Detailed sound speaker.

[Yosef Mandel]

Hi,i use a studio monitor headphones Sony mdr 7506,i like the detailed sound,that i can pin point exactly what i'm hearing.I'm looking for speakers that is this level clear,i have 2 speakers from Roland KC 60,not studio monitor speakers, but good ,each costs over $300,but doesn't have the detailed sound of the Sony headphones,is this because headphones will always be more clear,or i can find even speakers as good,if yes, please tell me which speaker. I also want loudspeakers that are so good,meaning besides speakers for my small room,i want the same quality speakers that are louder, for events.(i might need a few in order to be enough loud.)Which speakers might be good for me? In short, i'm looking for real detailed sound speakers and loudspeakers, if there is such a thing. This might include a sub also.
Thanks so much.

 

[Art Welter]

i have 2 speakers from Roland KC 60,not studio monitor speakers, but good ,each costs over $300,but doesn't have the detailed sound of the Sony headphones,is this because headphones will always be more clear,or i can find even speakers as good,if yes, please tell me which speaker. )Which speakers might be good for me? In short, i'm looking for real detailed sound speakers and loudspeakers, if there is such a thing. This might include a sub also.
Thanks so much.

Yosef,

Headphones largely eliminate room ambience from the listening experience, and the MDR 7506 have very flat phase and magnitude response. Speakers that have flat phase and magnitude response and emulate a single point source, such as co-axial or multiple entry horns will bring you closer to "headphone like" detail, but reflected sound will always reduce that.
There really is no one speaker to point you to, as the best speaker(s) for listening one meter, 10 meters, and 100 meters are all quite different requirements, and very dependent on the environment they will be used in.

Art

 

[Yosef Mandel]

Thanks so much for the fast reply. Just give me examples (if you have),and i'll check it out. I need speakers for playing on keyboards,one keyboard is a arranger,+ i use togethor a MIDI controller keyboard,connected to all different plugins,i play literally all different styles,sometimes with a lot of tracks,so i want to be able to hear all tracks clear at once. I understand that the loud speakers(used for big rooms/hall) may be very expensive,but maybe i'll go for it.
Thanks for helping me.

 

[Caleb Dueck]

Thanks so much for the fast reply. Just give me examples (if you have),and i'll check it out. I need speakers for playing on keyboards,one keyboard is a arranger,+ i use togethor a MIDI controller keyboard,connected to all different plugins,i play literally all different styles,sometimes with a lot of tracks,so i want to be able to hear all tracks clear at once. I understand that the loud speakers(used for big rooms/hall) may be very expensive,but maybe i'll go for it.
Thanks for helping me.

What size room, or better yet how far away? Is this in your home, or on stage performing?

If in your home, and they're a couple meters away - look at studio monitors. Adam A7X are a common example that most people say sounds great without being very expensive. If in a home environment, listen to the room (clap and listen to the decay). You may need some acoustic treatment on the walls (2-4" thick), and make sure outside noise like freeways, trains, airplanes, etc aren't contaminating everything.

If performing on a stage - something coax. There are various quality coax floor wedges (Radian Apex line, EAW Microwedge, RCF NX12SMA, etc) that work great. If you're looking for a speaker you can put on a stand next to your head - Martin CDD Live 15 is pretty good, Fulcrum FA22 is great and gets pretty loud if needed. Danley SH50 over a TH118XL, or Danley SM80F, are great but expensive. Danley SM100F is also worth a close look, and plenty loud for a single person.

 

[Yosef Mandel]

What size room, or better yet how far away? Is this in your home, or on stage performing?

If in your home, and they're a couple meters away - look at studio monitors. Adam A7X are a common example that most people say sounds great without being very expensive. If in a home environment, listen to the room (clap and listen to the decay). You may need some acoustic treatment on the walls (2-4" thick), and make sure outside noise like freeways, trains, airplanes, etc aren't contaminating everything.

If performing on a stage - something coax. There are various quality coax floor wedges (Radian Apex line, EAW Microwedge, RCF NX12SMA, etc) that work great. If you're looking for a speaker you can put on a stand next to your head - Martin CDD Live 15 is pretty good, Fulcrum FA22 is great and gets pretty loud if needed. Danley SH50 over a TH118XL, or Danley SM80F, are great but expensive. Danley SM100F is also worth a close look, and plenty loud for a single person.

Thanks so much,i'm so thankfull,i had no idea from those speakers,i'm not used to see those in public events.Do you know why? I want speakers for both,my home,and for public events. Also,what about a sub (meaning a speaker for low frequency,and bass),should i also buy subs or those speakes do the job of a sub? If yes, which subs should i look into? Thanks so much.All the best.

 

[Caleb Dueck]

Thanks so much,i'm so thankfull,i had no idea from those speakers,i'm not used to see those in public events.Do you know why? I want speakers for both,my home,and for public events. Also,what about a sub (meaning a speaker for low frequency,and bass),should i also buy subs or those speakes do the job of a sub? If yes, which subs should i look into? Thanks so much.All the best.

As to not seeing in public - rigging is a big factor. Studio monitors aren't used due to SPL output, Danley and Fulcrum aren't as common due to form factor (not a line array), not sound quality. Your specific uses aren't the target market for a large-format line array, so it's no surprise you haven't seen them much. Also - sound quality isn't the key factor in what speakers are used in public events.

For a keyboard - you'll need speakers that extend in frequency, but since it's not the main PA - you shouldn't need a sub. If they are also used as your full home stereo, then yes you'll need a sub. Most of the options above have more bass than 'normal', other than the floor wedges, as you don't want deep bass typically from a wedge.

The type of speakers/subs that work best for home studio, vs live monitoring, vs live performance - are all different. The closest to 'does everything' and sounds amazing are probably one of the Danley speakers over TH118XL subwoofers, or the Fulcrum over TS221 subs. They will be very large and expensive for home use, and large and heavy for monitors, but will work for live performance use very well. Depending on what the rest of the system is, how well it's deployed, etc.

 

[Yosef Mandel]

As to not seeing in public - rigging is a big factor. Studio monitors aren't used due to SPL output, Danley and Fulcrum aren't as common due to form factor (not a line array), not sound quality. Your specific uses aren't the target market for a large-format line array, so it's no surprise you haven't seen them much. Also - sound quality isn't the key factor in what speakers are used in public events.

For a keyboard - you'll need speakers that extend in frequency, but since it's not the main PA - you shouldn't need a sub. If they are also used as your full home stereo, then yes you'll need a sub. Most of the options above have more bass than 'normal', other than the floor wedges, as you don't want deep bass typically from a wedge.

The type of speakers/subs that work best for home studio, vs live monitoring, vs live performance - are all different. The closest to 'does everything' and sounds amazing are probably one of the Danley speakers over TH118XL subwoofers, or the Fulcrum over TS221 subs. They will be very large and expensive for home use, and large and heavy for monitors, but will work for live performance use very well. Depending on what the rest of the system is, how well it's deployed, etc.

I want to make sure i understood well,is there any downside with Danley or Fulcrum?(besides money and heavy). Also, from your experience,do they sound as detailed like studio monitor,even when playing in halls that are not treated for sound,or only when the hall is treated?

 

[Caleb Dueck]

My experience has been with installations, where rider friendliness isn't an issue. As such - both brands, properly powered and processed, sound amazing. Either is a large step up from the common music store options, and easily on par or better than the common pro touring options. There are other good coax options out there (L'Acoustics X15 HiQ, d&b E series, etc) but they're more expensive than Fulcrum, or don't have more than just a coax driver.

Room acoustics don't affect the sound coming out of the speaker, only the sound that hits your ears. Any speaker, no matter how good, will be influenced (degraded) by the acoustics of the room. Speakers with better pattern control (the larger Danley models, for example, rather than Fulcrum) will have less impact from the room, but it's still there. There isn't a single speaker make that will negate a poor acoustic space.

If you want to build your own speakers - the PM60 from Peter Morris with the new B&C coax HF driver is supposed to be excellent.

 

[william weiss]

For keyboard amplification check out the Nord Forum on amplification. I read through all 20 plus pages and the winner is :

A pair of RCF TT08's. Besides keyboards I play electronic drum samples so I went with the TT10's with a 10 inch woofer. These speakers are the closest I have heard to studio monitors/headphones. Incredible clarity and endless headroom for home/small to medium gigs. Max 130 dB. Compared to other speakers of lesser quality, the others tend to get harsh as they approach their limit. The RCF's stay clean until your ears give in first. If you play synth you will need a subwoofer, these speakers drop off quickly on the low end. People that play mainly AP don't usually get a sub. For weight purposes I got the RCF 702 12 inch subwoofer. 700 watts RMS, completely fills in the missing low end. I boost the signal through a small Yamaha mixer MG06X. Incredible system!

A step down to save money would be a pair of QSC K8.2's paired with a sub.
Going with Fulcrum's or the other top brands will easily double the price and usually the weight of the RCF system. I don't think those types of systems are a good match for home use.

 

[Yosef Mandel]

For keyboard amplification check out the Nord Forum on amplification. I read through all 20 plus pages and the winner is :

A pair of RCF TT08's. Besides keyboards I play electronic drum samples so I went with the TT10's with a 10 inch woofer. These speakers are the closest I have heard to studio monitors/headphones. Incredible clarity and endless headroom for home/small to medium gigs. Max 130 dB. Compared to other speakers of lesser quality, the others tend to get harsh as they approach their limit. The RCF's stay clean until your ears give in first. If you play synth you will need a subwoofer, these speakers drop off quickly on the low end. People that play mainly AP don't usually get a sub. For weight purposes I got the RCF 702 12 inch subwoofer. 700 watts RMS, completely fills in the missing low end. I boost the signal through a small Yamaha mixer MG06X. Incredible system!

A step down to save money would be a pair of QSC K8.2's paired with a sub.
Going with Fulcrum's or the other top brands will easily double the price and usually the weight of the RCF system. I don't think those types of systems are a good match for home use.

Thanks so much.Do you know if the TT 22 and TT 25,are also as good? i need something louder then 130db.

 

[william weiss]

I believe the whole line has similar voicing and same 90 degree dispersion. The TT22 12 incher "just" goes up to 131 dB, not much difference. The TT25 is 134 dB. I don't know if a 15 inch speaker is right for keyboards. Call Jim or Kyle at RCF tech support. They are great and will answer all your questions. 732-902-6100

 

[Randy Gartner]

You will never find a speaker that sounds as good and as detailed as good headphones. If you want something close, get a good pair of IEM's.

 

[Max Warasila]

You will never find a speaker that sounds as good and as detailed as good headphones. If you want something close, get a good pair of IEM's.

I don't agree; in fact, I find the opposite to be true.