[bigfatpaulie]

About 15 years ago when I just really getting into audio, I use to frequent high-end audio shops and give stuff a listen.  I became friendly with the sales staff and even though I obviously couldn't afford the gear, they were nice enough to let me listen to whatever I wanted.  Anyway, they had a pair of Revel Saloon's hooked up to all Proceed electronics (remember Proceed?) and I listened to a HDCD.  It was spectacular and to this day is still one of my most memorable listening experiences.
 
To the point, after visiting the shop, I had to head over to the mall to get something from RadioShack.  There was a stereo store in the mall, one of those places that sells both car and home audio.  Still on a high from my listening nirvana, I couldn't help but walk in.  The salesman took me to the back to listen to their reference system...  A company called "Nuance" powered by Harman Kardon.  He cranked it (because, you know, that's how it'll sound best).  It sounded like a night-club.  Boomy, distorted and harsh.  Just awful.

 

[eugenius]

bose acoustimass - sounds like an elephant and a mouse farting at the same time.

 

[TsukiNick]

Instead of beating the dead horse of Bose, Beats, Monster..

I'd say the Yamaha HS-10 Studio Monitors. Them sounding bad is probably by design being some sort of successor to the NS-10s

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[kuhchuk]

I work at a catering place that will remain anonymous, and we recently did a giant promotional party for a large multinational company (that will again remain anonymous).  They hired a DJ, and he had simply the worst sounding audio setup I've ever heard.  It consisted of four absolutely GIANT JBL speakers that had 3 or 4 woofers each and a tweeter or two. 
 
I'm assuming that it had less to do with the speakers themselves and more to do with the way he had them set up, but there was a ridiculous quantity of bass (which was to be expected, given the situation, although I will admit it was VERY clean and punchy), absolutely awful mids that made vocals sound like the singer was in a cave with a narrow opening, and absolutely skull-piercing highs.  I have no doubt in my mind that the guy had this monstrous rig EQ'd to look like a giant valley.  Gave me a severe headache, and I had to endure it for about six hours.  Definitely not a fun night, and definitely awful audio.

 

[cel4145]

This is a thread where you get to bash talk any speaker that you have heard that just makes you question the sanity of who ever designed them. 

I don't question the sanity of why they did it, because I know why (they know how to market them). But Bose Acoustimass is one of the worst that I've heard for the money. First time I ever heard them was at a relative's house about ten years. When we were watching a movie and the male voices starting coming out of the bass module, I couldn't help but think how much better just my old pair of Paradigm Phantoms sounded than the whole expensive Acoustimass set. The highs were no good out of the cubes, because of course they don't have tweeters (LOL).

 

[cel4145]

Any speakers some schmucks ever thought of mounting on scooters. And some sorts of public transport, like this one:

We don't have this speaker problem in the US, but I definitely feel for you

 

[ProtegeManiac]

We don't have this speaker problem in the US, but I definitely feel for you

 
People think I'm just some fancy Catholic school kid (kind of like the Manila equivalent of NY's "upper east side kids," except we're on Long Island or something) when I don't take public transport, but really the point is that 1) their music is horrible and their distorting speakers make them much worse, and 2) when I'm on my car these bastards drive like absolute horse s**t, so handing them $0.25 makes me feel like I'm supporting what makes my life hell every morning and evening (and I don't want headhones stolen by snatchers). Then again, I'm handing over $5 to some Sheikhs and such people so they can order Pininfarinas they will cancel later, or import more starlets from Manila, but if I take public transport, I'd be doing both, so short of an electric car, my own car is still better (I think).
 
Liberal economics and freedom my arse

 

 

[sealykojac]

While definitely not the worst speakers I've listened to I would say the most disappointing speakers have been B&W 600 series speakers. They are always well reviewed and sound decent but the competition from PSB, Paradigm, Monitor Audio, and similar brands have always impressed me more for the dollar.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  While definitely not the worst speakers I've listened to I would say the most disappointing speakers have been B&W 600 series speakers. They are always well reviewed and sound decent but the competition from PSB, Paradigm, Monitor Audio, and similar brands have always impressed me more for the dollar.

 
What amps have you used with PSB? I've listened to them several times in stores but haven't come across any amp that reigned in the loose bass on their multi-driver towers.

 

[sealykojac]

   
What amps have you used with PSB? I've listened to them several times in stores but haven't come across any amp that reigned in the loose bass on their multi-driver towers.

 
I used a high end Marantz receiver and later a Bel Canto integrated when I had PSB towers.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

   
I used a high end Marantz receiver and later a Bel Canto integrated when I had PSB towers.

 
Thanks, I'm gonna go out and try those sometime. Will need to visit a mall here that has several audio shops, including one that trades in vintage gear, right next to a PSB dealer.

 

[cel4145]

What amps have you used with PSB? I've listened to them several times in stores but haven't come across any amp that reigned in the loose bass on their multi-driver towers.

Sounds like you might be a candidate for monitors and a good sub instead of towers. Best way to get good bass

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Sounds like you might be a candidate for monitors and a good sub instead of towers. Best way to get good bass

Not really - I had a sub before and integrating it was a PITA without a good crossover network like in my car's receiver (3-way hi-, band-, and low-pass with time alignment). Also the bass is kinda flabby, but I know someone who used his old 8" car sub in a sealed box (aesthetically not the best, but he might have built a new box for it by now), put spikes on it, then eventually transferred the spikes to the panel opposite the driver baffle and it fires upwards between the speakers. Alternately, someone else just put a front-firing sub on a platform and raised it to the same level as the speaker stands.
 
In any case that was mostly just the PSB - my NAD was able to drive the B&W (600 or CM, I don't remember) towers with multiple bass drivers (not the one with an active sub amp built into them), and the bass was tight. It kicks my chest when it needs to, like in Deftones' Digital Bath, but playing Jane Monheit and other jazz artists, the standing bass was very well-controlled and somewhat groovy. If I didn't give up on speakers in the house I'm in right now (still the house I grew up in, but I'm living alone now) or as it is right now, I'd have kept the 304. The D3020 is amazing too.

 

[cel4145]

Not really - I had a sub before and integrating it was a PITA without a good crossover network like in my car's receiver (3-way hi-, band-, and low-pass with time alignment). Also the bass is kinda flabby, but I know someone who used his old 8" car sub in a sealed box (aesthetically not the best, but he might have built a new box for it by now), put spikes on it, then eventually transferred the spikes to the panel opposite the driver baffle and it fires upwards between the speakers. Alternately, someone else just put a front-firing sub on a platform and raised it to the same level as the speaker stands.

Why would someone do that? LOL

But sure. Subs are most easily integrated with speakers using AVRs since nothing else comes with crossovers these days. And then you need EQ to make them sound their best. And typically more than one, well placed in the room.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Why would someone do that? LOL

In theory sub frequencies are omni-directional, but that doesn't mean they cannot absolutely be localized. Easiest example is in a car - moving the bass to the front involves time alignment and usually placing a gap in the crossover settings. At home, as it was in my set up, the bass guitar wasn't well-defined, and yet if I put my ears next to the monitors and the sub, it didn't at all sound wrong. Also while the bass drum may be on the floor, tha band is supposedly on a stage, not the same floor as the listener, plus having the bass guitar coming from near the floor isn't right either. Obviously, it was having some time alignment issues in the room, especially with the listening chair only 5ft+ away from the equipment rack in the center of the two speakers, however, hooking up a car audio receiver with time alignment to a 12VDC power supply just to use TA is a lot more expensive than raising the sub.