| Pi speakers are not just "fun" speakers [message #45265] |
Wed, 25 August 2004 13:25  |
James W. Johnson
Messages: 199
Registered: May 2009
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Master |
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I have heard this more than once and in my opinion it should be that the Pi speaker is the reference and that bookshelf X and floorstander Y are the "fun" speakers. I think one possible answer is that maybe the average consumer is just used to the thinner, weaker , less full sound that comes from the small speakers that most home speaker manufacturers sell. As one guy put it, we as people might percieve change as bad
regardless of what direction the change is. Since the Pi speaker sounds different then the run of the mill speaker it may register as sounding worse when in reality its actually the more accurate speaker. Ive spent alot of time with my Pis and have tried carefully considered their sound and tried as best I could to be open minded about it, my conclusion is that these are some of the most accurate speakers I have ever heard.
Discuss amongst yourselves.
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| Definition of "Accurate" [message #45271 is a reply to message #45265] |
Wed, 25 August 2004 15:20  |
GarMan
Messages: 960
Registered: May 2009
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Illuminati (2nd Degree) |
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James, I've lived with a PI Speaker in one form or another for almost a year, and one of the things I've learned during that time is that there are many ways to define "accurate". Like the people you talked about, I was initially taken back by how different the PI Two Towers sounded, compared to something like my Polk Audios. The Polks (and its generic sound) were what I was used to and I didn't know what to make of this 10" paper cone driver. To me, the 2PI Towers has a colour to its tone and in that respect, is not accurate. HOWEVER 1) its tonal "inaccuracy" is non-offensive and I quickly adjusted to it as the new "normal", and 2) it was more accurate sounding than the Polks because of its better dynamics. You know what my big lesson with the PI's are? Dynamics is more important in creating an accurate presentation of live music than a ruler flat response. If a speaker too hot, too warm, or too midrangy, the ear can adjust for that. But if it compresses, it will always sound dead and inaccurate, regardless of how flat the response is. Gar.
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| Forgot to mention detail and nuance [message #45275 is a reply to message #45272] |
Thu, 26 August 2004 14:28 |
GarMan
Messages: 960
Registered: May 2009
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Illuminati (2nd Degree) |
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Gave this some more thought last night and it would be a sin to not metion how my PI's are able to present details and nuances that my Polks never could. Aside from dynamic range, the ability to resolve low level details contributes to accuracy. Through my PI's, I was able to hear:
- smack of the lip in vocals
- rush of air through the singer's nose
- sound of turbulance from trumpet solos
- the click of the hammer in a piano
- sound of a mallet hitting the surface of a tom-drum before the sound explodes None of this were available from the "generic" speakers I was used to. But with the PI's you get that "live in your room" sound. Gar.
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| impressions from my bro and I [message #45278 is a reply to message #45265] |
Thu, 26 August 2004 19:18 |
ToFo
Messages: 219
Registered: May 2009
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Master |
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I agree so far with the thread and I want to tell you about my Brother the musician. My brother has never had a "Hi-Fi". He has been playing forever and heard a lot of nice gear at various friends/bandmates houses as well as my stuff, but never been moved to replace his awful gig PA he used as stereo. One day while we listened to my Theater 4's. we played some disks that he knew well. At one point he stood up and said "holy crap! Thats it. Thats really what it sounds like." He usually talks through a CD, but now he was attending to it and hearing things he had never heard. I knew I had to build him some. I gave him Theater 3's for Christmas and now I get a call every few weeks where he tells me how amazing it is to hear yet another (his music collection is enormous) classic as it was meant to be heard. He has since invested in decent electronics and collects music even more avidly than before. As for his appreciation for the nuances, it comes out differently from an audiophobe. He can now clearly hear if the lead vocal is double tracked or which guitar/amp is being used (and where the pickup switch is set for that matter)and it is fun to see him hear a part way back in the mix that he never heard before. I have had many speakers that do these things and some better, but have never gotten his reaction before. I am convinced that it is the Pi's "total package" quality that does it. I still have a great soundstage and detailing, but I have clean, loud power, with dynamics and a smooth presentation that I never got from the small cone and dome stuff. I think that some of my old speakers were amazing, but the problem is they sound bad with close miked and compressed material. in other words almost anything recorded in a studio or since the 60's. I like a lot of classical, Jazz and what I call salesmans cd's, but dammit, sometimes I want to listen to a label other than Chesky or Deutche Grammaphon (nothing against them, but you know what I mean). I have had only one speaker to clearly beat the Pi's at something. For microdynamics and quiet listening my Acoustats have never been beat, but they are tedious to listen to otherwise. They take a 20 foot room to sound good, "sweet spot" the size of a nickle and they don't go anywhere near loud, yes they are in the storage room and I do love my Pi's.
Thomas
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