[lonewolfny42]

I submit my question to the members: "When you are auditioning speakers, what do you feel are the "most important qualities" that you are looking for in that speaker ? Thanks for all replys !

[zybar]

First and foremost, is the music emotionally involving?

I have heard gear that went down the audiophile checklist but was unintersting to listen to and I just couldn't connct to it.  Music is about emotion!

That being said, I do also pay attention to some general things (in no particular order):

1.  is the speaker well balanced (no one area dominates another)?
2.  does it disappear (hate speakers that draw attention to themselves)?
3.  do all the drivers integrate well?

These are just a few things off the top of my head...

GW[/list]

[Rob Babcock]

Curiously, I recall reading one prominent reviewer (can't remember who right now) that claimed to only be able to perform critical analysis with music he didn't find involving.  His assertion is that it's too easy to be drawn into a familiar and moving peice of music; you're mind essentially fills in the blanks.

I like to use well known material, but he makes an interesting point.

[TheChairGuy]

I ask myself if I am, first, connecting with the music and create a value index of sorts similar to....

Is it worth that kinda' money?  Will X dollars plunked into that speaker be a better value than same dollars elsewhere in the chain?

and....

Is this the direction I want my system to take on? (considering size, speaker limitations, ultimate goals, cosmetics, etc)

[F-100]

For me, it had to be the craftmanship of the cabinet first then the sound . If the speaker sound nice but the cabinet looks like junk then I'll definetly shy away from it.

[manek]

To me its contruction quality first...the type of wood used...before playing I always knock on wood with my knuckles and hear the speakers with the most dead knock sound. In variably I have found weak wood cabinets translates into some blaring quirk or another and can spot in within seconds.

Second the quality of drivers and their tonal balance. I usually avoid polypropylene and badly doped paper. Drivers from Vifa, Seas, Eton etc pull weight with me. Binding posts are another thing important to me.

I know of a few songs which really make the hair on my hand stand on end when I listen to them at home. This is a sure test for me.

Other points follow later.

Manek.

[Carlman]

I use this priority list:

1. Does it reproduce sounds that are very close to the original?

2. Does it reproduce detail in a way that adds depth and recreates the character of the voice or instrument?  (without causing fatigue or ear-splitting pain)

3. How well does it image?/how accurate is the soundstage?*
*there's no way I can 'really' know how accurate it is because I haven't been at any recording session for the music I was hearing.. but, you get the idea... and this highly subjective and variable dependent..

4. Value; does it reproduce music and vocals (to my ear, in my room) well enough to command its price?

5. Quality and craftsmanship of the cabinet

I agree with Zybar's comments as well.. a lot of my criteria have his criteria assumed in my equation somewhere... however, I don't judge the emotional impact as much.  It'd probably be #6.  I've found most emotion being a product of accurate bass.

[thorman]

I think the few things that come to mind to me is listen with music that you know and listen to often.This way you can compare to what you've already listening to and get a feel for how much and improvement your listening to. Also ,are you more involved than your current system and is it a balanced sound? Does it sound like real music...
       I can still remember the first time I heard Kharma Loudspeakers being driven by BAT, Cary and Thor and Lamm Audio. They all sounded fantastic and really were not that far apart at all. But the biggest thing I noticed was how "real" it sounded to me. I ended up buy iny Kharma 1.0 loudspeakers and haven't looked back!

[satfrat]

I don't wanta hear the speaker, just the music. Granted, I gotta be able to live with their looks/craftmanship but first and formost is the sound and lack of their presense in the room. If there's one thing that turns me off, it's a speaker that highlites itself to the point that you can actually pinpoint which note is coming out of which driver. Accurancy don't mean squat if I'm not being entertained and for me, that means a huge deep soundstage presense with NO LOUDSPEAKERS. Regards, Robin

[rosconey]

i never seem to have the right light to get a good at  speakers, always moving real fast -never get to hear them either, dont want to disrupt the homeownerrrrra dealer at 3am.    
i like small speakers , at least smaller than the windowrrrrrdoor at the dealer
never once returned a pair-lol

[TG]

... what do you feel are the "most important qualities" that you are looking for in that speaker ? ...

Is the attack of percussive instruments clearly defined and musical?
Can I discriminate all the different cymbals in a drum kit easily?
Do I get a sense of swing when listening to a pianist, can I visualise their fingers manipulating the keyboard, or is it just piano shaped notes?
Can I hear the fibres in the bow scraping over cello strings, or is it just deep toned "string" sound?
Do choirs sound like a group of people singing, or just a chaos of vocal sounds?
Do kick drums snap and hit me in the gut, or just boom?
Can I hear the key noise on woodwinds when I KNOW it is there on the recording, or is it masked?
Can I easily discriminate the instruments in a string quartet - does a viola sometimes sound like a violin?
Can I easily discriminate the instruments in a saxophone quartet - does an alto sometimes sound like a tenor & vice versa?
Do oboes and clarinets sound like someone playing a wooden instrument, or do they just make "wind" sounds?
Do trumpets and trombones have that lovely rude, braying sound - or are they just "brassy"?
Does the music make me want to dance / sing / join in somehow?
Can I play them loud (ie you can't possibly talk over it) without the music seeming oppressive?
Do the treble sounds make my ears ring at high volume? (BAD!)
Do the midrange sounds seem distant? (BAD!)
Do the bass sounds seem prominent? (BAD!)
Do the speakers sound immediately "spectacular"?  (VERY BAD!)

Of course, all that applies to the system as a whole, too, but it's what I listen for.

It's also essential to listen to music that you like - it doesn't have to be albums you know well, just the type of music that you will want to play.  Don't be misled by advice to test by listening to violin music, or piano music, or organ, or female voice, yadda, yadda.  All of that is pointless if what you WANT to listen to at home is Steve Vai and Joe Satriani.

For example, the first time I heard Lowthers I was astonished at their speed and accuracy of nuance - many of the points on my checklist were there in spades.  That was listening to a jazz trio - then I listened to a solo piano and was even more stoked - then I listened to some Fila Brasilia dance/house/electronica and the whole thing fell flat on its face - the speakers just weren't made to do that sort of material.  Nothing wrong with the speakers, nothing wrong with the recording - they just didn't like each other.

[lonewolfny42]

I submit my question to the members: "When you are auditioning speakers, what do you feel are the "most important qualities" that you are looking for in that speaker ? Thanks for all replys !

 I've "bumped up" my question... Thanks for all the replies...all have been very helpful. Any other thoughts are welcome. Any speaker builders have any comments....( before you were builders, you were consumers   ).....Thanks !!

[hifitommy]

naturalness of the sounds.  male and female voice needs to sound like what they are.  try to use recordings that are not seeped in echo/reverb/eq effects.  sometimes this isnt music you would pick to listen to but if it can do a good job on that, youve got a big head start.  if voice sounds right, then so will guitar.

the bass need to be full and tight enough to represent the music but not be so prominent as to dominate or obscure the bass sounds.  good definition here pays off musically.  you should be willing to pay for deep bass extension or be looking at a sub as well.
 
they shouldnt sound bright so that the highs are dominant either.  if one disc after another seems to highlight the cymbals, there may be to much upper octoave energy in the speakers.  

one recording wont tell you everything, it will take a number of them.  

the ability of the speaker to play loudly will show its robustness, crescendos are present in all music.    dynamic contrasts should be adequate to make the music come alive.  

most speakers that sound good are well made and have decent cabinetry.  some are a bit nicer and more artfully done than others, this too, is worth paying a little extra for.

value is another big factor, some people need to get a LOT for their money, so price is important to some of us.  

along wiith all the other posts here, you have some good advice and guidance.   also, reward the dealer that has given you good attention and service with the purchase.  gleaning his expertise and then low-balling on the net is dirty pool.  if there is anything wrong, he will work to rectify the situation.