhibit with Melody next year.

[mresseguie]

Hi, Bruce.

Thanks for posting this. 

Michael

[Pryso]

Thanks for the ID Bruce.

I agree, four voices can be a very revealing test of our audio systems.  I'm not familiar with Kenny Vance and the Planotones, but I've used The Persuasions' recordings in a similar way.

Even better can be a massed choir, if you find a clean recording.  Particularly when done in a large reverberant space such as an old church.  That can really reveal whether your system provides clarity or is muddying up the works. 

[orientalexpress]

Try Opera next time,Not many speakers can play opera without breaking up in the upper register.I don't like opera,but i use them to test the speakers at the audio show.

[Stump]

Hi Bruce,

Great write up about the Melbourne hifi show.  Just wondering if you had the opportunity to listen to Osborn Speakers whilst you were at the show?  I'd been considering purchasing a pair of speakers until I decided to build a War Audio speaker kit.

Cheers Rod

Hey Rod
I was in the Osborne room while the Epitome Tower speakers were on.Well made big speaker with big sound.Great when you like your music with BASS.
Stump

[BruceSB]

Hi orientalexpress.
You know, it is a strange thought to me.
To use music that I don't like to assess speakers!!
Been thinking about it for the last couple of days.
Certainly it is worth trying!
I guess from my perspective I don't have any!!
If I buy a CD (or SACD or vinyl) that I think I might like and then find our I don't, well it goes down to the op shop!!!
But, that's the thing about the forums is that they give new thoughts and perspectives!!
Thank you orientalexpress.
I am going to keep reflecting on this.
Can you suggest your best CD and track number for me and all the other people who are also getting their heads around this new thought?
Thanks again.
Bruce

[Guy 13]

Hey Rod
I was in the Osborne room while the Epitome Tower speakers were on.Well made big speaker with big sound.Great when you like your music with BASS.
Stump

A warm welcome to AudioCircle Mr. Stump.

Guy 13