[maple leafs]

Just experienced a huge revelation today. I am sure this is no big news for many of the experts here but I thought I would share the experience.


I went to a music store today. The kind for musicians and professional, not the consumer type.


I was considering buying some studio monitors as I figured if this is what the pro's use, it must be good. As well one could buy active ones for a very good price compared to say a genelac or ATC(mind you the power output of these are all around 100 watts, so just for smaller rooms and designed for closer listening).


They had a wall of 90% of the top names. So I asked to listen to various brands. I couldn't believe what I heard. First of all they all sounded awful which was the first surprise. The reason I was told is they all play flat. I knew that but I thought maybe that might be a redeeming quality before I listened. The second surprise was they all sounded the same. I thought for sure with different manufacturers there would be a big difference, the same as when i've auditioned regular hi-fi speakers.


So I' ve concluded that the reason one person likes speaker A while another likes speaker B is just from the coloration the consumer speaker designer has decided to employ. Myself personally, I will never go on someone elses opinion that this speaker sounds good and this one bad as we all have our favorite color.

 

[sivadselim]

NO! it's your favorite ice cream flavor!


and EVERYONE knows that ben and jerry's coconut almond fudge is the best.

 

[colinsm]

It's the same reason people root for the leafs when they know they won't be winning any cups (especially this year).

 

[mikeyc]

and neither will the Sens!!!

 

[colinsm]

Well, I'm not expecting any _X_ this year :-(

 

[John Robert]

Ugly American Question:


What is a "Sens" ?

 

[colinsm]

The Ottawa Senators (NHL Team) are known as the "Sens". The team with the most unfullfilled playoff potential in the last 5 years :-(

www.ottawasenators.com

 

[maple leafs]

I can accept ribbing of the Leafs ( must skip spell check re: leaves/leafs) for their futility in making it to the finals in the last 37 years by anyone...EXCEPT....from a Ottawa Senators fan.


How many times have the Leafs beat the Senators out of the playoffs in the last few years. Four I think as I don't even bother to count anymore as it is inevitable whenever they meet up.


Anyways, this is an audio/visual forum so lets get back to talking about the purpose of the forum. So,...


I had a chance to compare the speakers at your arena to ours and can honestly say your speakers made me run out of the building. The highs were unbearable, the mids were way too forward and the lows were nonexistent. Although this is an unfair comparison to our much more expensive reference sound system we have in Toronto it is understandable as you have blown all of your budget instead on non producing overpriced players.

 

[mikeyc]

not to mention the huge screen door effect on the scoreboard display. You could drive a zamboni thru dem pixels!

 

[colinsm]

I'm not defending the sens - As I said they have the most unrealized playoff potential int he league. But Calling them overpriced is ridiculous compared to the Bose Leafs. Ottawa has had the cheapest goals./$ in the league for the last 3 years. Not bad considering flirting with bankruptcy twice. It's easy to put together a great sound system (or team)with deep pockets. What impresses me the most is putting together a really good sounding system on a budget.


BTW - The leafs are my second choice but you gotta support the home town boys - just like defending your choice of speakers.

 

[John Robert]

I'm not a big fan, and don't know much about the sport, but:


Stanley Cup Champions


2003-04 Tampa Lightning


2002-03 New Jersey Devils


2001-02 Detroit Red Wings


2000-01 Colorado Avalanche


1999-2000 New Jersey Devils


1998-99 Dallas Stars


1997-98 Detroit Red Wings


1996-97 Detroit Red Wings


1995-96 Colorado Avalanche


1994-95 New Jersey Devils


1993-94 New York Rangers


Do they still play hockey in Canada ?

 

[mikeyc]

Bose Leafs, now thats fightin' words!

 

[DMF]

SHOULD BEEN THE FLAMES THIS YEAR THEY WAS ROBBED !!!!

 

[JeffY]

I've tested a variety of pro monitors lately, as well as some rather expensive hifi speaker. The pro monitors didn't sound remotely the same and didn't sound awful either. All speakers are coloured.

 

[JohnR_IN_LA]

Agreed Jeffy.


They vary less than Consumer speakers do, but they still vary!


Its easy to find a horrible consumer speaker, I am not sure I have ever heard a bad studio monitor, they tend to range from "ok" to "great".

 

[JohnR_IN_LA]

Quote:

Originally posted by maple leafs Myself personally, I will never go on someone elses opinion that this speaker sounds good and this one bad as we all have our favorite color.

A good car is a good car, a good speaker is a good speaker.


Someone who prefers Chevy Corvettes can still enjoy a porsche

 

[colinsm]

John Robert

Good question and not trying to be defensive but it's interesting that Of the 30 teams in the league - at least 2 of the 6 canadian teams have made the playoffs for as long as I can remember. Last year it was of the six. Not bad odds, but nonetheless the majority of the players in the league are (were) Canadian at one point. And as such like Axiom an Paradigm speakers.

 

[Tnilsson]

Not to interrupt the hockey discussion, but if monitors are so much better than your average home speaker, why don't we all own monitors? I once thought about just getting some monitors rather than home speakers, assuming that they would sound more "true" to the original music, but I never actually followed up on that thought. So why don't we use monitors in our homes and why do pros use monitors--rather than home speakers--in their studios?

 

[maple leafs]

Tnilsson, that is exactly what boggles my mind. I have just recently rediscovered hi-fi after a 15 year absence of not really knowing or caring what I was listening music through. Back then graphic equalizers were commonly employed. Today equalizers for home use are hardly sold. Now,....everyone is a purist. Many look down on using different sound processing modes. Everything is don't mess with it and then.... the final link of the chain, the speaker is meant to sound different than the signal coming into it. Shouldn't flat speakers be the rage?


Jeffy, I am sure if I stood around long enough comparing various pro monitors and did some critical listening I would of picked out some differences in the pro monitors but again the variance is small when compared consumer speakers.


John, I didn't mean to say these pro monitors weren't any good. I just think one gets use to their own preferred sound. For me that flat ,dry, lifeless sound that I interpreted was terrible to my ears.


I always find it interesting when some people go from there 20 year old speakers (usually with the huge floppy woofers) and say their new speakers pale in comparison. I think everyone just has a type of sound they prefer whether it is Axiom (was that not your speakers John) with emphasis on the mid and top end (so I read) to someone who likes purposely designed rolled off highs like myself.


I guess what I am trying to say is, there is no such thing as a bad speaker (assuming they don't distort easily). It is just a question of which of the various purposely designed sounds one likes the best. Maybe like art, Monet vs. warhol.


I sense the hockey starved (NHL on strike for those who don't know) fans are looking to get their fix any way they can.

 

[mshe]

Quote:

Originally posted by DMF SHOULD BEEN THE FLAMES THIS YEAR THEY WAS ROBBED !!!!

I have to agree...