13:40 - Hallelujah! I started off using only my ears, as I couldn't afford nor did I know how to use the tools (with extreme success mind you)... over the years I then acquired tools and experience and moved to using those tools and not so much my ears... only to then realize that I had gone too far 😕 ...and that the tools are only an aid and that I should in fact trust my ears..., and ultimately the final say is with my ears! 👂
I think we need to push this more. I don’t know that we have done a good job clarifying the importance of using your ears to tune a system. A microphone doesn’t pick up sound the way our ears do. FFTs don’t profess sound the way our brain does. So Eqing by measurements alone will only get you so far.
No video request. You said you don’t agree with treatments on the sidewall. Does that include absorption and diffusion OR just absorption? (Obviously if diffusion there needs to be adequate space). Also, is the ceiling included in your sidewall analysis? For the record, I do not like absorption on my sidewalls but they are far away (12’ per wall).
So it’s not so much that I don’t like treatment on the sidewall. It’s that I don’t like explicitly targeting first reflections. It is a nonsensical idea, especially in home theaters where you have dozens of first reflection points. You have a problem with this idea, which first reflection do you treat? But in addition, treating first reflections of the left and right speaker can in fact make the sound worse. It can reduce spaciousness and envelopment while increasing focus. If people like focus, then ok fine. But maybe the better approach is a narrower dispersion speaker. However, treating the walls and ceiling are often needed. The natural reverb time of a dedicated home theater is often quite high. The only absorption ends up being the carpeted floor, if it has carpet, and the chairs. That’s not a great idea. So I prefer to treat with a good mix of absorption and diffusion around the walls, without specific focus on first reflections. In fact, I often try to target a bit of diffusion toward the left and right first reflection and to use slat panels or BAD panels for the absorption. It helps keep some reflections intact. Ceiling is always a good place to treat. The ceiling reflections aren’t particularly useful to our sense of envelopment. Absorption over the ceiling first reflection is often good. Diffusion toward the back.
@@PoesAcoustics final question: regarding slat diffuser. Do you mean like the GIK slat-fusor or are you referring to a Quadratic Diffuser like a 7 or 13 channel, ect…
@@joek6207 no such thing as a slat diffuser. There is a slat panel which is a type of absorber. It doesn’t diffuse. It is really more like a selective absorber. The QRD devices use cells not slats. So when I say a slat panel, I mean an absorber with wooden slats in front.
Maybe we can one day accurately measure someones hearing loss in reference to the norm, then add an inverse correction to the loudspeaker after the in room eq/dsp has been calibrated.
I can definitely speak to the topic of compensating for hearing loss. I'm closer to 50 and find some well-reviewed speakers like the Wharfedale Linton 85th way too polite/subdued in the upper frequencies. I much prefer a compression driver/ metal dome tweeter offers me much more clarity most of the time.
I’ve also found this to be true simply looking at the EQ curves I end up with to make certain people happy. Often I am applying a 3-6 dB shelf filter in the treble over what should be neutral.
Where confusion lies for the end user/consumer is that you ask 100 experts the same question, you’ll likely get 101 opposing opinions. So, my monetised question for you today Matthew is:- What are your thoughts on vertically stacking speakers in a 2 channel set up? Danny from GR Research strongly discourages the practice. Claiming anomalies with cone filtering, beaming and phase issues. Where as Norman Hunter, chief engineer at Rel, regularly promotes the concept. With many of Rel’s speakers designed and built to be vertically stacked. Another well respected UA-cam reviewer advises that for every action there consequences, some good, some bad. The end user has to decide for themselves whether the pros out weigh the cons. What are your thoughts?
The real issue is that most experts don’t spend their time on UA-cam or forums. I am on a lot of committees with the leading experts of our industry. Yes we disagree sometimes but by and large that isn’t the case. But if those folks, I am the only one who does UA-cam videos. As you may know from my work on Audioholics, I tried to get actual engineers and scientists who work in the industry on our channels. I’ve had a few. But some of the guys are not the kind of person to get on camera. Stacking subs doesn’t cause comb filtering. That would be true if midbass and treble frequencies. But at subwoofer frequencies the wavelengths are too long to cause comb filtering. I’ll do a video on this that answers it more fully. Thanks for the financial support.
Matt, we weren't discussing EQ. At around 4:30 of your "What makes a SCIENCE based approach to SPEAKER design" we discussed room "treatments"...not EQ. So the entire premise that we said "no EQ" is imaginary. Would have to rewatch entire video to see if we discussed EQ at all !
I think expencive speakers might be, im saying might just to keep peace, there are Great expencive gear, but finding symbiosis is more important. Ppl stil listen to vintage gear, its the format that changed and got "better" with time, not the gear.
Gear has gotten significantly better with time. Not just the music. Amplifiers are far more powerful, lower in noise, and much lower in distortion. Speakers have smoother response, better directivity, lower distortion, more output, wider bandwidth, etc. There is always trade offs with speakers but modern technology has allowed those trade offs to be smaller. And are you saying expensive speakers are inadequate? In the same way that we can’t equate sound quality with cost, as in more expensive doesn’t equal better, we also can’t equate the opposite. Expensive equals worse sound. In fact, for the most part, engineering the best sounding speakers with the least trade offs will be more expensive.
I've come to a conclusion after spending some time watching Danny @ GR... There really is no reason to pay big money for speakers, most all the brands use budget parts, in fact i can't fathom why manufacturers want so much money for their products. It's insulting that you can spend $5k on speakers, open them up to see whats inside and find limp bracing, cheap crossovers and just mediocre drivers.. totally insulting.. I have a feeling we are all getting snookered on the electronic side of audio as well... what a turn off... hell, it's hard for me to sit and watch reviews anymore because the reviewer either doesn't know anything or he's selling snake oil knowingly... pretty sad state of affairs... It's the RV industry all over again..
Then Danny has done a great disservice to this industry as he had misinformed you. Lots of premium brands use premium parts that are custom designed and manufactured for their specific use. Many of these products are highly optimized and not easily bettered. Certainly nothing he sells equals the best speakers on the market.
@PoesAcoustics I'm not claiming he sells better equipment.. I'm saying he takes the speakers apart and 95% of the time it's practically low budget gear
@@jdl1276 because he doesn’t take apart high end speakers. Plus the parts don’t make such a big difference. It’s the level of engineering that went into the design, not how good the capacitors used are. You can easily build a terrible speaker with an expensive capacitor. You can also build a really amazing speaker with a cheap one. The most important part is the core engineering. Once that is right, the parts can make a very small but important difference. But to suggest that the only difference between a cheap and expensive speaker is cost, and that the core engineering isn’t better is a mistake. Many of the best companies sell speakers with far better drivers, waveguides, and crossover designs than is possible in cheap speakers. If you want to tweak the crossover on those very expensive speakers, go for it. But many would find little to fix. I would love to see him take a Kef Blade or Perlisten S7T apart and fix the crossover. I highly doubt there would be much if anything he could fix beyond simply replacing already expensive parts with even more expensive parts. If that made any Sonic difference at all would be very debatable.
When you go down in price you start to run into issues where something has to give. Output, bandwidth, response smoothness, directivity, etc. To really answer that I need to know more info.
Thanks
13:40 - Hallelujah! I started off using only my ears, as I couldn't afford nor did I know how to use the tools (with extreme success mind you)... over the years I then acquired tools and experience and moved to using those tools and not so much my ears... only to then realize that I had gone too far 😕 ...and that the tools are only an aid and that I should in fact trust my ears..., and ultimately the final say is with my ears! 👂
I think we need to push this more. I don’t know that we have done a good job clarifying the importance of using your ears to tune a system. A microphone doesn’t pick up sound the way our ears do. FFTs don’t profess sound the way our brain does. So Eqing by measurements alone will only get you so far.
Ear ear! 👍🍻
Convinced some enjoy measurement more than actually listening to their loudspeakers.
Thanks matt for the informative video!
Thank you
Thanks for explaining some of how you EQ. Understanding your methodology helps us understand how to attempt improving even the most basic of setups.
No equalizer, DAC only 🤓
Active crossover fine tune
No video request. You said you don’t agree with treatments on the sidewall. Does that include absorption and diffusion OR just absorption? (Obviously if diffusion there needs to be adequate space).
Also, is the ceiling included in your sidewall analysis?
For the record, I do not like absorption on my sidewalls but they are far away (12’ per wall).
So it’s not so much that I don’t like treatment on the sidewall. It’s that I don’t like explicitly targeting first reflections. It is a nonsensical idea, especially in home theaters where you have dozens of first reflection points. You have a problem with this idea, which first reflection do you treat?
But in addition, treating first reflections of the left and right speaker can in fact make the sound worse. It can reduce spaciousness and envelopment while increasing focus. If people like focus, then ok fine. But maybe the better approach is a narrower dispersion speaker.
However, treating the walls and ceiling are often needed. The natural reverb time of a dedicated home theater is often quite high. The only absorption ends up being the carpeted floor, if it has carpet, and the chairs. That’s not a great idea. So I prefer to treat with a good mix of absorption and diffusion around the walls, without specific focus on first reflections. In fact, I often try to target a bit of diffusion toward the left and right first reflection and to use slat panels or BAD panels for the absorption. It helps keep some reflections intact.
Ceiling is always a good place to treat. The ceiling reflections aren’t particularly useful to our sense of envelopment. Absorption over the ceiling first reflection is often good. Diffusion toward the back.
@@PoesAcoustics final question: regarding slat diffuser. Do you mean like the GIK slat-fusor or are you referring to a Quadratic Diffuser like a 7 or 13 channel, ect…
@@joek6207 no such thing as a slat diffuser. There is a slat panel which is a type of absorber. It doesn’t diffuse. It is really more like a selective absorber. The QRD devices use cells not slats.
So when I say a slat panel, I mean an absorber with wooden slats in front.
@@PoesAcousticsthank you!
Maybe we can one day accurately measure someones hearing loss in reference to the norm, then add an inverse correction to the loudspeaker after the in room eq/dsp has been calibrated.
Good information. Kef ranks high on my list of great directivity.
what is that sound at 7:50 lol it’s like a gremlin eating after midnight
I can definitely speak to the topic of compensating for hearing loss. I'm closer to 50 and find some well-reviewed speakers like the Wharfedale Linton 85th way too polite/subdued in the upper frequencies. I much prefer a compression driver/ metal dome tweeter offers me much more clarity most of the time.
I’ve also found this to be true simply looking at the EQ curves I end up with to make certain people happy. Often I am applying a 3-6 dB shelf filter in the treble over what should be neutral.
my question is if you EQ to cater for high frequency loss. when you listen to live music (at a venue etc) is this no longer neutral / accurate?
What Are The Best Speakers (For Average Or A Lil Above Consumer Such Speakers Like Klipsch Svs Kef's Arendal ECT.ECT) For Home Theater Set Ups?????
Arendal aren’t that cheap anymore. But Arendal are my favorite in that price point. JTR is also good. Much more efficiency and output.
Where confusion lies for the end user/consumer is that you ask 100 experts the same question, you’ll likely get 101 opposing opinions. So, my monetised question for you today Matthew is:- What are your thoughts on vertically stacking speakers in a 2 channel set up? Danny from GR Research strongly discourages the practice. Claiming anomalies with cone filtering, beaming and phase issues. Where as Norman Hunter, chief engineer at Rel, regularly promotes the concept. With many of Rel’s speakers designed and built to be vertically stacked.
Another well respected UA-cam reviewer advises that for every action there consequences, some good, some bad. The end user has to decide for themselves whether the pros out weigh the cons. What are your thoughts?
Thank you for your question and for the $thanks. I’ll make sure to answer it in my upcoming videos
John Hunter? Stacking smooths out bass & average power in space. 2-REL CS are plenty as 20.7s do a fair job 👏
@@PoesAcoustics 👍🍻
John Hunter. I stand corrected.
The real issue is that most experts don’t spend their time on UA-cam or forums. I am on a lot of committees with the leading experts of our industry. Yes we disagree sometimes but by and large that isn’t the case. But if those folks, I am the only one who does UA-cam videos.
As you may know from my work on Audioholics, I tried to get actual engineers and scientists who work in the industry on our channels. I’ve had a few. But some of the guys are not the kind of person to get on camera.
Stacking subs doesn’t cause comb filtering. That would be true if midbass and treble frequencies. But at subwoofer frequencies the wavelengths are too long to cause comb filtering.
I’ll do a video on this that answers it more fully. Thanks for the financial support.
Matt, we weren't discussing EQ. At around 4:30 of your "What makes a SCIENCE based approach to SPEAKER design" we discussed room "treatments"...not EQ. So the entire premise that we said "no EQ" is imaginary. Would have to rewatch entire video to see if we discussed EQ at all !
Eq is science. Whether or not you want to consider it that or not, it's a tool that can improve almost EVERY speaker and headphone
Are Perlisten Speakers A Great Choice Over Most???
Yes they are an excellent speaker. There are other great speakers. But they are among the best on the market.
I think expencive speakers might be, im saying might just to keep peace, there are Great expencive gear, but finding symbiosis is more important. Ppl stil listen to vintage gear, its the format that changed and got "better" with time, not the gear.
Gear has gotten significantly better with time. Not just the music. Amplifiers are far more powerful, lower in noise, and much lower in distortion. Speakers have smoother response, better directivity, lower distortion, more output, wider bandwidth, etc. There is always trade offs with speakers but modern technology has allowed those trade offs to be smaller.
And are you saying expensive speakers are inadequate? In the same way that we can’t equate sound quality with cost, as in more expensive doesn’t equal better, we also can’t equate the opposite. Expensive equals worse sound. In fact, for the most part, engineering the best sounding speakers with the least trade offs will be more expensive.
Yes, integrate subs is easy
w JLA cr-1 active crossover
Unless...Big Buck Box 📦 🔊
So you don’t like a Harmon curve?
I don’t believe I said that.
Nice video but who is AG?
Not sure. Anthony Grimani? Is that what you mean by AG?
Or AJ? The guy that made the comment?
@@PoesAcoustics i meant AJ, i heard it wrong traveling + ESL
I've come to a conclusion after spending some time watching Danny @ GR... There really is no reason to pay big money for speakers, most all the brands use budget parts, in fact i can't fathom why manufacturers want so much money for their products. It's insulting that you can spend $5k on speakers, open them up to see whats inside and find limp bracing, cheap crossovers and just mediocre drivers.. totally insulting.. I have a feeling we are all getting snookered on the electronic side of audio as well... what a turn off... hell, it's hard for me to sit and watch reviews anymore because the reviewer either doesn't know anything or he's selling snake oil knowingly... pretty sad state of affairs... It's the RV industry all over again..
Then Danny has done a great disservice to this industry as he had misinformed you. Lots of premium brands use premium parts that are custom designed and manufactured for their specific use. Many of these products are highly optimized and not easily bettered. Certainly nothing he sells equals the best speakers on the market.
@@PoesAcoustics look him up and see for yourself if you dare.. it may shatter your perceptions too
@PoesAcoustics I'm not claiming he sells better equipment.. I'm saying he takes the speakers apart and 95% of the time it's practically low budget gear
@@jdl1276 because he doesn’t take apart high end speakers. Plus the parts don’t make such a big difference. It’s the level of engineering that went into the design, not how good the capacitors used are. You can easily build a terrible speaker with an expensive capacitor. You can also build a really amazing speaker with a cheap one. The most important part is the core engineering. Once that is right, the parts can make a very small but important difference. But to suggest that the only difference between a cheap and expensive speaker is cost, and that the core engineering isn’t better is a mistake. Many of the best companies sell speakers with far better drivers, waveguides, and crossover designs than is possible in cheap speakers. If you want to tweak the crossover on those very expensive speakers, go for it. But many would find little to fix.
I would love to see him take a Kef Blade or Perlisten S7T apart and fix the crossover. I highly doubt there would be much if anything he could fix beyond simply replacing already expensive parts with even more expensive parts. If that made any Sonic difference at all would be very debatable.
@@PoesAcousticsYou clearly don’t understand what Danny does.
7:49
I heard it too. Strange
This is the comment I scrolled down to find, just to make sure I hadn't started imagining demons muttering to me 😅
Poes: it's okay for men over 40 to compensate
😂😂😂
Great video but this is some high dolla stuff here,
Is there some help for inflation riddled people?
When you go down in price you start to run into issues where something has to give. Output, bandwidth, response smoothness, directivity, etc.
To really answer that I need to know more info.
Are you familiar with the concept? a question - or statement - so broad it is meaningless
Inadequate? Ffs. For what use??