Jay reviewed the Encores and did a great job! Make sure you subscribe to his channel. Encores VS $10,000 Speakers: th-cam.com/video/fcf2tYySyAY/w-d-xo.html Encores VS CSS Audio: th-cam.com/video/o_h-si6tJhc/w-d-xo.html
Danny, you notice that his Francais buddy started walking back on the Encore praise AFTER he heard the price on that Sonus Faber? LOL. If ya tell the price of anything to these Francoisbobs, they gonna start lying!!!
Awesome video and I really like the explanations of the methods of your madness. Creates understanding and trust to hear the knowledge and experience behind the things you do.
There was a guy who opened triangle BR03 and showed crossover network, I was hoping you could do something with BR03 because I really like the sound of the speaker. Crossovers looked like they can be upgraded with much better ones. this guy is the one who opened this speaker and peeked inside th-cam.com/video/laJrKozceFc/w-d-xo.html
Great video Danny. I've seen many companies agree with me when it came to the "positives" but never seen a company acknowledge the "trade offs" or the "negatives" of their own design. Big Kudos to you for sharing all this to your viewers and myself. I've spoken to many engineers and designers in this industry and many tell me that "tone" is the biggest thing they take into account to recreate realistic instruments and vocals, then soundstage and imaging. I want to clarify to the viewers that while I may not prefer the Encore's tone when compared to my CSS or Sonus fabers... by no means is the tone on the Encores less than crazy good for the price. It is so very exciting for me as a consumer and enthusiast that you as a company focus on soundstage and imaging using quality parts. Keep doing what you do !
What would be an awesome comparison after the ones you've done is one with a more lifestyle friendly 2-3' out into the room and with a sub compared to the criton. Level the playing field in bass performance and general room setup. Not everyone has the room or layout to set them up in the optimal position, but adding the sub would make things reeaal interesting. I really like these videos between you guys. Maybe a servo sub vs rel would be good too or a sonas Faber upgrade video or review the nx oticas as well. Thanks for giving Danny a chance, I think he deserved it and has some real contributions to this industry.
I look at tone as a variable. It also changes from room to room. So as a designer I don't shoot for a favorite tone. I shoot for accuracy. I feel each design should be as faithful as possible to the input signal and reproduce the entire frequency range as accurately as possible. Then for a customer like yourself that would like a little weightier bottom end, we would recommend that you leave the speakers well out into the room (keep the great imaging) and simply add a sub, and preferably one of our servo controlled subs. If you want to shift the tonal balance even further then use a filter, like I suggested in the video, to further roll off the lower end on the Encore's and bring the subs up a little higher. Now you are in a whole new ball game, and still at budget level price points.
@@dannyrichie9743 my guess is Jay May change his opinion on how many times out of 10 he would choose the encore if there were a sub involved. And I personally use a sub and like strong bass which made me think I'd like the criton for it's bass performance, but now think the encore may be the better option for it's superior performance above 80hz when a sub is in use.
First, I am a VERY happy Encore owner! The sheer magic of these speakers is the soundstage, and separation of instruments. The tone is fantastic as well, with female (and male) vocals sounding like they are right in front of you. Everyone who has listened to the Encores are blown away. You shut your eyes and can point at the guitar, then bass, then drums, etc. I’m running them with a small sub, (saving up for one, or two of Danny’s Double Trouble servo subs). Danny has been great to work with and helped me over the phone and with his “how to” videos. I appreciate Jay’s channel and was very happy when I heard about his review of the Encores. Again kudos to Jay, and a HUGE thank you to Danny and GR-Research for providing a fantastic product and my favorite speakers I’ve ever owned.
@@mcjonner a sub costs money so it makes sense to compare without sub. some people also dont have the room for it or simply prefer 2 speaker setups. but its evident that comparing speakers + extra sub before having a final verdict would be useful
CONGRATS DANNY ON THE TRACK ACHIEVEMENTS! I live 200 feet from that track and heard the calls and roars of the whole event. I'm certain I heard your awards announced. If I'd had any idea you were there I would been there cheering you on. And also had you look at a speaker crossover 😜.
Love this discussion on the Encore model. I totally get what you mean with sound staging and layering quality. I have a set of Polk ES-20s that I ordered your upgrade component kit for. That sound changed instantly and I thought the clarity (vs muddiness) was insane. That was until I installed your speaker cables. I run these off a Rotel RA-1060 I have had for years. If I play Tool - Chocolate Chip Trip or Pink Floyd - Paranoid Eyes, it is haunting to anyone that sits in front of my computer with this very unassuming system. I get it! When I build a purpose built sound room I'll be looking you up for sure. Thank You Danny.
For me a speakers sound stage is the most important thing to me. I do not want the speaker to alter the tone at all. That's what the mixer did when it was recorded. Since I build audio gear as my hobby I have a lot of it around the house. I built my main amp and pre amp. They do not have tone controls on them at all. That's just how I like it, and when I hook up my Encores it sounds like the band is right in the room with me. They are great little speakers for sure and are well worth every penny and then some.
Your video drew a clearer picture about what speakers will and won't do, and how speaker design achieves certain goals, so you presented a meaningful argument presented with class and professionalism, which is a mini education in being a great person. thanks.
Danny, just a quick follow up on the upgrade kit for the Magnepan 1.7 I purchased from you in June. The difference with the kit gives the Maggies' a palpable high end and mid-range that was missing to say the least. Literally a new pair of speakers in most aspects! Magnepan did the install and charge large dollars for it. IMO, go elsewhere for the install.
They charged a arm and a lung probably because they were a little bit perturbed at the fact you wanted a real product that they fell short of , they should have done it for only a few dollars from being educated and , well that's my outlook on it
@@jasontimothywells9895 I agree, that they should have taken the humble approach, and taken advantage of the opportunity of the experience. If I were the owner, I would have taken notes.
I thought a low moving mass woofer would have all the advantages over a heavier mass one. Fast transient response, more efficient, less distortion etc.
Hey Danny I normally don't have time to comment on your videos. But I still wanted to pay you the highest of compliments. I emailed you during Covid about getting the NX-studios, got the wood kit for the speaker box, and life has happened since Covid and I won't be able to afford the electronic parts for another several months. All that said, I STILL watch all your videos despite my financial strains right now. Your work ethic is awesome and you're inspiring. You're obviously passionate about music. (I'd love to hear you talk more about music from time to time! It could be a mini feature at the end of each video {if that seems fun for you}). You call yourself out when you feel the need to, and you playfully avoid any extreme drama from the random mobs on TH-cam. Keep it up and let nobody slow ya down or get ya down. People like me are with ya all the way. I feel lucky to know about you and patiently await the day when I can have that golden sound in my own music studio. If I'm ever in Texas I'll be sure to stop by and pay you a visit! Also congrats on your medals!! You're killing it man!
Great video. I have been interested in and reading about high-end audio products for about 50 years and I don’t think I have ever been as well. Educated on what’s really happening in speaker and sound production as these videos have done. His videos are a real service to the audio community.
Danny, you should tell Jay to bring his Sonus Fabers or any one of his speakers down for a upgrade when he comes for his visit. I think that would make for great TH-cam. The video that you did with Tyson and his Klipsh was fantastic! 🔈👍🏻
I think they have engineers that know what they're doing they spend years designing those speakers before they introduce them to the public even though most have a design budget.
🤓 Subliminal Message at 12:14... ""Trigger Warning GR-Research is not responsible for excessive crying when we discuss wire, connectors and how much it matters to hi-resolution music playback. However, we do offer "audiophile approved" tissues if needed."" Nice One Danny!
REALLY enjoyed watching this personal and comprehensive debate / test and demo of products by 2 very experienced Audio personalities. Thank you guys! .. This is how we change the future of the entire industry / Hobby. !!
This was quite possibly the most informative video relating to speaker production I have ever heard. I always knew manufacturers (of all products) skimp on parts, especially those you don't touch or see. It's nice to know what the consequences of those choices are for a given product.
Way to go Danny! The fact that you still compete is an inspiration to old desk jockeys like me. Very good explainer video. I've been watching Jay's videos as well, and to his credit, he's very fair and open during his reviews. I'm impressed with his ethic.
Several years ago a guy told me that you ruined his speakers. I pretty much knew what had happened. He wanted components that mask the sound a bit allowing poor quality recordings listenable. This was really great information for those who have never done parts swapping. Perhaps the best point is that everyone has different preferences and as a result no speaker is for everyone. I used to be a resolution sound stage snob, but I woke up and realized that what is important isn't conforming to my narrow thinking about listening, but what the individual listener enjoys. What one likes in genre, tone, soundstage, etc., is all personal preference, and there is no over arching right or wrong where music is concerned. It's all about personal preference and what one person loves another will hate, and they are both right. I know a guy who has lost high frequency hearing big time. He uses an equalizer to the point that most people will want to run away with their fingers in their ears. Thanks for a very good explanation of how and why.
just curious about only hearing cable difference after you have achieved the proper sound field. how much of what you say is applicable to IEMs and DAPs? Example: A DAP that uses high quality parts is necessary (like your speaker parts)? Then a top tier IEM is necessary (like the speaker placement creating the proper sound field)? Then a top quality cable is necessary (since you have achieved the prior 2 criteria)? Is that how it works for headphones and IEMs too?
Encores are the best speakers (for the price) I have ever owned. So far I have owned at least 10 pair of name brand speakers from $250 to $2600 a pair.
I can agree, I'd say the revel performa m106 was fairly close, and I'd have to rank the kef q350 up there also, I've had the ls50 and meta and I find the q350 to be better, not even close in my opinion. If vintage, then up to 70-80 db on jazz blues and percussion I'd say it's got a tough rival against the LS3/5a, not as loud or lively but what they do is vocal perfection and midrange magic that you just have to hear to experience.
I for one appreciate your honesty and giving away a little bit of the farm makes me understand what you're trying to do and opens up my mind to what the possibilities are without spending tons of money trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong. Definitely gonna order one of your kids for my clips RP 8000F speakers which I've been thinking about selling now I'm going to keep them and fix them thank you
thank you so much...i have been listening to many speakers and setup all these years...i even experiment on making my own speakers,,learning q factors, baffles, resonance and wave travels, acoustics and more,,,,but getting a desirable staging and lifelike sound is not easy from room to room situations..but moving the speakers away from walls does helps alot and change the character and dispersion of the sound much better
@@dannyrichie9743 would be good to get a firm in the UK to manufacture Norez to your specs to avoid the crazy shipping costs, not your fault I know. Would love to try it in some Focal 806v, and old MK3 Wharfedale Diamonds.
Even the amplifiers have their tone and abilities. Combining the appropriate amplifier and appropriate speakers can be a tricky synergy unless it’s all the same brand or series that are designed to work with each other seamlessly.
@@Bassotronics Doubt. Full naim setups kill themselves, they remove midrange for example naim atom + naim supernait 3 is awful combo for any speaker set
I agree with the settle time and speed being critical. One item barley touched on is that it is not just the moving mass to consider. Surface area determines excursion needs, which effects settle times, assuming both are made to be lightweight. A 12 inch driver travels about 1/4 the distance as 6 inch drivers at a given frequency/volume level. The tradeoff on the 12 is more beaming of sound, for sure. There are lots of driver geometry and material choices that contribute to less settle time as well.
@@markceci9896 I think so too I do not expect a good base from 6,5 inch towers that's why I have preferred kit with two closed box 12 inch subs and bookshelves Dali Ikon 2 mk2 to floor-standing speakers from the same line.
@@andallxr Good base is only part of it. If you make 6.5 driver cross over at 2k, that means it handles the voices. When base is playing while someone sings, the higher excursions creat doppler distortion for the 500 to 2k sounds. If it is moving a 1/4 inch, then midrange treble starts to smear. At lower volume, it's not much of issue.
@@markceci9896 if i understood You correctly itis all about compromise. for example Dali use short throw speakers and i like it, for my ears it sounds better then little sonus faber of my frind. I noticed that 4,5" long throw sonus faber's woofers sound warmer then short throw woofers of dali.
Get your little 3" FR driver + woofer speakers and compare them with the 2 grand B&W 706s (if you can get hold of some). Compare these on PIANO! If you listen to your FR + woofer speakers first, you will get a nasty surprise when you hook up the 706s. I made a temporary set up with a 3" driver placed immediately above the 706 bass vent (so the bass vent sound blends with the 3" driver sound and warms up the open cone sound perfectly). With the box turned over and the the woofer facing down onto my desk (for a vague woofer sound source). And the 706 tweeter not connected (the 706s have bi-wiring binding posts). I put the whole signal above 100 hz through the 3" drivers and tried on PIANO. Not only did the 706s FLOG themselves on piano but also female vocal, acoustic guitar, brass and particularly whistling. Patience blows my mind! And basic spacial sound and image went off the scale compared to original 706s like chalk&cheeze. The temporarily modified 706s absolutely SMOKED themselves compared to original. Those particular 3" FR drivers are amazingly mellow ran open. Especially compared to many FR drivers. And I added some inductance to the 706 woofer (externally) to compensate for the extra med from the 3" driver. Important...if you do it, make sure you have a 100 mf cap on the FR driver. Otherwise the impedance will dip too low in the bass (especially if you have 4 ohm FR drivers). Also a 100 mf cap stops the dopler effect caused by too much excursions of the open FR cone when cranked. With the cap you can crank it.
I used to own a pair of Snell Type E speakers. Snell used to emphasize their soundstage abilities, and it was their contention that matching of the crossovers was crucial to a good soundstage. My understanding is that they would hand wind the chokes on a test bench to match the crossovers to each other. Does this make any sense to you Danny?
Ah, what a great video. Finally, a clear explanation about how things like cables, parts, isolation and room treatments make an audible difference if your system is properly set up and allows you to hear the difference and reap the benefits. If you have your speakers pushed up against the wall with stacks of gear between them and no room treatment, which is perfectly fine if you prefer that, don’t cry foul when you can’t hear the difference these things make. And that brings me to ASR. I have no doubt in my mind that Amir has heard the difference in cables and such by now. He has. He’s futzed with the setup of his system enough that he’s heard what cables can do. But he can’t admit that because he has to maintain his brand and his tribalism. Reminds me of a certain political party in the US. You must push the big lie at all costs, even if you know it’s not true.
Here is an audio difference that comes from equipment which surprises many people: FLAC v MQA spacial test - which is better? th-cam.com/video/Cl5ULnX4viU/w-d-xo.html
@Sean Heisler Hi Sean " There are none so blind as those who will not see " Did you think about trying the piggyback bypass trick on your Musical Paradise MP701mk2 preamp after this presentation? I knew it was possible in the power bypass section, but would be interesting in the coupling caps too! 🤔
The difference is sound stage. Amir only tests 1 speaker with his system. Even when listening to a pair it's mostly near field. Thats why he always likes studio monitor type speaker with narrow beaming. Be alot less sound stage if your over 3 metres away which is typical listen distance.
@@markclancy5371 That explains why Amir likes the Adam AX5's which have a poor made in China Z-folded ribbon tweeter on them. I have a set of A7X's they are about OK for background pop music.
Congratulations on your individual bronze medal and team gold medal achievements! Thank you for your videos and focus on sound. I have never heard technical specifications with my ears that prompted me to buy one speaker over another. I know that my ears and hearing strengths plus deficits are probably never identical to those of another human listening to the same gear, same music, etc. Going back, now, to sipping my morning coffee and listening to the audio specifications of the singing of our local East Texas birds.
Grats on the medal Danny! I’m so out of shape, I fart and I have to take a nap. Jk ofc. I’m still saving up for a pair of your Encores. I still have the most confidence in that set for sure!
is the limitation for boxed speakers the same with IEMs and headphones regarding the moving mass tradeoff at higher frequencies? 20:31 do you mean changing the EQ won't reduce soundstage/imaging/separation of speakers? does this apply to headphones and IEMs?
thanks for the interesting video, I worked at Wilson Audio and I can tell you they also spent a lot of time listening to combinations of components; caps, wires, connectors, and they also used bypass caps in their tweeter crossovers. Interesting to hear WHY it helps make a difference.
very very true! if you can indeed relief limit the cone excursion of the woofer it will benefit tremdously the midrandge and leave the bass to a subwoofer! well spoken sir!!
Best video I’ve seen from you Danny! Loved your explanation of the compromises/reasons for your speaker design. Easy to get defensive on any criticism on one of your babies, but I thought you really showed your engineering chops on this one. Also good to hear that you acknowledge people have different listening preferences. I don’t always agree with some of your past videos, but this one is 5 stars!!
I got cheezy $5 FR driver and they had steel terminals. I bypassed them with copper wire and connected them directly to the lead in copper wiring after the terminals. I connected to the terminals as well for strength. Hopefully the electrons will go by the copper over the steel.
Thanks for a great video and congrats on the track achievements Danny! As an Encore owner myself, I know first hand how great these speakers sound. I am curious, however, if by using even higher quality drivers if you'd be able to achieve an even better speaker? I realize that the Encore is built with a certain budget in mind, but I'm curious what you'd be able to do with higher end drivers from companies like Accuton for instance. Every time I've auditioned speakers using Accuton drivers I have been impressed (Tidal, Marten, Margules, etc). You mentioned how well the Raidho speakers sound for instance, and I have a healthy respect for their former chief designer Michael Boerresen who now designs for Boerresen Audio where his new Ribbon Tweeter's moving mass only weighs 0.01grams. I guess my question is how much of an improvement there is to be gained by using drivers retailing say $1000 instead, combined with the high quality cross-over components you already use?
Voicing your box speakers, new or old, also may involve replacing or adding (different types of) damping material. This needs some more attention, also because experiments with this are so easy and cheap. In some speakers, it is even possible to form a low pass filter behind the woofer.
I have a pair of 1980’s Klipsch k-Horns and need to do i something about my crossovers. Should I buy Crites or is there something reasonably cost wise better ? I bought them used and they have a set of ALK but the older ones with different crossover points by wires supplied. I do not like them as they work but not as they should. I took a meter and tested the that the signal path is still completing it path. But I’m not sounding right but I don’t know what it is causing it. Like the highs from my tweeters aren’t sparkling like they should so I changed them to B&K but same ? I’m not a fan of that old ALK crossover. What should I do from here. I love my Klipsch and to improve their sound I added a pair of Klipsch Belle’s on b-channel in back. Together they sound great. I’ve been running this with a Marantz 2325 for over 30 near 40 years . Still brings goose bumps up. But my k horns highs aren’t cutting it. Thank you for your help.
Danny, when you talk about using a in line filter. Would that be needed if you were using a receiver to run the home theater sound system, meaning does the receiver control how much base is sent to speakers? I want to use the encores for book shelf speakers in my home theater sound system and want them to perform the best and let the subwoofer do the low base. ???
absolutely excellent video that gave me so much more knowledge at what to look for. i really wish you did an educational series or simply more of that.
I'm also surprised that people don't get the difference that good crossover components can make. Decades ago I came to the conclusion that speaker crossovers are evil, and I built my first active system without them. With today's high-quality components, you can make a big difference with even modest speakers. I have a pair of Mission 780s, and I replaced the electrolytic caps with with poly caps and the dental floss ferrite-core inductors with air-core ones - and even with those speakers, the improvement in resolution and imaging was as clear as day.
I’ve been quite impressed by the utility of front and down ports for speakers, especially for 90% of people who just can’t “pull those speakers out 4 or 5 feet” or see the placebo utility in 4ga optical cables. My Wharfedale 4.3 and audioengine P4’s are the best ones I’ve come across in terms of Swiss-army-speakers (living room/theater and desktop) though the wharfey’s are still too expensive for an average consumer. I sacrificed and splurged, and I’ve still got audio buyers remorse except when I listen to female vocals on those things :) Good luck!
Danny, did you consider a device like ML-206 Musicalizer from Ortho Spectrum? This is Counter Electromotive Force Absorbtion Filter. This is passive filter added between amp and speaker, to reduce electromotive force created when speaker coil i getting back to neutral position in magnet drive. Speaker acts as a electricy generator for a short moment. This counter electromotive force is adding to incoming audio signal and blurring the reproduction. I bet you can design such a filter and offer it as upgrade to your crossovers...
learned wow your best video imho ,,..my goal is chasing that sound stage ... sorry that a lot of audio people just dont hear or care for imaging ..... to me its number 1goal
OK, stupid question amnesty: Why do " high quality crossover components" still use what I would classify as "cheesy" leads for the signal, when many folks use high quality cables to connect them to their amplification?
It's quite interesting, so small value capacitors in parallel help to discharge main capacitors faster, despite not being actual resistors, which leads to improved transients, while silver plated copper "smears" transients due to "phase divergence" of some sort.
As usual, very educational video. I enjoyed Jays video as well. I agree speaker design always involves trade offs and catering to certain listening preferences. Of course cost is also important in the real world. All told this was a very worthwhile video.
It also depends on how well made the cabinet is a solid well braced cabinet will resonate less than a poorly made box ... infact high power woofers can actually make a weak box fall apart....
One thing I don't understand when making a small bookshelf that's most likely going to be used with a sub why not go sealed (I know the NX studio does)? But generally doesn't sealed sounds better and integrates better with subs? Instead we see so many ported bookshelf around and still subs being recommended for them - as it should be, no bookshelf will do it all without a sub no matter the loading.
I prefer sealed cabinets ..........even with near field monitors.............I observed that listend more frequently to the RR101 ( sealed ) than my PS3 ( ported ) even big monitors ......as good as they are .........I like the bass rrsponse of the sealed ....frequency goes deeper than the cut off from a ported even when the loudness of the bass response is higher and above the sealed, the latter goes way deeper.... the bass is faster also and the definition /tone is less puffing , booming ............
i think that ported is the cheapest way to get better reviews, it is hard to let a sealed design win in a review when the ported has more bass, and bass extension is really important to audio. that how most reviews are done, as a single piece of gear, not a system as a whole.
@@sudd3660 yes, it's understandable for most brands that have to sell in shops, but brands like gr research and other audiophile only makers could stear the niche market...
I know the Sono caps are the best chose for clarity and spatial ques for your builds. But what trade offs . Gains and losses would be expected if Zantzen Superior caps were used. When I replaced my guitar cap with Orange drops cap. There was a difference in tone.
thank you, in this video it seems you gived me solution for my bass setup hadeck. I will probbaly go for it, and a lot of so usefull information which safes tons of time to me
Thanks for the video and explanations on audio magic. I'm starting the cross-over circuit for the X-statiks with upgrades and I'm looking for a video like the one you did for the xls encore. I'm looking at Audiolab 6000cdt transport and Hegel H120 Amp to get best possible sound at shallow pocket prices.
I would love to see a comparison of the Encores in optimal placement and the Sonus Fabers with a crossover made by Danny. and to not handicap the test with a middle of the road "budget" setup.
Wow you came to Kentucky !! My Home Capt City were did you go Lexington? And I have owned dozens of speakers Espically standmounts My 🔺 Esprit E.Z.comete have amazing Tonality and very dynamic but the mid driver is light weight so at low volumes bass is a little ligjt until i crank up the juice and then they wake up a little bit better plus I added No- rez and this helped not only with more potent bass but speaker 'almost' disappears in the room Love 'Paper Drivers' 'damping' No door bell ring-a-ling . Wish Kef would go paper cone just once ! But they'll lose that bass weight for sure
Danny, what could be done as far as the connections on our amps for the pesky outdated binding post , is there a way to convert to the tube connectors for the amps ? I in one of my systems soldered the speaker wires to the board of my NAD receiver and to the crossovers in the speakers , I noticed a big difference doing so and used extra gear for the experiment, but it is a real hassle moving the Reciever and the speakers 🤣🤪 but it is better sounding . Call me crazy, I can admit it 🤪🍌🥴
Have you ever taken apart a KEF iQ90? I've been trawling through the internet for days trying to find a crossover diagram for one so I can see about ordering parts for mine without taking them out of commission for a few days, and there is just nothing online at all for these towers. Unfortunately, I just don't have the spare funds right now to ship them to Texas and pay to have you do the work on them. I know they can sound even better than they already do.
Hi Danny, Your explanation of the moving mass of a speaker and its implications on sound quality brings to mind other considerations that are not often brought to light in the reviews of most mass market speakers. Two things that are partially addressed in designs like your open baffle speakers, but not directly so, are the air coupling that occurs when sound is produced and compensation for the limited samples of a performance that can be captured by microphones when a recording is made. The very fact that one type of speaker includes parts named "Throat" and "mouth" , which are essential to the human "voice", and some types of musical instruments ( e.g. -horns) , should make it plain to any speaker designer that high fidelity versions of this type of speaker have inherent characteristics that are superior in (air) impedance matching to direct radiators. Do you have any experience working with the horn drivers that I am referring to, and what is your opinion of horn speakers? Maybe you could educate your subscribers with a video on this topic.
Horns have their own set of severe issues related to internal reflections and non-linearity of air compression/rarefaction at pressures involved. Due to physical size required as the frequency goes down, not practical in domestic environments either. Their cons outweigh the benefits in most cases. Jack Dinsdale published a string of interesting articles covering the subject in Wireless World in 1974, available online.
Thanks for your recommendation, I'll check out those articles. Having seen several of Danny's upgrade videos on Klipsch speakers, I thought that he may have some insight on the use of horn drivers that he might be willing to share. Your opinion of horn drivers may be tainted by the fact that horns have often been used in pro speakers where sound volume ( loudness) is so important and may take precedence over fidelity. Looking at some modern speakers that are highly rated by Danny and others ( e.g. Spatial Audio) which uses horn tweeter, and in reviewing his graphs of the Klipsch speakers mentioned, it appears that horns are now considered suitable for use in high fidelity speakers. I was a subscriber to Speaker Builder magazine in the late '80s and early '90s when Bruce Edgar built and published articles on tractrix midrange horns . Not long after that, Klipsch started building tractrix horns to be used with dome tweeter drivers. Recently, I made a few discoveries about speaker design that are ground breaking IMO. I am now in production of speakers which utilize these principles. One of the most difficult considerations in building speakers is in getting the crossovers right. Danny is an expert in this field and his thoughts would benefit many subscribers with an interest in using horns.
@@mitchdowning8188 Having been actively involved in design, assessment and construction of a considerable number of speakers over nearly 3 decades, my opinions are mostly tainted by books, articles and analyses published by experts and limited, but nevertheless valuable first hand experience. Say, ring tweeters and inert, low Q sealed enclosures, which I personally prefer, are an acquired taste, although not without its merits. Horn tweeters, covering at most 2 upper octaves are a different ball game, than a full range multiple horn design, where propagation delay and physical constraints inevitably lead to colouration, whilst offering excellent dynamics and high overall efficiency of between 3 and 5%.
@@paulb4661 You are right about the limitations of a horn tweeter in a two way speakers design IMO, and about the problems of propagation, phase shifts , beaming, etc. that do color the sounds of many horn speakers. But the merits of horns play a big part in my new speaker design which provides a presentation of greater detail in the listening room than can be had with even the best headphones. Perhaps the word "tainted" was a poor choice, and really applied to my own perceptions, which were similar to yours, before my recent discoveries. I had been viewing Danny's videos on open baffle speaker shortly before I had the idea for my new design.Within a couple of weeks I had built a prototype. We now have these speakers in production and will soon have a website which features them, along with several local stores where they can be auditioned. We're located near Auburn, Alabama on beautiful Lake Martin. While happy with the current crossover used in these speakers, which has no resistors in the circuit, it never hurts to get good advice from a master in crossover design like Danny.
Jay reviewed the Encores and did a great job! Make sure you subscribe to his channel.
Encores VS $10,000 Speakers: th-cam.com/video/fcf2tYySyAY/w-d-xo.html
Encores VS CSS Audio: th-cam.com/video/o_h-si6tJhc/w-d-xo.html
Danny, you notice that his Francais buddy started walking back on the Encore praise AFTER he heard the price on that Sonus Faber? LOL. If ya tell the price of anything to these Francoisbobs, they gonna start lying!!!
Awesome video and I really like the explanations of the methods of your madness. Creates understanding and trust to hear the knowledge and experience behind the things you do.
I guess if you say jay can listen to your speakers how you designed them, then you can send speakers to Jay's channel for review?
There was a guy who opened triangle BR03 and showed crossover network, I was hoping you could do something with BR03 because I really like the sound of the speaker. Crossovers looked like they can be upgraded with much better ones.
this guy is the one who opened this speaker and peeked inside th-cam.com/video/laJrKozceFc/w-d-xo.html
Great video Danny. I've seen many companies agree with me when it came to the "positives" but never seen a company acknowledge the "trade offs" or the "negatives" of their own design. Big Kudos to you for sharing all this to your viewers and myself. I've spoken to many engineers and designers in this industry and many tell me that "tone" is the biggest thing they take into account to recreate realistic instruments and vocals, then soundstage and imaging. I want to clarify to the viewers that while I may not prefer the Encore's tone when compared to my CSS or Sonus fabers... by no means is the tone on the Encores less than crazy good for the price. It is so very exciting for me as a consumer and enthusiast that you as a company focus on soundstage and imaging using quality parts. Keep doing what you do !
What would be an awesome comparison after the ones you've done is one with a more lifestyle friendly 2-3' out into the room and with a sub compared to the criton. Level the playing field in bass performance and general room setup. Not everyone has the room or layout to set them up in the optimal position, but adding the sub would make things reeaal interesting.
I really like these videos between you guys. Maybe a servo sub vs rel would be good too or a sonas Faber upgrade video or review the nx oticas as well. Thanks for giving Danny a chance, I think he deserved it and has some real contributions to this industry.
I look at tone as a variable. It also changes from room to room. So as a designer I don't shoot for a favorite tone. I shoot for accuracy. I feel each design should be as faithful as possible to the input signal and reproduce the entire frequency range as accurately as possible.
Then for a customer like yourself that would like a little weightier bottom end, we would recommend that you leave the speakers well out into the room (keep the great imaging) and simply add a sub, and preferably one of our servo controlled subs. If you want to shift the tonal balance even further then use a filter, like I suggested in the video, to further roll off the lower end on the Encore's and bring the subs up a little higher. Now you are in a whole new ball game, and still at budget level price points.
@@dannyrichie9743 my guess is Jay May change his opinion on how many times out of 10 he would choose the encore if there were a sub involved. And I personally use a sub and like strong bass which made me think I'd like the criton for it's bass performance, but now think the encore may be the better option for it's superior performance above 80hz when a sub is in use.
First, I am a VERY happy Encore owner! The sheer magic of these speakers is the soundstage, and separation of instruments. The tone is fantastic as well, with female (and male) vocals sounding like they are right in front of you. Everyone who has listened to the Encores are blown away. You shut your eyes and can point at the guitar, then bass, then drums, etc. I’m running them with a small sub, (saving up for one, or two of Danny’s Double Trouble servo subs). Danny has been great to work with and helped me over the phone and with his “how to” videos. I appreciate Jay’s channel and was very happy when I heard about his review of the Encores. Again kudos to Jay, and a HUGE thank you to Danny and GR-Research for providing a fantastic product and my favorite speakers I’ve ever owned.
@@mcjonner a sub costs money so it makes sense to compare without sub. some people also dont have the room for it or simply prefer 2 speaker setups. but its evident that comparing speakers + extra sub before having a final verdict would be useful
I love the new tone of your content. I'm very impressed. Looking forward to more content
Congrats on the track competition. That's impressive!
Hi Danny, great video. Please do a video of the nx-studio.
Congrats on your competition!
Great post!
Glad you got to visit family!
CONGRATS DANNY ON THE TRACK ACHIEVEMENTS! I live 200 feet from that track and heard the calls and roars of the whole event. I'm certain I heard your awards announced. If I'd had any idea you were there I would been there cheering you on. And also had you look at a speaker crossover 😜.
CONGRATS ON THE TRACK AND FIELD ACCOMPLISHMENTS! AWESOME!
Siempre aprendo con estos videos, gracias GR Reasearch!
The Jay review really sold me with your speakers.
Congratulations on winning your medals. Looking forward to your next video.
Congratulations on your success and keep up the good work you all deserve it.
Love this discussion on the Encore model. I totally get what you mean with sound staging and layering quality. I have a set of Polk ES-20s that I ordered your upgrade component kit for. That sound changed instantly and I thought the clarity (vs muddiness) was insane. That was until I installed your speaker cables. I run these off a Rotel RA-1060 I have had for years. If I play Tool - Chocolate Chip Trip or Pink Floyd - Paranoid Eyes, it is haunting to anyone that sits in front of my computer with this very unassuming system. I get it! When I build a purpose built sound room I'll be looking you up for sure. Thank You Danny.
Awesome result in Kentucky Danny, congratulations!
Love hearing an open discussion around trade offs in driver selections and designs and some advantages and draw backs of each.
Thank you Danny for a great video. I love these Tech Talk kind of videos. Always educational.
For me a speakers sound stage is the most important thing to me. I do not want the speaker to alter the tone at all. That's what the mixer did when it was recorded. Since I build audio gear as my hobby I have a lot of it around the house. I built my main amp and pre amp. They do not have tone controls on them at all. That's just how I like it, and when I hook up my Encores it sounds like the band is right in the room with me. They are great little speakers for sure and are well worth every penny and then some.
Your best video yet. I love Soundstage and learned a lot. I'm hoping to drive up to next yall
Your video drew a clearer picture about what speakers will and won't do, and how speaker design achieves certain goals, so you presented a meaningful argument presented with class and professionalism, which is a mini education in being a great person. thanks.
Danny, just a quick follow up on the upgrade kit for the Magnepan 1.7 I purchased from you in June. The difference with the kit gives the Maggies' a palpable high end and mid-range that was missing to say the least. Literally a new pair of speakers in most aspects! Magnepan did the install and charge large dollars for it. IMO, go elsewhere for the install.
Great feedback. I hope Magnepan took some time to listen to them before sending them out.
@@dannyrichie9743 I hope so as well, maybe they'll learn a thing or two!
They charged a arm and a lung probably because they were a little bit perturbed at the fact you wanted a real product that they fell short of , they should have done it for only a few dollars from being educated and , well that's my outlook on it
I also have the upgraded crossover and the bass and clarity is undeniable! It amazes me that the upgraded crossover has less parts and sounds better.
@@jasontimothywells9895 I agree, that they should have taken the humble approach, and taken advantage of the opportunity of the experience. If I were the owner, I would have taken notes.
I thought a low moving mass woofer would have all the advantages over a heavier mass one. Fast transient response, more efficient, less distortion etc.
Far more variables then that but you know that 👋😎‼️ quit playing around ‼️
Hey Danny I normally don't have time to comment on your videos. But I still wanted to pay you the highest of compliments. I emailed you during Covid about getting the NX-studios, got the wood kit for the speaker box, and life has happened since Covid and I won't be able to afford the electronic parts for another several months. All that said, I STILL watch all your videos despite my financial strains right now.
Your work ethic is awesome and you're inspiring. You're obviously passionate about music. (I'd love to hear you talk more about music from time to time! It could be a mini feature at the end of each video {if that seems fun for you}). You call yourself out when you feel the need to, and you playfully avoid any extreme drama from the random mobs on TH-cam. Keep it up and let nobody slow ya down or get ya down. People like me are with ya all the way.
I feel lucky to know about you and patiently await the day when I can have that golden sound in my own music studio. If I'm ever in Texas I'll be sure to stop by and pay you a visit! Also congrats on your medals!! You're killing it man!
Hey Danny. This is one of the most enjoyable if not the most enjoyable videos I have seen of yours. I learned a lot. Thanks again!
Great video. I have been interested in and reading about high-end audio products for about 50 years and I don’t think I have ever been as well. Educated on what’s really happening in speaker and sound production as these videos have done. His videos are a real service to the audio community.
Thanks for 'news letter'. Glad you're back!
Excellent video. Congratulations on your accomplishments at the National event in Kentucky.
Danny, you should tell Jay to bring his Sonus Fabers or any one of his speakers down for a upgrade when he comes for his visit. I think that would make for great TH-cam. The video that you did with Tyson and his Klipsh was fantastic! 🔈👍🏻
He won’t be traveling again with speakers. The last audio show in Montreal is was robbed of $10k+ of gear.
That's a very good idea
I think they have engineers that know what they're doing they spend years designing those speakers before they introduce them to the public even though most have a design budget.
Love your content Danny! Nx otica and a pair of triple driver servo subs is the best sounding system I have ever heard!!
🤓 Subliminal Message at 12:14... ""Trigger Warning GR-Research is not responsible for excessive crying when we discuss wire, connectors and how much it matters to hi-resolution music playback. However, we do offer "audiophile approved" tissues if needed."" Nice One Danny!
That one was all my editor. It was a good one though.
REALLY enjoyed watching this personal and comprehensive debate / test and demo of products by 2 very experienced Audio personalities.
Thank you guys! .. This is how we change the future of the entire industry / Hobby. !!
This was quite possibly the most informative video relating to speaker production I have ever heard. I always knew manufacturers (of all products) skimp on parts, especially those you don't touch or see. It's nice to know what the consequences of those choices are for a given product.
Way to go Danny! The fact that you still compete is an inspiration to old desk jockeys like me.
Very good explainer video. I've been watching Jay's videos as well, and to his credit, he's very fair and open during his reviews. I'm impressed with his ethic.
Several years ago a guy told me that you ruined his speakers. I pretty much knew what had happened. He wanted components that mask the sound a bit allowing poor quality recordings listenable. This was really great information for those who have never done parts swapping. Perhaps the best point is that everyone has different preferences and as a result no speaker is for everyone. I used to be a resolution sound stage snob, but I woke up and realized that what is important isn't conforming to my narrow thinking about listening, but what the individual listener enjoys. What one likes in genre, tone, soundstage, etc., is all personal preference, and there is no over arching right or wrong where music is concerned. It's all about personal preference and what one person loves another will hate, and they are both right. I know a guy who has lost high frequency hearing big time. He uses an equalizer to the point that most people will want to run away with their fingers in their ears. Thanks for a very good explanation of how and why.
just curious about only hearing cable difference after you have achieved the proper sound field. how much of what you say is applicable to IEMs and DAPs?
Example: A DAP that uses high quality parts is necessary (like your speaker parts)? Then a top tier IEM is necessary (like the speaker placement creating the proper sound field)? Then a top quality cable is necessary (since you have achieved the prior 2 criteria)? Is that how it works for headphones and IEMs too?
Encores are the best speakers (for the price) I have ever owned. So far I have owned at least 10 pair of name brand speakers from $250 to $2600 a pair.
I can agree, I'd say the revel performa m106 was fairly close, and I'd have to rank the kef q350 up there also, I've had the ls50 and meta and I find the q350 to be better, not even close in my opinion. If vintage, then up to 70-80 db on jazz blues and percussion I'd say it's got a tough rival against the LS3/5a, not as loud or lively but what they do is vocal perfection and midrange magic that you just have to hear to experience.
I for one appreciate your honesty and giving away a little bit of the farm makes me understand what you're trying to do and opens up my mind to what the possibilities are without spending tons of money trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong. Definitely gonna order one of your kids for my clips RP 8000F speakers which I've been thinking about selling now I'm going to keep them and fix them thank you
thank you so much...i have been listening to many speakers and setup all these years...i even experiment on making my own speakers,,learning q factors, baffles, resonance and wave travels, acoustics and more,,,,but getting a desirable staging and lifelike sound is not easy from room to room situations..but moving the speakers away from walls does helps alot and change the character and dispersion of the sound much better
Danny, we need your speakers to be available in Europe!
We ship them over there all the time.
@@dannyrichie9743 would be good to get a firm in the UK to manufacture Norez to your specs to avoid the crazy shipping costs, not your fault I know. Would love to try it in some Focal 806v, and old MK3 Wharfedale Diamonds.
How about amps? They do affect transients and soundstage too. Any recommendations? Topology? Power?
Even the amplifiers have their tone and abilities.
Combining the appropriate amplifier and appropriate speakers can be a tricky synergy unless it’s all the same brand or series that are designed to work with each other seamlessly.
@@Bassotronics Doubt. Full naim setups kill themselves, they remove midrange for example naim atom + naim supernait 3 is awful combo for any speaker set
I love it
and I also think that speed and transient are the most important things
of course, if you already have a clean path
but not the tone itself
I agree with the settle time and speed being critical. One item barley touched on is that it is not just the moving mass to consider. Surface area determines excursion needs, which effects settle times, assuming both are made to be lightweight. A 12 inch driver travels about 1/4 the distance as 6 inch drivers at a given frequency/volume level. The tradeoff on the 12 is more beaming of sound, for sure. There are lots of driver geometry and material choices that contribute to less settle time as well.
@@markceci9896 I think so too
I do not expect a good base from 6,5 inch towers
that's why I have preferred kit with two closed box 12 inch subs and bookshelves Dali Ikon 2 mk2 to floor-standing speakers from the same line.
@@andallxr Good base is only part of it. If you make 6.5 driver cross over at 2k, that means it handles the voices. When base is playing while someone sings, the higher excursions creat doppler distortion for the 500 to 2k sounds. If it is moving a 1/4 inch, then midrange treble starts to smear. At lower volume, it's not much of issue.
@@markceci9896 if i understood You correctly itis all about compromise.
for example Dali use short throw speakers and i like it, for my ears it sounds better then little sonus faber of my frind. I noticed that 4,5" long throw sonus faber's woofers sound warmer then short throw woofers of dali.
@@andallxr There is always compromises. I think Danny and his guys do great job working to minimize them.
I am glad you addressed the fact that EQ will not get rid of artifacts from enclosure design elements and low quality passive electronic parts!
Get your little 3" FR driver + woofer speakers and compare them with the 2 grand B&W 706s (if you can get hold of some). Compare these on PIANO! If you listen to your FR + woofer speakers first, you will get a nasty surprise when you hook up the 706s. I made a temporary set up with a 3" driver placed immediately above the 706 bass vent (so the bass vent sound blends with the 3" driver sound and warms up the open cone sound perfectly). With the box turned over and the the woofer facing down onto my desk (for a vague woofer sound source). And the 706 tweeter not connected (the 706s have bi-wiring binding posts). I put the whole signal above 100 hz through the 3" drivers and tried on PIANO. Not only did the 706s FLOG themselves on piano but also female vocal, acoustic guitar, brass and particularly whistling. Patience blows my mind! And basic spacial sound and image went off the scale compared to original 706s like chalk&cheeze. The temporarily modified 706s absolutely SMOKED themselves compared to original. Those particular 3" FR drivers are amazingly mellow ran open. Especially compared to many FR drivers. And I added some inductance to the 706 woofer (externally) to compensate for the extra med from the 3" driver. Important...if you do it, make sure you have a 100 mf cap on the FR driver. Otherwise the impedance will dip too low in the bass (especially if you have 4 ohm FR drivers). Also a 100 mf cap stops the dopler effect caused by too much excursions of the open FR cone when cranked. With the cap you can crank it.
I used to own a pair of Snell Type E speakers. Snell used to emphasize their soundstage abilities, and it was their contention that matching of the crossovers was crucial to a good soundstage. My understanding is that they would hand wind the chokes on a test bench to match the crossovers to each other. Does this make any sense to you Danny?
Nice to see you back
Ah, what a great video. Finally, a clear explanation about how things like cables, parts, isolation and room treatments make an audible difference if your system is properly set up and allows you to hear the difference and reap the benefits. If you have your speakers pushed up against the wall with stacks of gear between them and no room treatment, which is perfectly fine if you prefer that, don’t cry foul when you can’t hear the difference these things make. And that brings me to ASR. I have no doubt in my mind that Amir has heard the difference in cables and such by now. He has. He’s futzed with the setup of his system enough that he’s heard what cables can do. But he can’t admit that because he has to maintain his brand and his tribalism. Reminds me of a certain political party in the US. You must push the big lie at all costs, even if you know it’s not true.
Here is an audio difference that comes from equipment which surprises many people:
FLAC v MQA spacial test - which is better? th-cam.com/video/Cl5ULnX4viU/w-d-xo.html
@Sean Heisler
Hi Sean
" There are none so blind as those who will not see "
Did you think about trying the piggyback bypass trick on your Musical Paradise MP701mk2 preamp after this presentation?
I knew it was possible in the power bypass section, but would be interesting in the coupling caps too!
🤔
The difference is sound stage. Amir only tests 1 speaker with his system. Even when listening to a pair it's mostly near field. Thats why he always likes studio monitor type speaker with narrow beaming. Be alot less sound stage if your over 3 metres away which is typical listen distance.
@@markclancy5371 That explains why Amir likes the Adam AX5's which have a poor made in China Z-folded ribbon tweeter on them. I have a set of A7X's they are about OK for background pop music.
Thanks for this masterclass Danny. I really learned a lot.
Congratulations on your individual bronze medal and team gold medal achievements! Thank you for your videos and focus on sound. I have never heard technical specifications with my ears that prompted me to buy one speaker over another. I know that my ears and hearing strengths plus deficits are probably never identical to those of another human listening to the same gear, same music, etc. Going back, now, to sipping my morning coffee and listening to the audio specifications of the singing of our local East Texas birds.
Grats on the medal Danny!
I’m so out of shape, I fart and I have to take a nap. Jk ofc.
I’m still saving up for a pair of your Encores. I still have the most confidence in that set for sure!
is the limitation for boxed speakers the same with IEMs and headphones regarding the moving mass tradeoff at higher frequencies?
20:31 do you mean changing the EQ won't reduce soundstage/imaging/separation of speakers? does this apply to headphones and IEMs?
thanks for the interesting video, I worked at Wilson Audio and I can tell you they also spent a lot of time listening to combinations of components; caps, wires, connectors, and they also used bypass caps in their tweeter crossovers. Interesting to hear WHY it helps make a difference.
good to see you back danny.
very very true! if you can indeed relief limit the cone excursion of the woofer it will benefit tremdously the midrandge and leave the bass to a subwoofer! well spoken sir!!
You're the Man, great video!
Best video I’ve seen from you Danny! Loved your explanation of the compromises/reasons for your speaker design. Easy to get defensive on any criticism on one of your babies, but I thought you really showed your engineering chops on this one.
Also good to hear that you acknowledge people have different listening preferences.
I don’t always agree with some of your past videos, but this one is 5 stars!!
I got cheezy $5 FR driver and they had steel terminals. I bypassed them with copper wire and connected them directly to the lead in copper wiring after the terminals. I connected to the terminals as well for strength. Hopefully the electrons will go by the copper over the steel.
Thanks for a great video and congrats on the track achievements Danny! As an Encore owner myself, I know first hand how great these speakers sound. I am curious, however, if by using even higher quality drivers if you'd be able to achieve an even better speaker? I realize that the Encore is built with a certain budget in mind, but I'm curious what you'd be able to do with higher end drivers from companies like Accuton for instance. Every time I've auditioned speakers using Accuton drivers I have been impressed (Tidal, Marten, Margules, etc).
You mentioned how well the Raidho speakers sound for instance, and I have a healthy respect for their former chief designer Michael Boerresen who now designs for Boerresen Audio where his new Ribbon Tweeter's moving mass only weighs 0.01grams. I guess my question is how much of an improvement there is to be gained by using drivers retailing say $1000 instead, combined with the high quality cross-over components you already use?
Our NX Studio will answer that question and the driver quality there is the best of the best.
Excellent video and great information Danny.
Voicing your box speakers, new or old, also may involve replacing or adding (different types of) damping material. This needs some more attention, also because experiments with this are so easy and cheap. In some speakers, it is even possible to form a low pass filter behind the woofer.
I have a pair of 1980’s Klipsch k-Horns and need to do i something about my crossovers. Should I buy Crites or is there something reasonably cost wise better ? I bought them used and they have a set of ALK but the older ones with different crossover points by wires supplied. I do not like them as they work but not as they should. I took a meter and tested the that the signal path is still completing it path. But I’m not sounding right but I don’t know what it is causing it. Like the highs from my tweeters aren’t sparkling like they should so I changed them to B&K but same ? I’m not a fan of that old ALK crossover. What should I do from here. I love my Klipsch and to improve their sound I added a pair of Klipsch Belle’s on b-channel in back. Together they sound great. I’ve been running this with a Marantz 2325 for over 30 near 40 years . Still brings goose bumps up. But my k horns highs aren’t cutting it. Thank you for your help.
Great job, well done to you both Danny & Jay
what is your opion of PRV audio specifically the 2DF1800 crossover they have a good image of the board on their site.
Danny, when you talk about using a in line filter. Would that be needed if you were using a receiver to run the home theater sound system, meaning does the receiver control how much base is sent to speakers? I want to use the encores for book shelf speakers in my home theater sound system and want them to perform the best and let the subwoofer do the low base. ???
absolutely excellent video that gave me so much more knowledge at what to look for. i really wish you did an educational series or simply more of that.
I'm also surprised that people don't get the difference that good crossover components can make. Decades ago I came to the conclusion that speaker crossovers are evil, and I built my first active system without them. With today's high-quality components, you can make a big difference with even modest speakers. I have a pair of Mission 780s, and I replaced the electrolytic caps with with poly caps and the dental floss ferrite-core inductors with air-core ones - and even with those speakers, the improvement in resolution and imaging was as clear as day.
Hah, that is so funny. My first "serious" speaker were the Mission 780SE back in the day. I loved them so much I still have them.
Glad you had some good personal time.
Great video, Danny. Very helpful in understanding what to look and listen for in speakers and systems.
the coper screws makes it pretty. I love your Chanel I watch it a lot. thanks for the videos
I believe when Jay says “tone” he doesn’t mean tonal balance, he really means timbre or tonal character.
I’ve been quite impressed by the utility of front and down ports for speakers, especially for 90% of people who just can’t “pull those speakers out 4 or 5 feet” or see the placebo utility in 4ga optical cables.
My Wharfedale 4.3 and audioengine P4’s are the best ones I’ve come across in terms of Swiss-army-speakers (living room/theater and desktop) though the wharfey’s are still too expensive for an average consumer. I sacrificed and splurged, and I’ve still got audio buyers remorse except when I listen to female vocals on those things :)
Good luck!
Danny, did you consider a device like ML-206 Musicalizer from Ortho Spectrum? This is Counter Electromotive Force Absorbtion Filter. This is passive filter added between amp and speaker, to reduce electromotive force created when speaker coil i getting back to neutral position in magnet drive. Speaker acts as a electricy generator for a short moment. This counter electromotive force is adding to incoming audio signal and blurring the reproduction. I bet you can design such a filter and offer it as upgrade to your crossovers...
How do we get the high pass filter for the RCA inputs?
learned wow your best video imho ,,..my goal is chasing that sound stage ... sorry that a lot of audio people just dont hear or care for imaging ..... to me its number 1goal
Wow congratulations on the medals!
OK, stupid question amnesty: Why do " high quality crossover components" still use what I would classify as "cheesy" leads for the signal, when many folks use high quality cables to connect them to their amplification?
Because 👋😎‼️ a lot of manufacturers sale on looks SIMPLE answer ✅
We are all on our own journeys. Thanks for helping us. 🙏
It's quite interesting, so small value capacitors in parallel help to discharge main capacitors faster, despite not being actual resistors, which leads to improved transients, while silver plated copper "smears" transients due to "phase divergence" of some sort.
You do such a great job of educating your viewers. Loved the “trigger warning” 😂
Those trigger warnings will save many lives 🙏
Great video, Danny!
As usual, very educational video. I enjoyed Jays video as well. I agree speaker design always involves trade offs and catering to certain listening preferences. Of course cost is also important in the real world. All told this was a very worthwhile video.
I wonder if Jay will review Danny's review of Jay's review of Danny's speakers...
Thank You !! A great video. Congratulations on the medals as well. Looks like I will be also building/buying a sub as well. Rip
The Encores are on my bucket list Danny.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Great video!
It also depends on how well made the cabinet is a solid well braced cabinet will resonate less than a poorly made box ... infact high power woofers can actually make a weak box fall apart....
One thing I don't understand when making a small bookshelf that's most likely going to be used with a sub why not go sealed (I know the NX studio does)? But generally doesn't sealed sounds better and integrates better with subs? Instead we see so many ported bookshelf around and still subs being recommended for them - as it should be, no bookshelf will do it all without a sub no matter the loading.
I prefer sealed cabinets ..........even with near field monitors.............I observed that listend more frequently to the RR101 ( sealed ) than my PS3 ( ported )
even big monitors ......as good as they are .........I like the bass rrsponse of the sealed ....frequency goes deeper than the cut off from a ported even when the loudness of the bass response is higher and above the sealed, the latter goes way deeper....
the bass is faster also and the definition /tone is less puffing , booming ............
i think that ported is the cheapest way to get better reviews, it is hard to let a sealed design win in a review when the ported has more bass, and bass extension is really important to audio. that how most reviews are done, as a single piece of gear, not a system as a whole.
@@sudd3660 Yes , .....but I listen to music and I do not review the system I put up ....
Have a nice day
@@sudd3660 yes, it's understandable for most brands that have to sell in shops, but brands like gr research and other audiophile only makers could stear the niche market...
@@frankgeeraerts6243 i am not sure what you mean, but i agree with your sentiment on your original comment :)
I know the Sono caps are the best chose for clarity and spatial ques for your builds. But what trade offs . Gains and losses would be expected if Zantzen Superior caps were used. When I replaced my guitar cap with Orange drops cap. There was a difference in tone.
thank you, in this video it seems you gived me solution for my bass setup hadeck. I will probbaly go for it, and a lot of so usefull information which safes tons of time to me
Thanks for the video and explanations on audio magic. I'm starting the cross-over circuit for the X-statiks with upgrades and I'm looking for a video like the one you did for the xls encore. I'm looking at Audiolab 6000cdt transport and Hegel H120 Amp to get best possible sound at shallow pocket prices.
I would love to see a comparison of the Encores in optimal placement and the Sonus Fabers with a crossover made by Danny. and to not handicap the test with a middle of the road "budget" setup.
Hi, what do you say about his new smaller speaker?
Wow you came to Kentucky !!
My Home Capt City were did you go Lexington?
And I have owned dozens of speakers
Espically standmounts My 🔺 Esprit E.Z.comete have amazing Tonality and very dynamic but the mid driver is light weight so at low volumes bass is a little ligjt until i crank up the juice and then they wake up a little bit better plus I added No- rez and this helped not only with more potent bass but speaker 'almost' disappears in the room
Love 'Paper Drivers' 'damping' No door bell ring-a-ling .
Wish Kef would go paper cone just once !
But they'll lose that bass weight for sure
Yes, the university of Kentucky.
@@dannyrichie9743 Danny I would have came seen ya 😥
Danny, what could be done as far as the connections on our amps for the pesky outdated binding post , is there a way to convert to the tube connectors for the amps ? I in one of my systems soldered the speaker wires to the board of my NAD receiver and to the crossovers in the speakers , I noticed a big difference doing so and used extra gear for the experiment, but it is a real hassle moving the Reciever and the speakers 🤣🤪 but it is better sounding . Call me crazy, I can admit it 🤪🍌🥴
Figure out a way to put the tube connectors on your amp.
Hell yah Danny. More good gear and congrats!
Have you ever taken apart a KEF iQ90? I've been trawling through the internet for days trying to find a crossover diagram for one so I can see about ordering parts for mine without taking them out of commission for a few days, and there is just nothing online at all for these towers. Unfortunately, I just don't have the spare funds right now to ship them to Texas and pay to have you do the work on them. I know they can sound even better than they already do.
Hi Danny,
Your explanation of the moving mass of a speaker and its implications on sound quality brings to mind other considerations that are not often brought to light in the reviews of most mass market speakers. Two things that are partially addressed in designs like your open baffle speakers, but not directly so, are the air coupling that occurs when sound is produced and compensation for the limited samples of a performance that can be captured by microphones when a recording is made.
The very fact that one type of speaker includes parts named "Throat" and "mouth" , which are essential to the human "voice",
and some types of musical instruments ( e.g. -horns) , should make it plain to any speaker designer that high fidelity versions of this type of speaker have inherent characteristics that are superior in (air) impedance matching to direct radiators. Do you have any experience working with the horn drivers that I am referring to, and what is your opinion of horn speakers? Maybe you could educate your subscribers with a video on this topic.
Horns have their own set of severe issues related to internal reflections and non-linearity of air compression/rarefaction at pressures involved. Due to physical size required as the frequency goes down, not practical in domestic environments either. Their cons outweigh the benefits in most cases. Jack Dinsdale published a string of interesting articles covering the subject in Wireless World in 1974, available online.
@@paulb4661 Hi
Thanks for your recommendation, I'll check out those articles. Having seen several of Danny's upgrade videos on Klipsch speakers, I thought that he may have some insight on the use of horn drivers that he might be willing to share. Your opinion of horn drivers may be tainted by the fact that horns have often been used in pro speakers where sound volume ( loudness) is so important and may take precedence over fidelity. Looking at some modern speakers that are highly rated by Danny and others ( e.g. Spatial Audio) which uses horn tweeter, and in reviewing his graphs of the Klipsch speakers mentioned, it appears that horns are now considered suitable for use in high fidelity speakers. I was a subscriber to Speaker Builder magazine in the late '80s and early '90s when Bruce Edgar built and published articles on tractrix midrange horns . Not long after that, Klipsch started building tractrix horns to be used with dome tweeter drivers. Recently, I made a few discoveries about speaker design that are ground breaking IMO. I am now in production of speakers which utilize these principles. One of the most difficult considerations in building speakers is in getting the crossovers right. Danny is an expert in this field and his thoughts would benefit many subscribers with an interest in using horns.
@@mitchdowning8188 Having been actively involved in design, assessment and construction of a considerable number of speakers over nearly 3 decades, my opinions are mostly tainted by books, articles and analyses published by experts and limited, but nevertheless valuable first hand experience. Say, ring tweeters and inert, low Q sealed enclosures, which I personally prefer, are an acquired taste, although not without its merits. Horn tweeters, covering at most 2 upper octaves are a different ball game, than a full range multiple horn design, where propagation delay and physical constraints inevitably lead to colouration, whilst offering excellent dynamics and high overall efficiency of between 3 and 5%.
@@paulb4661 You are right about the limitations of a horn tweeter in a two way speakers design IMO, and about the problems of propagation, phase shifts , beaming, etc. that do color the sounds of many horn speakers. But the merits of horns play a big part in my new speaker design which provides a presentation of greater detail in the listening room than can be had with even the best headphones. Perhaps the word "tainted" was a poor choice, and really applied to my own perceptions, which were similar to yours, before my recent discoveries. I had been viewing Danny's videos on open baffle speaker shortly before I had the idea for my new design.Within a couple of weeks I had built a prototype. We now have these speakers in production and will soon have a website which features them, along with several local stores where they can be auditioned. We're located near Auburn, Alabama on beautiful Lake Martin. While happy with the current crossover used in these speakers, which
has no resistors in the circuit, it never hurts to get good advice from a master in crossover design like Danny.
Congrats!
Using Jupiter copper capacitors will also give you a nice warm tone with this speaker.
Do you make speakers specifically tuned for vocals?
Any thoights on DML/BMR speakers?