speakers for classical music

06-11-08: Atmasphere said:
"Dcstep, until you have heard all the tube amps in the world its hard to say that they all sound the same isn't it? That was all I was trying to get across, not that tubes are inherently superior."

Well friend, (I consider this a friendly discussion, BTW)it's hard to listen to more than a few tube amplifiers without concluding that each sounds more different than alike.

Unfortunately tube amps get a bad name because many seem to be designed to color the meet some "need", such as lack of transparency or soft highs or rounded lows. I know that doesn't need to be the case, but many audiophiles think that's the right path. I'm fine with them taking that path.

I'm about transparency, accuracy and clarity with controlled lows and sweet (but accurate) highs. If the source has a nasty edge, then let that nasty edge through. (In this digital age it can be very hard to get a source that doesn't add hardness and I understand why that steers some away from SS). Fortunately for me, I can afford smooth, stress free sources.

The speakers that I tend to be drawn to need relatively high power and high damping (or driver control) capacity (I didn't say damping factor, so don't launch into that lame arguement) so, it's easy to see why I'm drawn to high powered, extremely quite, SS amps.

You can write all the papers you want, and I appreciate that you do that as I do indeed read them and add them to my store of knowledge and concepts, but I make my audio buying decisions with my ears. I like what I've found in SS and if my amplifier isn't on your list of approved SS devices, I could care less.

BTW, the dynamic range that I experience in my listening seat is around 65dB to 110dB. My speakers are properly placed (thank you Sumiko Master Set) so that IM Distortion is minimized and the system stays musical within that range. This is VERY IMPORTANT because minimizing IM distortion has a big impact on the perceived sound and loudness in the listening position. Before alignment I was listening several dB lower, avoiding "shout" and hardness that IMD manifests itself in. Whether the amp is tubes or SS is irrelevant in regards to this issue, assuming it's not generate IMD.

The OP wanted a speaker that worked well for classical music. I think that got answered with a nice variety of options. I'm not sure why we're talking about tubes however, but we are. I'm not anti-tube BTW. My favorite guitar amp (except for gigs were it does a poor job of giving me both the tone I want and the volume I need) is tubed and my headphone amp is tubed. I bought them because they sounded good in those applications, not because I need tubes. (BTW, on gigs I get a great replication of tube amp with a mix of Class D amplification and a multi-effects device that'll give me the sound I need from 20dB to 120dB}.

Dave

"A live orchestra can reach 115db peaks BTW"

Is that standing among the musicians in front of the brass and percussion or out in the seats?

In that I am a spectator not a musician, my perspective may be different. I usually like to sit back from the stage a bit so I can soak everything in with a perspective that matchs that when I listen on my system so I can compare. I think my ears would hurt at 115Db so I'm not sure it gets quite so loud there.

I have been to some rock concerts though right in front of the speaks where I do not doubt it was that loud. The volume was also quite uncomfotable and I suspect unhealthy as well.

I looked it up on the American Hearing organization website that symphony orchestra can in fact peak at over 115Db, however they also say that to listen to 115DB for more than 15 minutes per day is not recommended.

Of course, this certainly should not stop any devoted audiophile from wanting to be able to achieve it!

I sit in front of the percussion in an orchestra or two, and I believe the 115dB, but it's no big deal, since it's usually only for seconds. A much worse situation was playing next to a big band drummer that constantly registered almost 120dB from ten-feet away. (I had to wear plugs on that gig. I keep them in the gigbag).

Still, I think that generally the 115dB is from the conductor's perspective.

Dave

It all falls down to, do you want to be the conductor or do you want to be in the back seat, or way out in the hallway!!!

My speakers are about 105-106 db sensitive from 170 hz up (almost no resistors in the Xover), I use MONSTER 12 watt tube amplifiers...whatever you say you dont want to be close (11 feet) to a 300 watt amp and those speakers...what do you think the peak will be in db...
I havent done the numbers yet but I guess 115 db is not far fetched.
I have to be very careful or the speaker cable I use here, and of course I have a resistor stepped attenuator to finely control volume, now its sweet, its extended, detailed like crazy and the dynamics are to die for. not fatiguing or honky at all IMNSHO....
The biggest problem with horns is that you can go very loud and not notice it because distortion is very low, so the bass section has to be as dynamic as the mid-high region, when bass goes that loud things start to shake and you feel your chest thump, so its time to lower the volume...I use SS amps for my multiple bass drivers.