The large wave launches of big drivers on big baffles offer big sound just like live instruments do. 'Scale' an often forgotten but important part of sonic realism.
I got a big pair of transmission line speakers a year after getting married. Still have big speakers and still married after 46 years. I consider myself fortunate.
@@TheRealWindlePoons Great work mate, I have learned in my few years of marriage though if you downsize it makes it harder to upsize if you feel like a change.
Priceless Kelvin, you bring such a brightness to the day every time you post another video no matter the weather. common sense down to earth tips hints and reviews
My speaker cables: a few years ago, a major wiring supplier for the aviation industry in my region got rid of kilometers of cables following a change in regulations on aviation safety. I acquired a hundred meters of these cables for a pittance from my electrical/electronic equipment supplier. Do the job perfectly!...
You can get mains cable by the metre at Wilko - it's sold side-by-side with 'speaker cable' and it's so much cheaper! I read the mains cable tip over 4 years ago (I think it was in a What Hifi? group review of speaker cables) and I've sworn by it ever since. As for buying vintage amps, practically every 'development' since the late 70s has been aimed at reducing manufacturing costs, not improving sound quality.
Your advice for younger folks is right on the money. I'm over 60 years old and I have done the exact same thing you have done and the most important one I have to say is get the biggest speakers you can because they sound the best no matter what anybody says. Especially if you're not spending 10 grand
excellent Kelvin - you should do this kinda short primer on basics every so often. so many audio YTs start & end at the deep end of the pool. basics such as you've pointed out - particularly in the manner you point them out - are valuable point-of-entry guidance for future audio enthusiasts (& old-timers too!) adjusting to the many emerging technologies.
Great advice! I only have big speakers. I love your content. My favorite is a vintage US brand called ADS. They were an US based offshoot of Braun. You may have seen Brauns there in the UK. They are 3 way with a sticky dome mid and tweeters. Beautiful full and lush mids with great detail.
Funny enough I've just dumped my girlfriend (on Friday) because she was constantly moaning that my vintage dovedale 3's were to big for my living room😂
@@jasonemanuel9070 No. They went to a friend so I still listen to them on a regular basis. He has a flat next door to his partner. Big speakers apart, his flat houses things like a juke box and pinball machine while he actually lives next door. I'd call that a good working compromise. I went down the route of single-ended triodes and needed something more efficient than transmission lines: my Lowther horns fulfil that task to perfection.
My hifi pusher sells both used and new equipment and the best part is that I can try it at home before buying. I think it is adamont trying things in your own listening room not just listening in the store.🙂
The reason I believe that good hifi hasn't changed much sonically is because of the switch from analogue sources to digital sources. Just as analogue was coming good, digital comes along and has to go through a similar improvement and upgrading path as far as dac's and upsampling is concerned, the higher it is, the smother the curve and the more detailed it sounds. Thing is that digital is looking to recreate a clean sine wave... like analogue does, so the proverbial dog has ended up chasing its own tail, ergo, little sonic progression has taken place. In the late 70s, Audio manufacturer QED brought out a revolutionary 79 strand clean copper loudspeaker cable that bettered 2.5 mm twin and earth mains cable. It sold for 80 pence a metre and sounded far superior in both treble and bass delivery to the mains cable with it's contaminated copper wire and less flexible nature. Glad you're back Kelvin, mate.
"In the late 70s, Audio manufacturer QED brought out a revolutionary 79 strand clean copper loudspeaker cable that bettered 2.5 mm twin and earth mains cable." Lots of people liked the QED. I found it added "background hash" to the sound which flattered some equipment but it wasn't to my tastes. Someone had rewired my Lowther horns with the stuff when I bought them. Replaced it with DNM solid core. Much cleaner. Of course, with everything HiFi "Your mileage may vary". 😀
Great advice!! Take a $100 speaker and a $1000 speaker and you will hear a world of difference. Take a $100 amp and a $1000 amp, and you might not hear any difference. A great sounding system is ALL ABOUT THE SPEAKERS! Great video Kelvin!!
For bass, I agree size does matter. 12 inches for a really deep feel. 15 inches will be amazing. Low frequencies is a longwave. Silver core speaker wire or silver coated does make a difference.
I'll say that something still can be gained from better cables even on a cheap system. But don't go for the expensive ones. A little better than the typical ones that you show can work wonders. Great video Mate.
Some more good tips and useful hacks for us think about and try out from the practical, down to Earth HIFI guy. I definitely prefer large speakers for the overall coherent, fuller, immersive sound from my stereo set up, without the need for a subwoofer. Thanks Kelvin.
I bought a lovely old JVC amplifier a few years ago, that is from 1978 and that makes it three years older than me! I love it and I'm so happy to have a class A amplifier, instead of a class D. I much prefer the sound.
Always great advice but be careful if you have a small room larger speakers can overwhelm a room with bass go for sealed box types not ported and you can get great sound from small speakers with a sub in a small space everything else bang on kelvin my go to hifi expert
Yes, big speakers, big sound. However, big speakers going at it within a small room are more susceptible to room gain. Hence, standmounts preferably with a stereo pair of subs (sealed, of course)
Totally agree it happened to me I used to own martin logan electro motion esl and moved to a smaller home they just overwhelmed the room terrific speakers wrong house had to sell now have bw d4 and they sound great
@@totalplonker824 "Yes, big speakers, big sound. However, big speakers going at it within a small room are more susceptible to room gain." My listening room is nearly square and can suffer very badly from bass resonances. I followed my son's suggestion and bought a device to match my system to my room. I only use it for my subwoofer (fairly large horn speakers still don't go that low). Best upgrade ever. Bass no longer clouds the rest of the frequencies, plenty of detail without boom. I call it "King Wenceslas bass": deep and crisp and even.
Enjoying hi fi is a balancing act. On #5 I will use a better cable on my Linn v the freebie cable. Growing up we have these big Pioneer speakers. The bigger the woofer, the better. Talk about rock the house.
I’m by no way a hifi buff but did find that by removing the panels to my amp and CD player and using a fine brush to loosen dust( gently hoovered away) and accumulated debris inside my 30 odd year component’s helped to reduce interference and improved the clarity of the system.
I have been a pro musician for many years. Fender twin reverb with jbl’s 69 strat & various other axes. Using belden cable as an interconnect between amp & guitar, this opens up the sound in the mids & higher registers. Otc cables are generally shit. Fender used to supply a belden guitar cable, along with a strap when you bought a new guitar. These cables were tip top. The grey ones with the spiggot inside the plug & a grub screw to contact the shield. I cannot possibly agree with your opinion on cables in any way at all. Good quality cable is the lifeblood of musical sound!. Are you sure that your ears are up to discerning the differences between sounds from various cables?. I, and many other musicians certainly can. Picking out different nuances in sound is part & parcel of our stock in trade. It is a fact that musicians have far more sensitive hearing than folks that are not, for obvious reasons. At home my accuphase & jbl work great with belden cable, lovely open sound. I like you have an assortment of amps, that i change from time to time, just for the pleasure of it all!. Bell wire indeed!?. Tut, tut.
The power coming into your house passes through miles and miles of cheap wire. It's hard to believe that the last meter of wire makes a significant difference.
6. make room in your budget for a pair of high quality subwoofers. it gives you freedom to extend your system’s response further than any tone control or EQ possibly can. *BE NOT AFRAID.* PS i’ve bought at least a half dozen different cables from JSAUX, always in red 😂 their cables are great!
"6. make room in your budget for a pair of high quality subwoofers. " 6b. Interface them to your system via an external crossover which tunes itself to your room: stunning upgrade. (Anti-mode with BK sub - no affiliation.)
Hey Kelvin. Last week I plugged a cheap kettle power lead into my 300b valve amp. I just thought a power lead was a power lead. It sounded terrible and flat! I couldn't work out what it was. Realized then swapped the kettle lead out for a better one and the change was night and day. Since then I ordered a £50 hifi power lead and it's improved further. I've been a believer in speaker cables for years but never power leads. I can't believe what a difference it made. It's a bloody endless journey. I recommend anyone with a detailed transparent system to upgrade power leads. If your system is transparent the difference is huge.
@@DrRock2009 in a midrange system I don't think there would be any noticeable difference. The first time I noticed a difference from cables was using a Naim nac 72 nap 140 combo and a high quality dac with hi res files. Before then I thought cables were snake oil.
Some debatable points, cable quality lends itself to the law of diminishing returns and a difference can usually be perceived as an 'improvement' or not. Speaker size is down to your room size and type of music you prefer end of. I dont agree with buying the largest speaker, that seems daft advice to me.
Size should be determined by room and most definitely placement. And thb most rooms i see are anything but good enough for the bigger guys out there. The amount of speakers I've seen flanked by a huge dresser, cornered, and backwall hugging is pretty much endless. I feel people should understand that your ears are not even the limiting factor. Your room doesn't give one bit about you or your spendure. Good video, just found you i have a very small unbiased audio channel so i can relate to alot youre saying here
Solid core mains cable is great for speakers. If you can solder get some screened twisted pair instrument cable and make your own interconnects (connect the screen at one end only - the amplifier end). If you want high end cables on a budget, read Allen Wright's "Supercables Cookbook" (no affiliation). A good big un is always better than a good little un (applies to cars, bikes and guns too). I had a big pair of transmission line speakers for about 30 years. Replaced them with similar sized horns about 15 years ago. Both marvellous. If you are a tinkerer you can get great sound out of a Raspberry Pi with an inexpensive DAC "hat" and stream with that. I remember a beer advert "unspoilt by progress" - applies to a lot of HiFi too.
Big speakers, amp with good current, good source and you’re onto a winner. Cables do make a difference though, especially interconnects, Belden 1694a cable for interconnects is cheap and excellent sounding, use proper speaker cables (oxygen free copper) soldered bananas, keep your cables separate and not touching each other, learn how to set up speakers properly using something like the “master speaker placement” technique and a test tone on youtube for imaging and soundstage (reflections) 👍🏻
@@stereoreviewxtry those 1694a interconnects Kelvin, they are dirt cheap, really great sound, easily bested my old cables that were over £200. The beldens are a hidden gem 👌🏻
Evening Kelvin, another reasonable and considered show, yes indeed , big speakers,three way are normally much more open sounding...if I may I'll give you my reasons why.. I found a pair of BW 601 S3's at a second hand shop near where I live, bought 5 CD's and speakers for twenty quid..no not joking, on the Costa people aren't really into hifi or driving really but I dygress.. That's supposed to be a really great speaker but to be honest they sound pretty dead until played quite loud...moving on ..I was given some gear from a good Pal, and a pair of Jamo 760 R speakers in perfect shape..well these sounded OK but we're two way, it so happens though they have a bass port facing forward nxt to the diffuser horn loaded tweeter. Just the right diameter to fit a bang and Olufsen mid driver..So add a monacor DN 10 three way cross over and Bobs your aunty.( Maybe These days😮) They make those BW's sound pretty compressed, improved though if you bi amp them, But Bigger is Better, in my humble opinion Cheers Kelvin and have a great week old son.
I have large vintage wharfedale speakers and they do give more of a wow factor in terms of scale. I do find that they struggle with some modern bands and also deliver less details than my smaller q acoustics.
Spot on about reviewing , often l watch Bluetooth speaker reviews, really good reviewers in general but fail on one thing...they only seem to play dance/ rap kind of music when reviewing speakers. That's if I can discern the paid reviewers from the genuine
Great advice... when it comes to vintage audio you know your stuff. BTW, I have a pair of mid 70s Radford 3-way speakers that use the same Goodmans woofer as your display speaker.
@@stereoreviewx Smaller. Radford Tristars, their smallest creation. I have two pairs... one from Britain, the other made in Canada, (Radford produced speakers in Quebec in the 70s). They shoe horned in that 12 inch monster plus a mid and tweeter. The drivers take up so much real estate, there's almost no baffle left, Lol.
Audio reproduction is a lot simpler than video. Our hearing is also a lot less discriminating than our vision. It's simply the case that audio electronics, at least from a sound reproduction standpoint, was a solved problem by the 1980's. Consumer electronics in the 1970's was basically limited to TVs and stereos; these days there's a lot more gadgets competing for your cash. Not a lot of people want large speakers dominating their living rooms, so manufacturers do what they can with small speakers / soundbars and subwoofers. You can't beat physics, though, so it's not surprising that at a set of older speakers with 12" woofers will sound better. Most home speakers won't have spent a lot of time being pounded at top volume, so generally don't 'wear out'. The main issue is more likely to be disintegrating foam speaker suspensions, where used.
I find twin and earth solid core ring main electrical cable excellent for speaker cable, but also use Linn silver interconnect between sources and amplifiers.
I have DNM solid core speaker cable (even internally) which is a step up from mains cable and not that expensive. I do however have Van Den Hul monocrystal silver cable from tone arm to preamp. 😀
Agree so much , cone surface ...I use JBL 18" ...drums sound realistic without seeing the cone move ...so no linear distortion from too much cone excurtion ....feel the bass instruments tactility, bassmotes of piano ...noises of woodenfloor in opera.....and high efficiency....to give uncompressed dynamics....without clipping amplifier into distortion ....at least if I want to listen at realistic musical instrument soundlevels ...I played those instruments and if I want the goosebumps , I miss them at lower level ....love your presentations ❤❤❤
You may say that about cables and I always wanted to believe this, but my mate brought over some cable talk stuff and I swapped over my bundled interconnects and 79 strand type cable with them and there was a significant difference, which dismayed me. I messed around with the cables, not wanting to believe it, and even found that I needed to have both the ‘better’ interconnects and speaker cables to make the difference. So I wasn’t going to pay out for expensive cables so went out and bought some decent audio coax cable and some coax RCA phono plugs and some similar speaker cable from Quad, for a lot less money, and found that I got similar results. I later found that speaker cables do make a difference, but not necessarily because they have exotic materials, but just in how they are constructed and how it affects capacitance, etc. Like that flatline stuff is pretty sharp sounding, and twisted two core mains was ok but not great, and my amps didn’t like the thicker stranded cables. So now I just always use 2.5mm stranded clear sheathed Van Damme speaker cable (I think PMC recommend the 4mm version for their speakers) , which is reasonably priced, and also Van Damme interconnects for where I am not digital.
well I agree mostly with you the flat ones just don't deliver . one day will get super serious on this subject as you say its the relation with the equipment
Verry honest content Kelvin! There are so many youtubers arround, who are slaves of the highend industry to get their overpriced, but cheap manufactured, gear over the counter. And the result......? Buy pricier!
Thanks for video. I support the opinion that you don't need to spend tons of money on cables when you have a budget set-up. A good move is to buy the CHEAPEST cables but from a QUALITY audio company. Almost all of them have budget thin cables that cost modest money. Thus, you will save money and stay in the hi-fi territory and that would warm your soul 🤗😌
Good video. My tips, speakers are the most important (after room acoustics). If possible get a high efficient speakers (used or new) like a Klipsch Heritage series (horns and compression drivers). This way, you can focus on low but good quality wattage amps and still get good volume and keep the dynamics even on low volume. I have compared low efficient speakers and mega wattage amps, its not the same. Low wattage amp's sounds the best on the actual real word wattage use most people use daily. DAC's and cables are the lastyou need to worry about. Also, room acoustic is very important, actually even more important than the speakers depending on the situation. Currently running a fleat watt class-a, amps, both on solid state and single ended tube amp👍
I agree there is no magic in cables, it’s an easy money spinner for dealers, I use Amazon basics in my system and yes I have tried fancy expensive silver cored cables, they don’t make a difference.
I like the immediacy of horns. Have had Lowthers for 15 years. I would describe them as "unflatteringly transparent". I hear every upgrade elsewhere in my system. It only takes a minute to get immersed in the music though.
Buckets of good common sense missing in many other TH-cam channels and, yes, big speakers usually sound better than small book shelve ones where, more often than not, you'll need a sub to get a fuller sound.
If you can, go to a small music venue on "open mic" night. Chat to the musicians you like and ask them what they listen to at home. I have had some surprising answers and lots of good advice.
@TheRealWindlePoons I did similar. At a recording studio I asked what he had at home. I figured it must be something fantastic. Um no portable radio after the studio it all sounds crap.
The reason Hi Fi hasn’t improved is because the equipment has been more capable than human hearing is for decades. We can’t hear minuscule distortion. Even if it measures better by a few decimal places we can’t perceive that. Audio electronics have been a solved problem for a long time and transducers can never be perfect, especially when taking their interaction with the room into account.
"We can’t hear minuscule distortion." The amplifier business has majored on low distortion levels *THAT THEY CAN MEASURE* but apply to test signals and not music. No point if they sound unmusical. No point having .001% amplifier distortion when your speaker distortion is 1% or more.
I like your info on the topic… and admire you ‘nerd so much around with stuff’.. I’m not a super experienced / hifi / audiophile… I just like good music in my ears like wine in my mouth… Tried Bluetooth speaker… small speaker… and now at 53 I’m back… started slow.. with semi big Dali 18 mk2 (super cheap, but NICE…(with powerful amp))… than 3 years ago my old dream speakers (Dali 40se) was bought.. found out I needed MORE amp… not because I play loud… they just take a lot.. now with 4 monoblock amp’s and a nice old restored preamp, the last & final purchase- two months ago, upgraded to a Keenwood 1980 turntable (so much more stable and solid), and I’m at the end for me in hifi…I stop before the bug for new stuff kicks in, I enjoy going around and find a old LP for very few quid’s… the last was ‘The Crusaders’.. WOW what a sound for 1-2 £… that leaves money for a nice wine or even better a few Gin & Tonic…I probably never marry with a set of 2 x 68kg speakers… but I can live with that 😊
@@chrisvand2678 Hi Chris, thanks.. yha I'm from DK, but it more a random that I like Dali... I was young and saw those big speakers in the shop... and fast forward 30+ years... and then i had the money for better Equipment.. but ended up with 'old' stuff :-)) but the 40 need a lot of amp... aldo the pre. Owner had Sonos, and that also sound fine (only listen short time when buying 2 years ago).. I don't know if you can get anything for 2000-2300 Euro new that would be so detailed and fine ( aldo the 40 are base heavy ) i would like to hear Tanoy or even old Sansui.. but for now the 40 will do.
See if you can get Namco NSQ-331's or NSQ-551's in the uK Kelvin. They are real sleepers. Look like JBL's like the L112's and sound really nice (full) and can be had for almost nothing. Big three ways.
Streaming tip - use higher video res on TH-cam ( under settings) to get the best Audio quality. 720 to 1080 is best Quality. 1080 is a bit crisper in treble. I run my computer, which has a deent sound card, into my Aux or tape in on my amp. Works great!
Yeah nightmare those dongles ended up buying four and it wasn't the most expensive one that worked the best at WHSmith, I tried an apple one that was useless it cut all the top frequencies off and was low output, the Samsung one wasn't much better didn't cut the frequencies off but no output to speak of, a cheap one from a garage that just didn't do anything. Very annoying the whole lot!!! they need to put the jacks back in phones i don't know why they took them out in the first place save money I suppose 2p a socket yeah. Very difficult to know how to get a decent one I think just trial and error
a headphone jack needs an actual amplifier on the other end, and phones have a lot of priorities competing for internal space, especially if they’re going to upgrade everything every year. i’m not saying it doesn’t suck but thought i might add some context. of course we can’t deny though that soon after headphone jacks went away, the manufacturers started selling wireless headphones and earbuds, so… make of that what you will 🫠🫠🫠
Speaking of which I came across an old pair of advents today at good will in the north bay bay area . about 25 miles in the city of novato Coulnt get the grills of so I cant comment on the drivers ? still worth getting if ya want to take a chance Stack em !.......I think for the most part you have A good point about the subtle differences in sound Quality however at least in my experience its incremental especially with nad an Rotel amps which I own both the nad costs about a little under $500.00 us Dollars the Rotel about $1300.00 due to primarily additional features? you guessed it a Phono section which the nad Lacks sonicly I prefer the nad noticably more natural sounding but at the costs of not much treble response still a nice sounding amp. in spite of that.Gonna keep my eyes Pelled on getting a Luxman tube amp if I ever get Lucky! .. Prey for me
Not sure what your take is on the US made KLH speakers from the late sixties/early seventies Kelvin, but I found a pair of KLH Model 6's on the street in Brooklyn a couple of years ago and I must say that since I found them, I've been hooked. I now also have a pair of Model 32's and 33's which I paid $150 for combined.
Hi Kelvin, I like your wise look on hifi world. Now I am over 60 and tried many hifi gear and finally came back to roots for little money. Now I have AMC XIA amp and CD & Pro-ject turnatable 2M Red cartridge. I am looking for vintage loudspeakers (value for the money) to my small room ca 15 square meters. I am interested in Beovox, Rank Arena, Mirsch, Philips or others that can fulfill my room. I am listening to music not to parameters. I like to feel basS and wide scene. Prefere 3 way sealed box with 25/30 cm bass. I am listening all kind of music but jazz and classic mainly. Could you recommend anything ? Regards from Poland, Darius.
But what about the size of fight in the dog ‘ay? Haha. Hey Kelvin any idea where to get interconnects to fit those small close together rca ins on vintage 1950’s 1960’s preamps? I am using a Leak St.20 with Varislpe and its a very tight fit for these with new ones.
Try and hear the broom sweep on Harvest Moon by Neil Young. I only hear it with good headphones or watching the video. If you hear it on speakers I salute you!!
"Get the biggest speaker you can". HA! Love it! Sunday morning tea with Kelvin makes me happy.
He’s not wrong
There is no replacement for displacement.
The large wave launches of big drivers on big baffles offer big sound just like live instruments do. 'Scale' an often forgotten but important part of sonic realism.
Best hi-fi channel for the no nonsense normal people here on youtube. Yes I do like this content. Keep 'em coming Kelvin cause It's all good.
when you said "get the biggest speakers you can" my wife got mad. I had to move rooms to continue watching. Great video as always
I think that proves what he is saying is true doesn’t it???😅
Sorry mate !
😂😂😂
I got a big pair of transmission line speakers a year after getting married. Still have big speakers and still married after 46 years. I consider myself fortunate.
@@TheRealWindlePoons Great work mate, I have learned in my few years of marriage though if you downsize it makes it harder to upsize if you feel like a change.
I've said it before and I'll say it again - the world is a better place for Kelvin and his hi-fi channel.
Solid core mains cable makes excellent speaker cable.
As an audio engineer, this is spot on advice mate, especially about the big old speakers.
Priceless Kelvin, you bring such a brightness to the day every time you post another video no matter the weather. common sense down to earth tips hints and reviews
I love your honesty and not being just a hi-fi snob like some of the people with other channels. 🙂
My speaker cables: a few years ago, a major wiring supplier for the aviation industry in my region got rid of kilometers of cables following a change in regulations on aviation safety. I acquired a hundred meters of these cables for a pittance from my electrical/electronic equipment supplier. Do the job perfectly!...
You can get mains cable by the metre at Wilko - it's sold side-by-side with 'speaker cable' and it's so much cheaper! I read the mains cable tip over 4 years ago (I think it was in a What Hifi? group review of speaker cables) and I've sworn by it ever since.
As for buying vintage amps, practically every 'development' since the late 70s has been aimed at reducing manufacturing costs, not improving sound quality.
One of the best and cheapest upgrades for me was getting the couch off the back wall. The bass never sounded or felt so good 🥳
How far from the wall did you go
@@jasonemanuel9070 a foot at first. However, still found myself leaning forward! Kissed goodbye to the room modes when I went the extra foot.
The best advice I've ever got, I got it in I guess in kindergarten and it applies to the audio world as well:
Use common sense!
Your advice for younger folks is right on the money. I'm over 60 years old and I have done the exact same thing you have done and the most important one I have to say is get the biggest speakers you can because they sound the best no matter what anybody says. Especially if you're not spending 10 grand
12’’ bass heaven…Who says size doesn’t matter 🔊🤩
"Who says size doesn’t matter"
Anyone with the smaller version.
Great advice from the Master!
excellent Kelvin - you should do this kinda short primer on basics every so often. so many audio YTs start & end at the deep end of the pool. basics such as you've pointed out - particularly in the manner you point them out - are valuable point-of-entry guidance for future audio enthusiasts (& old-timers too!) adjusting to the many emerging technologies.
Great advice! I only have big speakers. I love your content. My favorite is a vintage US brand called ADS. They were an US based offshoot of Braun. You may have seen Brauns there in the UK. They are 3 way with a sticky dome mid and tweeters. Beautiful full and lush mids with great detail.
In a world full of Hi Fi bulls**t Kelvin says it how it is. Great stuff.
Now my wife is mad, I butchered the Hoover power cable.
Funny enough I've just dumped my girlfriend (on Friday) because she was constantly moaning that my vintage dovedale 3's were to big for my living room😂
@@jasonemanuel9070 Kelvin is proud of you🎉
@@jasonemanuel9070 I remember the Dovedales a friend had a pair: nice sound. About half the volume of my Pro9-TL transmission lines.
@@TheRealWindlePoons do you still have them?
@@jasonemanuel9070 No. They went to a friend so I still listen to them on a regular basis. He has a flat next door to his partner. Big speakers apart, his flat houses things like a juke box and pinball machine while he actually lives next door. I'd call that a good working compromise.
I went down the route of single-ended triodes and needed something more efficient than transmission lines: my Lowther horns fulfil that task to perfection.
My hifi pusher sells both used and new equipment and the best part is that I can try it at home before buying. I think it is adamont trying things in your own listening room not just listening in the store.🙂
for sure
The reason I believe that good hifi hasn't changed much sonically is because of the switch from analogue sources to digital sources. Just as analogue was coming good, digital comes along and has to go through a similar improvement and upgrading path as far as dac's and upsampling is concerned, the higher it is, the smother the curve and the more detailed it sounds. Thing is that digital is looking to recreate a clean sine wave... like analogue does, so the proverbial dog has ended up chasing its own tail, ergo, little sonic progression has taken place.
In the late 70s, Audio manufacturer QED brought out a revolutionary 79 strand clean copper loudspeaker cable that bettered 2.5 mm twin and earth mains cable. It sold for 80 pence a metre and sounded far superior in both treble and bass delivery to the mains cable with it's contaminated copper wire and less flexible nature.
Glad you're back Kelvin, mate.
"In the late 70s, Audio manufacturer QED brought out a revolutionary 79 strand clean copper loudspeaker cable that bettered 2.5 mm twin and earth mains cable."
Lots of people liked the QED. I found it added "background hash" to the sound which flattered some equipment but it wasn't to my tastes. Someone had rewired my Lowther horns with the stuff when I bought them. Replaced it with DNM solid core. Much cleaner. Of course, with everything HiFi "Your mileage may vary". 😀
Great advice!! Take a $100 speaker and a $1000 speaker and you will hear a world of difference. Take a $100 amp and a $1000 amp, and you might not hear any difference. A great sounding system is ALL ABOUT THE SPEAKERS! Great video Kelvin!!
For bass, I agree size does matter. 12 inches for a really deep feel. 15 inches will be amazing.
Low frequencies is a longwave.
Silver core speaker wire or silver coated does make a difference.
I'll say that something still can be gained from better cables even on a cheap system. But don't go for the expensive ones. A little better than the typical ones that you show can work wonders.
Great video Mate.
Some more good tips and useful hacks for us think about and try out from the practical, down to Earth HIFI guy. I definitely prefer large speakers for the overall coherent, fuller, immersive sound from my stereo set up, without the need for a subwoofer. Thanks Kelvin.
I bought a lovely old JVC amplifier a few years ago, that is from 1978 and that makes it three years older than me! I love it and I'm so happy to have a class A amplifier, instead of a class D. I much prefer the sound.
Hey, your back 👍👍 Good to see you Kelvin
you’re back = you have returned
your back = the rear part of your upper body
Always great advice but be careful if you have a small room larger speakers can overwhelm a room with bass go for sealed box types not ported and you can get great sound from small speakers with a sub in a small space everything else bang on kelvin my go to hifi expert
Yes, big speakers, big sound. However, big speakers going at it within a small room are more susceptible to room gain. Hence, standmounts preferably with a stereo pair of subs (sealed, of course)
Totally agree it happened to me I used to own martin logan electro motion esl and moved to a smaller home they just overwhelmed the room terrific speakers wrong house had to sell now have bw d4 and they sound great
That's exactly what I thought big speakers will be too much for some rooms .
you are right there
@@totalplonker824 "Yes, big speakers, big sound. However, big speakers going at it within a small room are more susceptible to room gain."
My listening room is nearly square and can suffer very badly from bass resonances. I followed my son's suggestion and bought a device to match my system to my room. I only use it for my subwoofer (fairly large horn speakers still don't go that low). Best upgrade ever. Bass no longer clouds the rest of the frequencies, plenty of detail without boom. I call it "King Wenceslas bass": deep and crisp and even.
Meant to add - great tips Kevin and my most unusual speaker cable was copper wire used underground for shotfiring manholes etc!😊
Thank you! I really enjoy your videos!
Enjoying hi fi is a balancing act. On #5 I will use a better cable on my Linn v the freebie cable. Growing up we have these big Pioneer speakers. The bigger the woofer, the better. Talk about rock the house.
Thank you you have confirmed my suspicions about Hi-Fi all along brilliant stuff,
I agree about big speakers. My infinity QBs ate the best pair of speakers I have.
My celestion ditton 66, marantz model 8B, Dynaco pas 2 and CD player électrocompaniet EMC1. I'll stick with them because nothing modern compares.
Very wise words thank you.
I’m by no way a hifi buff but did find that by removing the panels to my amp and CD player and using a fine brush to loosen dust( gently hoovered away) and accumulated debris inside my 30 odd year component’s helped to reduce interference and improved the clarity of the system.
I have been a pro musician for many years. Fender twin reverb with jbl’s 69 strat & various other axes.
Using belden cable as an interconnect between amp & guitar, this opens up the sound in the mids & higher registers. Otc cables are generally shit. Fender used to supply a belden guitar cable, along with a strap when you bought a new guitar.
These cables were tip top. The grey ones with the spiggot inside the plug & a grub screw to contact the shield. I cannot possibly agree with your opinion on cables in any way at all. Good quality cable is the lifeblood of musical sound!.
Are you sure that your ears are up to discerning the differences between sounds from various cables?. I, and many other musicians certainly can. Picking out different nuances in sound is part & parcel of our stock in trade. It is a fact that musicians have far more sensitive hearing than folks that are not, for obvious reasons.
At home my accuphase & jbl work great with belden cable, lovely open sound. I like you have an assortment of amps, that i change from time to time, just for the pleasure of it all!.
Bell wire indeed!?. Tut, tut.
Now that is *great advice*
The power coming into your house passes through miles and miles of cheap wire. It's hard to believe that the last meter of wire makes a significant difference.
Kelvin lots of great advice as always. Great channel.
Much appreciated
Another fantastic video, thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Finally an intelligent reviewer!greetings from geir in Norway!
Yep, i've had the same speakers for 35 years, every time i think about getting new ones they get smaller!
Nice one mate great video
6. make room in your budget for a pair of high quality subwoofers. it gives you freedom to extend your system’s response further than any tone control or EQ possibly can. *BE NOT AFRAID.*
PS i’ve bought at least a half dozen different cables from JSAUX, always in red 😂 their cables are great!
im very afraid
"6. make room in your budget for a pair of high quality subwoofers. "
6b. Interface them to your system via an external crossover which tunes itself to your room: stunning upgrade. (Anti-mode with BK sub - no affiliation.)
Interesting, thx for sharing 👍
“Speakers, think big” I love that advice :0)
This info really help! Thanks a lot for being true.
Very good advice about the new stuff!!
Thanks for watching!
Wise words I think Kelvin 👍
Hey Kelvin. Last week I plugged a cheap kettle power lead into my 300b valve amp. I just thought a power lead was a power lead. It sounded terrible and flat! I couldn't work out what it was. Realized then swapped the kettle lead out for a better one and the change was night and day. Since then I ordered a £50 hifi power lead and it's improved further. I've been a believer in speaker cables for years but never power leads. I can't believe what a difference it made. It's a bloody endless journey. I recommend anyone with a detailed transparent system to upgrade power leads. If your system is transparent the difference is huge.
If you can hear a difference, then it exists. Whatever works for YOU. 👍
@@DrRock2009 in a midrange system I don't think there would be any noticeable difference. The first time I noticed a difference from cables was using a Naim nac 72 nap 140 combo and a high quality dac with hi res files. Before then I thought cables were snake oil.
May I ask what cable are you using?
Some debatable points, cable quality lends itself to the law of diminishing returns and a difference can usually be perceived as an 'improvement' or not. Speaker size is down to your room size and type of music you prefer end of. I dont agree with buying the largest speaker, that seems daft advice to me.
Size should be determined by room and most definitely placement. And thb most rooms i see are anything but good enough for the bigger guys out there.
The amount of speakers I've seen flanked by a huge dresser, cornered, and backwall hugging is pretty much endless.
I feel people should understand that your ears are not even the limiting factor. Your room doesn't give one bit about you or your spendure.
Good video, just found you i have a very small unbiased audio channel so i can relate to alot youre saying here
Agree with you 👍
Especially in the cables department.
Solid core mains cable is great for speakers. If you can solder get some screened twisted pair instrument cable and make your own interconnects (connect the screen at one end only - the amplifier end). If you want high end cables on a budget, read Allen Wright's "Supercables Cookbook" (no affiliation).
A good big un is always better than a good little un (applies to cars, bikes and guns too). I had a big pair of transmission line speakers for about 30 years. Replaced them with similar sized horns about 15 years ago. Both marvellous.
If you are a tinkerer you can get great sound out of a Raspberry Pi with an inexpensive DAC "hat" and stream with that.
I remember a beer advert "unspoilt by progress" - applies to a lot of HiFi too.
Big speakers, amp with good current, good source and you’re onto a winner. Cables do make a difference though, especially interconnects, Belden 1694a cable for interconnects is cheap and excellent sounding, use proper speaker cables (oxygen free copper) soldered bananas, keep your cables separate and not touching each other, learn how to set up speakers properly using something like the “master speaker placement” technique and a test tone on youtube for imaging and soundstage (reflections) 👍🏻
thanks belden get universal recommended
@@stereoreviewxtry those 1694a interconnects Kelvin, they are dirt cheap, really great sound, easily bested my old cables that were over £200. The beldens are a hidden gem 👌🏻
Thanks for this.
Common Sense isn't entirely common anymore.
A musical hoover ! : )
My Goodmans XB 45 and 25 sound fab .
Evening Kelvin, another reasonable and considered show, yes indeed , big speakers,three way are normally much more open sounding...if I may I'll give you my reasons why..
I found a pair of BW 601 S3's at a second hand shop near where I live, bought 5 CD's and speakers for twenty quid..no not joking, on the Costa people aren't really into hifi or driving really but I dygress..
That's supposed to be a really great speaker but to be honest they sound pretty dead until played quite loud...moving on ..I was given some gear from a good Pal, and a pair of Jamo 760 R speakers in perfect shape..well these sounded OK but we're two way, it so happens though they have a bass port facing forward nxt to the diffuser horn loaded tweeter. Just the right diameter to fit a bang and Olufsen mid driver..So add a monacor DN 10 three way cross over and
Bobs your aunty.( Maybe These days😮) They make those BW's sound pretty compressed, improved though if you bi amp them, But Bigger is Better, in my humble opinion
Cheers Kelvin and have a great week old son.
thanks mate Bobs transitioned now its Bobetta.
My iPhome 10 DAC is good enough for me when compared to expensive Chord DAC. My kit is vintage Linn & KEF. Be happy, save money, enjoy!
I have large vintage wharfedale speakers and they do give more of a wow factor in terms of scale. I do find that they struggle with some modern bands and also deliver less details than my smaller q acoustics.
Spot on about reviewing , often l watch Bluetooth speaker reviews, really good reviewers in general but fail on one thing...they only seem to play dance/ rap kind of music when reviewing speakers. That's if I can discern the paid reviewers from the genuine
I like to use old Extension cords - usually real copper and had a bunch laying around. 14 to 16 gage, and marked for polarity.
Great advice... when it comes to vintage audio you know your stuff. BTW, I have a pair of mid 70s Radford 3-way speakers that use the same Goodmans woofer as your display speaker.
nice I bet its a bigger box than my b and o
@@stereoreviewx Smaller. Radford Tristars, their smallest creation. I have two pairs... one from Britain, the other made in Canada, (Radford produced speakers in Quebec in the 70s). They shoe horned in that 12 inch monster plus a mid and tweeter. The drivers take up so much real estate, there's almost no baffle left, Lol.
Audio reproduction is a lot simpler than video. Our hearing is also a lot less discriminating than our vision. It's simply the case that audio electronics, at least from a sound reproduction standpoint, was a solved problem by the 1980's.
Consumer electronics in the 1970's was basically limited to TVs and stereos; these days there's a lot more gadgets competing for your cash. Not a lot of people want large speakers dominating their living rooms, so manufacturers do what they can with small speakers / soundbars and subwoofers. You can't beat physics, though, so it's not surprising that at a set of older speakers with 12" woofers will sound better. Most home speakers won't have spent a lot of time being pounded at top volume, so generally don't 'wear out'. The main issue is more likely to be disintegrating foam speaker suspensions, where used.
I find twin and earth solid core ring main electrical cable excellent for speaker cable, but also use Linn silver interconnect between sources and amplifiers.
yeah surprising amount of people concur
I have DNM solid core speaker cable (even internally) which is a step up from mains cable and not that expensive. I do however have Van Den Hul monocrystal silver cable from tone arm to preamp. 😀
This is your best video ever. You channeled your conversation directly to me. Laid back and natural...GREAT JOB.
I use the orange lawn mower cable for my speakers
Is that from looking at the lava lamps that give off an orange hue 😂
orange is the new black
Agree so much , cone surface ...I use JBL 18" ...drums sound realistic without seeing the cone move ...so no linear distortion from too much cone excurtion ....feel the bass instruments tactility, bassmotes of piano ...noises of woodenfloor in opera.....and high efficiency....to give uncompressed dynamics....without clipping amplifier into distortion ....at least if I want to listen at realistic musical instrument soundlevels ...I played those instruments and if I want the goosebumps , I miss them at lower level ....love your presentations ❤❤❤
well said 18 inch drivers am jealous
You may say that about cables and I always wanted to believe this, but my mate brought over some cable talk stuff and I swapped over my bundled interconnects and 79 strand type cable with them and there was a significant difference, which dismayed me. I messed around with the cables, not wanting to believe it, and even found that I needed to have both the ‘better’ interconnects and speaker cables to make the difference. So I wasn’t going to pay out for expensive cables so went out and bought some decent audio coax cable and some coax RCA phono plugs and some similar speaker cable from Quad, for a lot less money, and found that I got similar results. I later found that speaker cables do make a difference, but not necessarily because they have exotic materials, but just in how they are constructed and how it affects capacitance, etc. Like that flatline stuff is pretty sharp sounding, and twisted two core mains was ok but not great, and my amps didn’t like the thicker stranded cables. So now I just always use 2.5mm stranded clear sheathed Van Damme speaker cable (I think PMC recommend the 4mm version for their speakers) , which is reasonably priced, and also Van Damme interconnects for where I am not digital.
well I agree mostly with you the flat ones just don't deliver .
one day will get super serious on this subject as you say its the relation with the equipment
Verry honest content Kelvin! There are so many youtubers arround, who are slaves of the highend industry to get their overpriced, but cheap manufactured, gear over the counter. And the result......? Buy pricier!
Thanks for video. I support the opinion that you don't need to spend tons of money on cables when you have a budget set-up. A good move is to buy the CHEAPEST cables but from a QUALITY audio company. Almost all of them have budget thin cables that cost modest money. Thus, you will save money and stay in the hi-fi territory and that would warm your soul 🤗😌
Good video. My tips, speakers are the most important (after room acoustics). If possible get a high efficient speakers (used or new) like a Klipsch Heritage series (horns and compression drivers). This way, you can focus on low but good quality wattage amps and still get good volume and keep the dynamics even on low volume. I have compared low efficient speakers and mega wattage amps, its not the same. Low wattage amp's sounds the best on the actual real word wattage use most people use daily. DAC's and cables are the lastyou need to worry about. Also, room acoustic is very important, actually even more important than the speakers depending on the situation. Currently running a fleat watt class-a, amps, both on solid state and single ended tube amp👍
sounds good from here
The best hiding channel definitely for normal people brilliant
I agree there is no magic in cables, it’s an easy money spinner for dealers, I use Amazon basics in my system and yes I have tried fancy expensive silver cored cables, they don’t make a difference.
I have Klipshorns in both corners of my living room, they don't take up that much space, but what a presence, bookcases, NEVER !
I like the immediacy of horns. Have had Lowthers for 15 years. I would describe them as "unflatteringly transparent". I hear every upgrade elsewhere in my system. It only takes a minute to get immersed in the music though.
Buckets of good common sense missing in many other TH-cam channels and, yes, big speakers usually sound better than small book shelve ones where, more often than not, you'll need a sub to get a fuller sound.
9.00 - why not use a dongle DAC from HIDYZ or Audioquest to connect your phone to your vintage amp. Better than Headphone out from phone.
true
Love this channel, very honest.
The way I look at it is what do the Rolling Stones or Taylor Swift use, Not small things on stands .
Well said!
If you can, go to a small music venue on "open mic" night. Chat to the musicians you like and ask them what they listen to at home. I have had some surprising answers and lots of good advice.
@TheRealWindlePoons I did similar. At a recording studio I asked what he had at home. I figured it must be something fantastic. Um no portable radio after the studio it all sounds crap.
The reason Hi Fi hasn’t improved is because the equipment has been more capable than human hearing is for decades.
We can’t hear minuscule distortion. Even if it measures better by a few decimal places we can’t perceive that. Audio electronics have been a solved problem for a long time and transducers can never be perfect, especially when taking their interaction with the room into account.
"We can’t hear minuscule distortion."
The amplifier business has majored on low distortion levels *THAT THEY CAN MEASURE* but apply to test signals and not music. No point if they sound unmusical. No point having .001% amplifier distortion when your speaker distortion is 1% or more.
I like your info on the topic… and admire you ‘nerd so much around with stuff’.. I’m not a super experienced / hifi / audiophile… I just like good music in my ears like wine in my mouth… Tried Bluetooth speaker… small speaker… and now at 53 I’m back… started slow.. with semi big Dali 18 mk2 (super cheap, but NICE…(with powerful amp))… than 3 years ago my old dream speakers (Dali 40se) was bought.. found out I needed MORE amp… not because I play loud… they just take a lot.. now with 4 monoblock amp’s and a nice old restored preamp, the last & final purchase- two months ago, upgraded to a Keenwood 1980 turntable (so much more stable and solid), and I’m at the end for me in hifi…I stop before the bug for new stuff kicks in, I enjoy going around and find a old LP for very few quid’s… the last was ‘The Crusaders’.. WOW what a sound for 1-2 £… that leaves money for a nice wine or even better a few Gin & Tonic…I probably never marry with a set of 2 x 68kg speakers… but I can live with that 😊
great stuff enjoy K
Nice speakers you have, especially those Dali 40se, they are a rare gem from the past.
Are you by any chance from Denmark? It sure sounds like it.
@@chrisvand2678 Hi Chris, thanks.. yha I'm from DK, but it more a random that I like Dali... I was young and saw those big speakers in the shop... and fast forward 30+ years... and then i had the money for better Equipment.. but ended up with 'old' stuff :-)) but the 40 need a lot of amp... aldo the pre. Owner had Sonos, and that also sound fine (only listen short time when buying 2 years ago).. I don't know if you can get anything for 2000-2300 Euro new that would be so detailed and fine ( aldo the 40 are base heavy ) i would like to hear Tanoy or even old Sansui.. but for now the 40 will do.
Sir Cliff Richard likes small and tall speakers as he says in his Wired For Sound hit single 😄👍🏼
in stereo out on the streets we go
What if you get a great big subwoofer or two to go with your little stand speakers?
Funny to see your picture, as I too have a pair of TANNOY T125 speakers. And a PIONEER SA606 amplifier, n WOW don’t they sound great to together.
I can imagine
See if you can get Namco NSQ-331's or NSQ-551's in the uK Kelvin. They are real sleepers. Look like JBL's like the L112's and sound really nice (full) and can be had for almost nothing. Big three ways.
interesting
Streaming tip - use higher video res on TH-cam ( under settings) to get the best Audio quality. 720 to 1080 is best Quality. 1080 is a bit crisper in treble. I run my computer, which has a deent sound card, into my Aux or tape in on my amp. Works great!
Yeah nightmare those dongles ended up buying four and it wasn't the most expensive one that worked the best at WHSmith, I tried an apple one that was useless it cut all the top frequencies off and was low output, the Samsung one wasn't much better didn't cut the frequencies off but no output to speak of, a cheap one from a garage that just didn't do anything. Very annoying the whole lot!!! they need to put the jacks back in phones i don't know why they took them out in the first place save money I suppose 2p a socket yeah.
Very difficult to know how to get a decent one I think just trial and error
a headphone jack needs an actual amplifier on the other end, and phones have a lot of priorities competing for internal space, especially if they’re going to upgrade everything every year. i’m not saying it doesn’t suck but thought i might add some context.
of course we can’t deny though that soon after headphone jacks went away, the manufacturers started selling wireless headphones and earbuds, so… make of that what you will 🫠🫠🫠
I've used solid core cable and I thought it sounded better but it depends on what you're looking for in the depths of the song
All true !
Speaking of which I came across an old pair of advents today at good will in the north bay bay area . about 25 miles in the city of novato Coulnt get the grills of so I cant comment on the drivers ? still worth getting if ya want to take a chance Stack em !.......I think for the most part you have A good point about the subtle differences in sound Quality however at least in my experience its incremental especially with nad an Rotel amps which I own both the nad costs about a little under $500.00 us Dollars the Rotel about $1300.00 due to primarily additional features? you guessed it a Phono section which the nad Lacks sonicly I prefer the nad noticably more natural sounding but at the costs of not much treble response still a nice sounding amp. in spite of that.Gonna keep my eyes Pelled on getting a Luxman tube amp if I ever get Lucky! .. Prey for me
Not sure what your take is on the US made KLH speakers from the late sixties/early seventies Kelvin, but I found a pair of KLH Model 6's on the street in Brooklyn a couple of years ago and I must say that since I found them, I've been hooked. I now also have a pair of Model 32's and 33's which I paid $150 for combined.
nice work they would have cost a lot originally
That is tasty looking speaker! Boss can you review some Sugden equipment? Cheers!
there's twog sugden on my channel
Small speakers need to be placed on something. Somewhere :-) Went for tower speakers myself lately and dont regret it.
In regards to small speakers What about the ls35a though? I still love mine
so do I
Hi Kelvin, I like your wise look on hifi world. Now I am over 60 and tried many hifi gear and finally came back to roots for little money. Now I have AMC XIA amp and CD & Pro-ject turnatable 2M Red cartridge. I am looking for vintage loudspeakers (value for the money) to my small room ca 15 square meters. I am interested in Beovox, Rank Arena, Mirsch, Philips or others that can fulfill my room. I am listening to music not to parameters. I like to feel basS and wide scene. Prefere 3 way sealed box with 25/30 cm bass. I am listening all kind of music but jazz and classic mainly. Could you recommend anything ? Regards from Poland, Darius.
well there are quite a few beovox three way which I would imagine suit Jazz nice and airy and quick with paper bass driver
Love the UT shirt. 🤘 Hook ‘em horns!!
But what about the size of fight in the dog ‘ay? Haha. Hey Kelvin any idea where to get interconnects to fit those small close together rca ins on vintage 1950’s 1960’s preamps? I am using a Leak St.20 with Varislpe and its a very tight fit for these with new ones.
dunno mate they are close
Try and hear the broom sweep on Harvest Moon by Neil Young. I only hear it with good headphones or watching the video. If you hear it on speakers I salute you!!
I gonna try it
Nice tan Kevin😂😂
I spend 25 for interconnects, and 100 for speaker cables. Just a bit better quality then romex,