Need Your Opinions (Speakers)...

[smitty_p]

In my house, which is decorated in a kind of Pottery Barn Modern, it would be the Espresso. I’d probably choose black if they weren’t gloss. Looks cheap.

Looks like black was the sheer winner here and I agree they are stunning. The ones I purchased were .........espresso.

I realize you may not actually purchase these and the poll is closed, but I would have made the same decision for the reason Seamus noted. That is, if they were flat or matte black, I would have chosen the black. But, being that the black model is gloss black, I would have chosen the espresso, too.

 

[Amp Mad Scientist]

Fellas, need your help. I ...already purchased one of these sets but I'm not 100% on the color I've chosen, and I may change it. Which one would you choose for your home if these were your options.

Added some voter tools:

Each with my current stand and subwoofer for illustration..

Thanks!

I suggest you go with speakers that have the woofer as close to the floor as possible.
Raising the woofer off the floor even by a few inches will loose the advantage of coupling that improves the audio quality and efficiency.
(I learned this from Roy Allison, who has me completely convinced)
Ideally, the tweeter and midrange will be on-axis with ear level of the listener.


As far as sub woofer is concerned I suggest you use 12-15-18 inch speaker.
Because lowest frequency is non-directional, there is an advantage to using a mono sub woofer.

 

[Sapient]

I realize you my not actually purchase these and the poll is closed, but I would have made the same decision for the reason Seamus noted. That is, if they were flat or matte black, I would have chosen the black. But, being that the black model is gloss black, I would have chosen the espresso, too.

Yea, I really like the espresso however close up it was not really how I liked and didn't appear to be as they originally where when they came out. I wanted high-high gloss and if you look at the layering of the segments they used to be cut very thin so that there were hundreds of layers (appearing) instead of maybe 50.

I'm really surprised you guys would prefer a flat black compared to a high gloss, the high gloss seeming so regal to me. Everyone's opinion counts so don't get me wrong at all. I'm glad all of you chimed in and chose to vote.

For the record, this is my current rig with white speakers. They are the ones that I was going to replace. I'm not so sure on this now. Maybe I should have included this option in the options for "keep the same". Of course many not liking white would probably yield a pretty low vote count. Lol.

 

[Sapient]

I suggest you go with speakers that have the woofer as close to the floor as possible.
Raising the woofer off the floor even by a few inches will loose the advantage of coupling that improves the audio quality and efficiency.
(I learned this from Roy Allison, who has me completely convinced)
View attachment 105720 Ideally, the tweeter and midrange will be on-axis with ear level of the listener.
View attachment 105721

As far as sub woofer is concerned I suggest you use 12-15-18 inch speaker.
Because lowest frequency is non-directional, there is an advantage to using a mono sub woofer.

View attachment 105722

Thanks for the info, AMS. Why is it I know that you would know? Our resident EE chap I must say. The problem with speakers as you know or would easily see is that they are often expensive, bulky, subject to bumps and scratches, and are just not ideal for trying out. Now if it was the '70s things might be different with stores on every corner. So it's kind of a crapshoot and I never came across anything quite like this.

Thanks again for the info ..this was something I really didn't know.

 

[syscokid]

This is just great! Okay, not really, ha ha! I should have never started reading this thread on Hifi speakers. GAS is building to dangerous levels… Argh!!!

 

[67plexi]

My friend James has a high end system $125,000.00 invested what I found amazing was standing behind the speakers
power amps were in sand boxes James was upset when I played my EV PA 3 way speakers 15" 8" 1.5" Crest power amps

 

[Don O]

This is just great! Okay, not really, ha ha! I should have never started reading this thread on Hifi speakers. GAS is building to dangerous levels… Argh!!!

Nothing like an early 70s sixty pound speakers that kicks butt. 15 inch woofer. Akai SW-170A.

 

[iblive]

Nothing like an early 70s sixty pound speakers that kicks butt. 15 inch woofer. Akai SW-170A.

View attachment 105728

Way more impressive than what we had/have. Ours was just a 3-way with 12' woofers. We only had 30W RMS pushing them, but it really sounded good in a small house. When I got it cranking, people could hear it at the street. Today that stereo and speakers resides in the garage as my work stereo.

 

[Seamus OReally]

I'm really surprised you guys would prefer a flat black compared to a high gloss, the high gloss seeming so regal to me.

Horses for courses. Gloss black looks like plastic to me.

 

[iblive]

Horses for courses. Gloss black looks like plastic to me.

Gets less glossy once you get the inevitable layer of dust.

 

[iblive]

Horses for courses. Gloss black looks like plastic to me.

Of the three choice we were given, white was just no…. The espresso was a bit too gray for me. Which is why I went black. Now…. Maybe something between gloss and flat black would be more aesthetically pleasing. Don’t know if a matte finish would be between a flat and gloss???

 

[Don O]

Way more impressive than what we had/have. Ours was just a 3-way with 12' woofers. We only had 30W RMS pushing them, but it really sounded good in a small house. When I got it cranking, people could hear it at the street. Today that stereo and speakers resides in the garage as my work stereo.

The speaker below the Akai are Wharfedale E70s I bought new around 1980. I bought them along with a Nikko NR-1415 175w per channel amp. I think the speakers were rated at 100w. I blew out both woofers within a year. Had them re-coned at a shop on Sunset Blvd that had been around since the 1920s.

Still have both set of speakers but the amp is long gone. A few years ago I bought it's less powerful sibling the NR-1015.

 

[Ramo]

You know what I’m gonna say,right?
Blaaaaaaaaack!


Black is Metal AF…..