[oak3x]

I challenge you...listen to a pair of Joseph Audio speakers

http://www.josephaudio.com/product.rm25simk2.html

 

[TempleOfEar]

ok i just bought a pair of DIY loudspeakers today. this guy sold them to me for $500 which was less than how much it cost for him to make it. he said he hadn't heard a speaker under $4000 that matches it's sound... and he works at JBL headquarters so he should know. And I don't doubt him. they sound freakin amazing. totally neutral, extremely trasparent and lively like a teenager on crack and sound stage that you feel like you can grab and touch. however.... it's still not as good as what my HD600 could deliver.

 

[cp8ir]

In adddition to the room, maybe the speakers require a different amp and preamp and etc. to sound their best? There's a lot of $$ to be spent there too.

 

[TempleOfEar]

i dunno- when i auditioned it at his place he had it hooked up to bunch of high end stuff- even the speaker wires were as thick as my arms! (i do have thin arms tho ) at my place all i have is denon 3805 and it doesn't sound much different. my room is pretty acoustically friendly tho. I might look into 1ooW x 2 amp. these speakers have some incredible realism tho. when i was watching movies in stereo mode it felt just like putting on hd600 again- so detailed and transparent that the dinosaurs came alive! but yeah, i still miss my headphones.

 

[auris]

Rather than diving headfirst into building DIY home speaker systems, I'd suggest the OP first go around to some of the high end audio stores in the LA area and audition loudspeakers, using recordings he/she is familiar with (take the same ones to each store). See if you hear anything that blows you away, then check prices...and see what source and amplifiers are being used. That will give you an approximate idea of cost (when purchased new).

Also remember how critical the listening area is. Huge loudspeakers that sound awesome in a store may not be that effective in a small home listening area. And, as others point out, room acoustics and speaker placement play a critical role...as do the synergies or lack thereof of the associated equipment.

In short, there is no hard and fast answer to how much you need to spend. I think comparing headphones to loudspeakers is much like comparing apples to oranges. Sure, you can compare detail retrieval...but the overall listening experience between loudspeakers and headphones is so vastly different that I cannot honestly compare one to the other. They each have their place.

 

[Shahrose]

speakers are better in pretty much everything except for hearing details for which hp's have an edge (although higher end speakers can match that). a good speaker system setup correctly will blow away headphones. that's my opinion anyways.

hp's are usually much more convenient for me (for not disturbing others) and just as involving as speakers most of the time.

 

[Sammich]

This isn't exactly an inexpensive option ($90k for a full set), but if you're looking for something that can equal some of the best headphones out there, I have heard reports that these speakers equal the detail and sound quality of the UE-10 Pro:

http://www.sonicweld.com/products.html

Apparently they have perfectly paired amps already built in (only need a source), and come with a system that senses and adjusts them to give the best sound quality for the room they are in. I share an office with someone who owns the full set and he says they easily beat out many $200k+ speaker systems. I have yet to hear them myself, but I'm trying to get him to give me a demo.

 

[Happy Camper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkWolf /img/forum/go_quote.gif My Grado 325i sounds much better to my ears than any Senn I have heard.. I have owned HD590s for several years after choosing them over HD580/600. That said, the speaker system my unlce built downstairs blows them out of the water. He hand built replica DMC Time Windows and a 15" or so sealed sub. He runs them bi-amped with all matched Halfler amps and full digital crosservers. He spent countless hours with some fancy software, measuring and tuning the crossover/EQ curves. The result is amazing. My 325i are great, but his setup is totally different. It has way more detail (that's right!) and transparency, as well as the naturally improved soundstage, (not the Grado's strong point anyway) and don't get me started on bass responce! The only gripe I have with his system is that I hardley ever get to use it. I have no idea how much it would cost to simply buy something that sounded that good, but it would be several grand for sure. The total cost of my phones and amp in use is just over $500.

I got out of the service in 78 thinking those DCM Time Windows were the best sounding speaker at the time (in my lowly existance). The price escapes me, but they were the apple of my eye. They were too big for a studio though. Today using dynamic/electrostatics w/sub. Wanted to get back to that ultra clear sound I heard from those DCMs. I found recently that headphones will give me that sound too.

HP dissects the sound. The imaging and soundstage of HP could never create the realism of a true hi end speaker/source/amp setup. But HP can do the detail better than most speakers and with quite a bit less space. I'm sure those out there with these systems are grinning at us as we wonder how they enjoy their systems. Quite well, I'm sure.

Each have their purposes in audio presentation depending on desire and the music.