Tír Na HiFi

You don't buy speakers, you buy a speaker / room interaction.

They HAVE to be demoed and demoed at home.

SJB

Diapason wrote:

Ken Moreland wrote:I spent some time with REW room equalisation

Tell me more!

DaveF wrote:until I narrowed it down to what the issue was.
That said, an initial listen to my hifi in my new place has left me pleasantly surprised but that's for another thread.

Tell me more!!

Simon , download REW from http://www.hometheatershack.com/roomeq/ (I think you need to join to do so but there are no catches) . Using a microphone at the listening position you run a frequency sweep through your system from your laptop and see the frequency response, high and lows etc.You can make a response file which evens the curve and this can be applied through a player like HQPlayer and I think Foobar does something similar. I used it to give a little bass boost when I used the bass shy Unison Research amp and it worked well. To do it properly you'ld need to use a calibrated microphone because it's easy to boost/reduce the wrong frequency. It could be argued that this is not true High Fidelity but is someone offered a cable with better bass/sweeter treble there'd be a queue round the block.
I also used it to position listener and speakers with less boomy bass in my room.I ran the sweep and moved listener or speakers about 10cm until I was satisfied.
KM

Thanks Ken, I may indeed look into that (although we're back to my old problem of playing stuff from laptop through the system). I'm once again becoming interested in how speakers interact with the room, having spent the last few weeks moving speakers and sound treatments around and finding genuinely massive differences. My wife is pretty bemused by my antics at this stage.

(Sorry for bringing the thread OT, Claus!)

Diapason wrote: My wife is pretty bemused by my antics at this stage.

Par. Course.

I bought my LFT-8 blind because of value for money back when money was even tighter. I find that this is a necessary drawback when offers come along and savings can be made. Especially in Ireland where the retail and second hand markets are so limited. In Denmark a huge number of small dealers will do home demos all over the country unconditionally. Plus there is often ex demo and trade ins to be sampled as well.

I will go to the dealers first and see what I can get in terms of service and quality in my price range. I suspect it wont be a huge improvement over the LFTs which leaves upgrading them to "b" spec @ $400 a much more attractive option....

So only Ken says "buy them"? I can get them £1000 off retail incl. shipping.... ;)
My wife will kiss you all! Ha ha ha!

Claus , the other guys are wise and correct and to be absolutely sure you get the best sound you should follow their advice. Me, I'd leap for the Focal bargain and get a great speaker at a good price. If you want to hear mine pop out to Trim (40 mins from An Lar). Kiss the wife for us all on Valentine's night.
KM

Claus wrote: So only Ken says "buy them"? I can get them £1000 off retail incl. shipping.... ;)
My wife will kiss you all! Ha ha ha!

Talk to Kronos and see what they can do. A drive to Dungannon might get you a demo with your own amp/CD player if they have them in stock.

Ha ha will do Ken!
Ivor: I ave sent them a mail regarding same. I have come clean about the offer in DK as I hate the whole demo-locally-buy-on-the web thing. :)

Will see what Gerry's Spendors bring to the mix on Saturday. He is bringing Frugals as well I think... Speaker bonanza in Bray I tell yes!

I have moved the LFTs down the end of the room and it really has improved things. So I will see what happens...

I would go with Ken (not kiss him in case people are getting ideas) but when you know it is a good set of speakers and the price is right you snooze you loose. I got mine (Spendors)without demoing at home and have no regrets. If you have money to burn you can demo away or wait for the exact model to come up secondhand in ireland. The market is tiny. Most are probably members of this site.

tony wrote:I would go with Ken (not kiss him in case people are getting ideas)

You'd go with him but not kiss him? Jesus that's harsh.