The Defense For Multiple Pairs of Speakers

onwardjames

Hoardimus Maximus
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Hello everyone!

Some of you may know that I recently became the owner of some McIntosh XRT 20 Line Arrays, in pretty good shape, and successfully refoamed all drivers, and replaced 2 faulty tweeters.

I'm no tech, so for me, that was Olympic.

I have reached what many would consider the end of the line, or at least for a man of humble means such as myself. These speakers are, by any litmus, the best I own, or have owned.

So why did I start this thread? Last night, I pulled out my tiny little NHT Super Zeros, which are the size of a Game of Thrones Season 1-6 box set, or in other words, a TRUE bookshelf. Tiny little things.

Hooked them to my Marantz PM84D, a nice 80 wpc amp (first 30 are in Class A) and played Rumours on cd.

What I heard was a soundstage and depth of field unlike much of anything I've experienced.

What they do is nothing short of astounding, and this was without the sub (which I have, but was too lazy to connect).

What I'm getting at, is this - past a certain level of quality, I'm pretty much okay with what I hear. I enjoy the different presentations. I love how my Epicure Model 20's create a WALL of nice, easy on the ears sound.

I find the SDA effect on my Polk SDA 1-B's to be pure magic.

My Yamaha NS690III's reveal details that are impossible with other speakers.

My Vandersteen 2C's were my first real "audiophile" quality speaker, and those will never leave, as well.

Hell, can't get a much more FUN sound than the Bose 601 Series 2 I restored and sold (may buy back, that was the caveat when I sold, that I'd get dibs).

Even my 2 way Marantz Imperial 6's create music that is simply pleasant.

It's like Baskin Robbins, or women, or cars. There IS NO BEST, only various flavors. Me? I love most all of them. Even considering taking some Christmas boxes and playing around with Open Baffle, thanks to Poultrygeist's unending love affair (thank you, sir). And I lament missing out on some W90 Warfedales I once had a chance to buy, with respect to Gangtwanger, wherever he is.

I'd love to hear what others have to say. Do you have a single pair of speakers that make you forgo all others? This is of course leaving out necessity (small house, WAF, etc). Or do you, as I, love the different tonal colors we get by mixing it around?

Opinions welcome, want to see what others think on this.
 
I was just explaining to someone I work with why I have 4 pairs of speakers in the house that I switch around between two systems. I feel basically the same way you do. Then once you start switching around amps, turntables, and cartridges, the flavors are nearly endless.
 
Sometimes I would like to have a third pair of speakers, just in case. And I am somewhat curious what other speakers sound like.

BUT I am so satisfied with what I have. The Cerwin Vegas R O C K !!! And can play at levels that I just can´t tolerate anymore, without any distortion.

My Grundigs sound so sweet (paired with a sub crossed over at 80 Hz). They are absolutely divine with classical music.

I MIGHT pick up another pair of speakers someday, when I have money left over ( don´t know when THAT´S going to be :( ). But until then, I´m satisfied.

edit: I am curios what a big buck system would sound like, but I can´t really imagine it impressing me.

edit 2: typos
 
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There is nothing to be defensive about. You're among friends and you're not judged. I think I might be able to get away with two pairs before my wife says "Really?". But I would like 3 pairs, my Vandersteens, a small bookshelf for near field listening, and some Altec Lansing 15" woofers with horns just for the fun of them, and the chest pounding bass.

How do you connect your speakers? Banana plugs at the speaker? Dedicated speaker selector like the old Adcoms?

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There is nothing to be defensive about. You're among friends and you're not judged. I think I might be able to get away with two pairs before my wife says "Really?". But I would like 3 pairs, my Vandersteens, a small bookshelf for near field listening, and some Altec Lansing 15" woofers with horns just for the fun of them, and the chest pounding bass.

How do you connect your speakers? Banana plugs at the speaker? Dedicated speaker selector like the old Adcoms?

956149-5a73b430254031ff93a73da60e2a82f9.jpg

Did I mention that I have lots of receivers and amps as well?? Lol, for right now, I have banana plugs on my amp leads, and it makes swapping out a snap. Also got my pile of restored vintage gear, on and on.


Lately, I've seen many threads about people either getting flack for having so much, or perhaps someone wonders why he even WANTS more than 1 pair.

Just thought I'd pass along why I personally have so many. It's a relatively cheap hobby, and I'm not at hoard stage yet.

Coming down the pike is the opportunity to help the Muhlenberg Music Museum, home of the Everly Brothers, Merle Travis, Mose Rager, etc. If I donate a little system for them to play their vinyl on, they said they'd put a small plaque up in my name. How cool would THAT be?? I have a little system all picked out......but I digress.

I find that the various combinations as mentioned by bberkom endlessly entertaining. I wondered if I was alone, tho I doubted it, haha.
 
Only have a dozen pairs in the room I'm in now.
Listening to some Boston A60's hooked to an Onkyo 8511 I repaired (testing) right now.

Smallish room:rolleyes:

Those are some real sleepers, for those who haven't experienced them. I had a pair, sold to a friend in need.
 
I know there are better speakers out there than what I use, but I settled on the ADS L1290 II main system, RSL Elans work room, JBL L100 in the garage, and the Synergistics small two ways are in the closet.

All the other speakers have been purged.

I liked my Boston Acoustics T-830s and VR-20s. Polk RT-55i. And others, but they are all gone. My wife has a big say about what can be in the family room.

Rob
 
I recently sold my Harman Kardon HK4's (1963-64) to a nice gentleman, and I miss them:oops:

Hooked a friend up with two pair of infinity's (reference three's & ss2003's), so I think I'm back to about two dozen pairs. I think...
Well, less than thirty anywho.

Anyone wanna fight about it:p?
 
I am in a three room six speaker setup now. I am a stacker and so I have three stacks. I have a lot of spares including OLAs, and KLH 17s. I too have reached the end of the line. My setups are where I want them to be and so all is well with my world. I am glad to hear that you have arrived where you want to be.
 
Every speaker reacts with a room differently. Your XRT22 because they have a line array are the least influneced by the room over the range covered by the tweeters. Where the smallest speaker will be influenced the most. So what you are hearing with different speakers is not only the native sound off the speaker but how it interacts with your rooms acoustical properties. Recordings that are very dry and need a rooms help to become listenable so there fore for some folks feel the best sound is created with smaller point source speakers. Notice I didn't say accurate reproduction. Other recordings capture not only the actual live performance sound but also the sound of the concert venue. For these recordings you want very little room effects changing the qualities of the recording. Its with these types of recordings where your XRT 22's shine. I prefer the more advanced XR 290 with the additional mid line array as it further extends the accuracy of reproduction down to a lower frequency that your 22 doesn't have. Now most recordings fall ion between the two extremes. So maybe something like a XRT 28 with shorter mid and tweeter line array might be a better choice. Or maybe you feel a big pair of ADS with the 2 14's and the 4 mid domes you can switch the configuration is a better choice. Line arrays work much better in rooms with lower amounts absorption as they maintain the clarity. Rooms with thick carpets, soft furniture, and heavy drapes might benefit form more non directional speakers. Only your ears, with the types of music you prefer, can determine what you like best. I prefer to ere on the side of accuracy versus lush overly ambient sound. But that doesn't make me right or you wrong. I love both the Snell A7 phantom and the XRT 290, talk about speakers on the either end of the clarity spectrum.

For HT you want front speakers with the highest definition possible because the side speakers and rear speakers carry the ambience the director and producer want you to hear and not the native quality of your room.
 
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Have a pair of Klipsch Cornwall II's which I love, but I also have a pair of AR 2ax's, 2 pairs of KLH Model Six's, and a pair of Wharfedale W60's. I would love to sell off the extra pair of KLH's and Wharfedale's, but nobody wants them. I won't just give them away, yet. I've been rotating the Cornies with the AR's, and last night stacked the AR's with a pair of Model Six's, and that combo sounds great(driven by the 500C). Using the Wharfedale's as stands. Luckily my wife has no issues with anything I do when it comes to speakers in the living room.

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No need to defend what you like. I just like one pair in a room, myself, but that's me. I do enjoy a variety of presentations, too. I just get it by having three systems in three different rooms. I do not seek to proselytize my beliefs about multiples in a room to anyone, though I have offered them. I think everyone should do whatever they enjoy for listening to music.

Many years ago (okay, decades) I once had six pair all playing simultaneously in one room and loved that at the time. Over time I came around to just one pair, sometimes - as now - with subwoofers. However, if I were at onwardjames for a listening session, I am sure I'd enjoy his gear.
 
Multiples are a nice luxury. I agree with onwardjames, “best” is not really the goal here. It is just plain fun when you connect components that make magic together, regardless of their monetary value. Without the luxury of having mutliple setups, a person can’t experience this. True, not everyone wants to, but for those who do, vintage, because of the deals out there, allows one to experience the fun. Now all this is only true if your dwelling and the people in it allow this to happen. Fortunately, even though my wife periodically rolls her eyes at me, I get to experience the fun. The latest combo I am flabbergasted over is my Luxman L530 with the Dahlquist DQ6ci. For what I paid for the Dahlquist, they shouldn’t sound so good. And the irony is that when I decide to shed them, I will have a hard time to find a buyer. Vintage is a strange animal.
 
I’m totally of the same mind. I greatly enjoy trying different combinations of amps and speakers and music. Really eye opening. One thing I’ve yet to have is a class A amp, or a tube amp. I’ve got Klipschorns, Heresy II’s and HIP’s and a really, really nice set of JBL C53 Libras with reformed woofers, among a few others...... but I’d love to know what they sound like with something other than a good mix of quality receivers.
 
Sometimes I would like to have a third pair of speakers, just in case. And I am somewhat curious what other speakers sound like.

BUT I am so satisfied with what I have. The Cerwin Vegas R O C K !!! And can play at levels that I just can´t tolerate anymore, without any distortion.

My Grundigs sound so sweet (paired with a sub crossed over at 80 Hz). They are absolutely divine with classical music.

I MIGHT pick up another pair of speakers someday, when I have money left over ( don´t know when THAT´S going to be :( ). But untill them, I´m satisfied.

edit: I am curios what a big buck system would sound like, but I can´t really imagine it impressing me.
IMG_20180104_165744945.jpg
Messaged and Tweeked CERWIN VEGA's Satisfy the Senses like few other brands can !
 
I'd love to have more speakers, more amps, more of everything. The nagging question arises however. Would one not be better off served by spending their audio funds on the best SINGLE system he can afford?

Sure. But sometimes I want music in the master bedroom (Emotiva PT-100, Adcom 535-II and Klipsch Forte), and I keep a modest system in the guest bedroom (NuForce pre, Emotiva Flex-amp and Debut B6). Most of the real dough went into the main system in my sig, though.
 
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