Ok . . . .

[Steve Lee]

After getting more serious about this whole speaker building thing and experimenting with EQ/speakers/rooms I have decided the following:

1. The sound of any given speaker system is subjective - change the audio source - D/A converter, Pre-Amp, Power Amp, Room Conditions, Speakers, Temp, Humidity, physical or mental state of the listener and then EVERYTHING changes.

2. The Fletcher Munson Curves https://producerhive.com/ask-the-hiv...e-explanation/ are very real and listening at low level has a very different dynamic than those experienced at higher than normal listening levels.

3. Any sort of sound reproduction distortion causes Tinnitus to immediately become apparent/exacerbated - low distortion does not cause this problem - regardless of the sound levels.

4. Big speaker diaphragms driven at low levels in near-field listening are the best sound experience - subject to change. . .

5. Alcohol/Caffeine consumption changes the perception of detail in the sound reproduction of any given speaker system.

6. Commercially Recorded music is so variably mixed that no single speaker system is nor can always be satisfactory to the listener and adjustments to tone must be made when switching from one song/artist to another.

7. The "Q" of a frequency range of any given recorded song (particularly those below 50 Hz and around 20 Hz especially) must be re-balanced with its SPL and this changes from one song/recording to the next.

8. Fat (thicker speaker wire) does make a difference when you are fresh in the mornings and have not experienced the noise of the day as you are more sensitive/alert to subtle changes in the audio environment.

9. Music evokes emotion - good emotion is what you are after and it is found in the frequency range under 15KHz - keep that area distortion free as possible.

10. When you have assembled a speaker system when turned up to disturbing the neighbors level doesn't sound very loud to you but you can feel it - you have something to talk about and share with others as it is of low distortion/high reproduction quality.

11. Horn loaded mid/tweeters are under-rated.

12. The best 8" woofer is a 12" in over a 1.5 Cu Ft box lined - 1/2 filled with Pink Owens Corning 3-1/2" Fiberglass insulation for music.


Done.

Best!

:D

[Blenton]

Can I get a Amen?

AMEN!!

...the best 8” is a 12”... baaahahhajahaha!!! 🤣🤣🤣

You’re killin’ me! Haha.

[fpitas]

I'll certainly agree with 11. Of course getting a horn to sound exactly right is like wrestling with an octopus.

As to 6. Not sure who exactly is to blame, but the lack of tone controls these days is annoying.

[cooper]

Good points. You could add cannabis to #5. Only because it's April 20 and all.

[djg]

The white van and marijuana, that's two you've beaten me at.

[blue934]

No.6 - It staggers the mind how large the disparity is in production quality between albums! I can't imagine listening to my music selection without tone controls, esp sub level adjustability.

[Geoff Millar]

Good points indeed.

The sound of any given speaker system is subjective

• Everyone's hearing and listening rooms are different. Put the same pair of speakers in another room/house and it will sound different. Poor speakers or a poor system will sound poor anywhere.

Big speaker diaphragms driven at low levels in near-field listening are the best sound experience.

• The largest 'woofer' we have is only 7", but played at the same volume as speakers with 4" drivers they have a bigger sound. More bass of course, but there's more to it than that.

Alcohol/Caffeine consumption changes the perception of detail in the sound reproduction of any given speaker system.

• Listening to Dylan's 'Basement Tapes' after having some refreshment results in a different listening experience, the mood seems to come across more. However, I don't think this is a matter of detail as much as feel. Not sure about caffeine, but I'm 'rationed' to two or three cups a day so I rarely listen when having a coffee. Years ago someone experimented on spiders, giving them various substances and seeing what sort of web they made: spiders under the influence of caffeine produced the craziest webs.

Commercially Recorded music is so variably mixed that no single speaker system is nor can always be satisfactory to the listener and adjustments to tone must be made when switching from one song/artist to another.

• Absolutely, speakers which would make the Chili Peppers' 'Californication' sound acceptable would make other music sound dull. Not even the best EQ or tone controls - and we only have bass and treble - seem to help that CD. Other CDs/LPs are cut or pressed at low level, so I have to use software to 'normalise' the levels when making collections.

When you have assembled a speaker system when turned up to disturbing the neighbors level doesn't sound very loud to you but you can feel it - you have something to talk about and share with others as it is of low distortion/high reproduction quality.

• I don't feel it bass-wise, but when I play music on our reference speakers it doesn't seem loud until I go outside!

Geoff

[fpitas]

I think 10. is true. There have been times I tried to talk to a friend, but to my surprise I found myself shouting. That's rewarding in one sense, but is a little insidious for continued ear health.

[Drummer]

13. If life is seemingly weird, throw some Zappa into the mix to return to normal. This will correlate with #'s 5 and 10, although my Irish/Indian *** has long since stepped away from da' booze! And yay to horns! Glenn.

[squib]

Listening to Dylan's 'Basement Tapes' after having some refreshment results in a different listening experience, the mood seems to come across more.

Agreed. Caffeine/booze can be mood altering and my moods definitely affect perception of sound quality and immediate preferences. I have too many childhood memories of Fleetwood Mac permeating the airwaves and my neighborhood to enjoy their music for what it is...unless I've had a couple and get the urge to let it rip. Likewise, caffeine can definitely improve the experience of listening to early Black Flag or their contemporaries when I'm working in the shop or basement.

[Whitneyville1]

I'm not so sure about #8, but I'm in for the rest of 'em. I have a Pathe "Sounds of Silence" and a Columbia version and there is no comparison. The Columbia has no dynamics and no subtleties in the guitar. 21st Century CD's suffer from this affliction too.

[Steve Lee]

Can you elaborate upon these 2 different recordings such that I may find them on-line to sample for myself?
Thanks for your thoughts . . .

[Paul O]

3. low distortion does not cause this problem - regardless of the sound levels.

Disagree on that part, super high SPLs of any type will cause hearing damage which may not be apparent while listening but will be noticable afterwords. And the damage is cumulative.

4. Big speaker diaphragms driven at low levels in near-field listening are the best sound experience -

IMO you haven't lived until you have experienced home audio with high sensitivity 15" low/mid drivers.

6. Commercially Recorded music is so variably mixed that no single speaker system is nor can always be satisfactory to the listener and adjustments to tone must be made when switching from one song/artist to another.

The range in production quality can be very frustrating.

11. Horn loaded mid/tweeters are under-rated.

Large diaphram CDs even more so.

[Steve Lee]

I just wish I had the room for more large speakers at this point in my life as I find listening to music much more enjoyable now even with the Tinnitus.

My home office desk/room is 12 X 18 X 10 (vaulted ceiling) and the NS10-M Studio monitors mounted on a shelf at just above ear level cause the Tinnitus to become inflamed quickly even with EQ/Fletcher Munson Curves (Loudness Contour) employed in the EQ - They are screechy little devils that used to sound good to my younger ears - now they are going to be replaced with something better for near-field listening at low levels. (Planning on combining an 8" Car Audio Sub https://planetaudio.com/product/ac8d/ and a 4" https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.co...oaxial-4-ohms/ -OR- 5" https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.co...l-4-ohm-round/ Coaxial combo into a compact enclosure of around 0.75 Cu Ft - Still cogitating . . .).

My shop building is a converted classroom mobile unit (24 X 36 X 8) and is very resonant such that the room gain of low frequencies with small speakers (BIC America - https://www.parts-express.com/BIC-Fo...-Watts-303-434 - These things are amazing in a resonant room but suck in a living space filled with soft furniture that absorb low frequencies) mounted at 5' AFF and corner loaded exaggerates the low frequencies exquisitely with great definition - no soft furnishings in there - just a lot of open space with shelving and hard edged equipment like a wood-shop around the perimeter and a big workbench in the center but all of that breaks up the reflections of the higher frequencies while boosting the lower ones.

The basement area containing my electronic drums has two 1.6 Cu Ft cabinets loaded with old Radio Shack 12" Paper cone woofers utilizing cloth surrounds and some outdoor MT speakers sitting on top with an external cross-over on them and they sound utterly fabulous - which is why I spend way too much time down there just listening to them - The basement room is about 24 X 24 X 6.5' so the "Q" of the room has an effect upon the sound down here - it just sounds so good!

OK - I ramble in my thoughts once again - later and best wishes!

[Paul O]

Everything I have read about the NS10s says they really are not a good choice for casual listening. Just looking at the on axis response I know I would have to address that spike in the response just under 2khz.

[Steve Lee]

That ^ looks like the frequency response of the NS10 while I have the modified version known as the NS10-M's.

They just roll off too soon on the low end and distortion kicks-in when boosted below 50 Hz. (But I love sealed woofer cabinets, near field enclosures at low to medium sound levels).

They are both (NS10 & NS10-M) a little too bright in the upper mids on axis for me these days and adding EQ just seems to remove some of the sweetness/depth from the sound so I am looking at another set of speakers/design. (See Page #8 of the manual - https://www.manualslib.com/manual/34...?page=8#manual) Exactly the OPPOSITE of the Fletcher/Munson curves?

[Whitneyville1]

Steve Lee, the VERY hard to find Pathe "Sounds of Silence" has an extended dynamic range you can't believe on vinyl (except on a Mobile Fidelity UHQR) and was mixed under direction of Burt Kaempfert. On "The Boxer" the drum crashes may knock your stylus out of the groove if your arm isn't set correctly. I'm certain Simon and Garfunkel listened to the playback and loved it. They listened to the Columbia version and cringed. S&G did all their studio recordings in France, for good reason. I think Alan Parsons engineered all of their recordings.

[Steve Lee]

Thanks for introducing me to more expensive audio recordings to chase after, Whitneyville1 . . . :P

I haven't had a turntable since CD's 1st appeared in the 80's . . .