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What is the best HEAVY METAL speaker?

I know totally blasphemy question here on Audiogon. But you like what you like, right? Anyway, I know most metal music is totally compressed and recorded horrible (aka Metallica) however there is a new age of metal bands out there that are starting to change that (Opeth started with Blackwater Park). So what speakers out there can take the pounding of a double bass drum kit hitting at full throttle and give the roar of metal guitar justice. There has to be a set up that would make Glen Tipton turn his head and say hell ya!
128x128lizzardkingseattle
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
7,068 posts
 
But, typically I find that Rock/Metal guys like myself are looking for a huge soundstage, and that "live" sound. Maybe not the best imaging. But damn, it's like being at a concert.
Huge soundstage is a sign of a good speaker with good resolution.
The idea that a speaker can be 'best' for a certain genre of music is one of the older and more established myths in audio. I had one guy ask me what the best speaker was for downtempo 80s music. Sheesh! How in the heck do you make a speaker favor a certain taste in music?? You can't- the speaker might have certain bumps and dips in its response, but what if the dudes on stage play different notes? Even in metal that tends to happen :)


soundsrealaudio's avatar
soundsrealaudio
642 posts
 
These are my  favorites: 

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Electro-Voice/ELX200-15P-15-Powered-Loudspeaker.gc


wolf_garcia
4,650 posts
 
Indeed...you can buy a new pair of powered Mackie SRM450s for 500 bucks each (I've used both the original version powered and unpowered for live stuff for years), and the 1000 watt internal amps can cleanly destroy your hearing and get you evicted in 5 minutes. Built from what feels like cement, and the new ones are fairly light due to neo magnets and Class D amps for the woofer, A/B amps for tweeters. 
kosst_amojan
2,095 posts
 
I'm totally on board with Atmasphere here. I like a pretty wide variety of sounds and I don't consider a speaker terribly good if it doesn't do a good job with just about everything I can throw at it. I want my Chevelle, Tool, and Mastodon to sound just as good as my Bassnectar, Dead Can Dance, Loreena Mc Kennitt, and S&G. 
01svtl
2 posts
 
On the budget side, what about something like the SVS Prime towers?  I, too, listen to metal and want something that’s quick and articulate in order to not blend together the double bass kick drums.  Speakers that are too laid back are not great for rock, I know that.  
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