Matching speaker with room

[Bob_99]

There are a lot of threads regarding various aspects of speakers (cost, types, various amps driving them, etc) and I understand that the rule of thumb is to listen to them in your environment for the best test. I was wondering however, if there were any general thoughts about matching the type of speaker with the type of room. For instance, in addition to the size of the room, would there be a reason to consider the type of speaker for a well furnished room versus a sparsely furnished room? Or a room with a lot of wood furniture versus plush furniture? One of the threads on this forum discusses high end equipment and I think everyone needs to decide where the line is that they won't cross for a small percentage gain in quality and in my case, I would have to add my environment as a factor. Even if I could afford $50,000 speakers, it just wouldn't make sense to put them in the space that I have now (I imagine people who can afford them have way better space in any case ).

Thanks.

Bob

[drdoan]

Bob, good points. In general I think that speakers that are considered "Bright" will do better in a well padded room, whereas, more "laid back" speakers will do better in a less padded room. In my experience, I have found that adding sound absorbtion at the right places has made a very noticeable improvement in my HT room.
Having had the experience with SVSound (several subwoofers and the 7.1 SBS-01's) as I have, I have learned that there are products out there that will outperform much more expensive equipment. In other words, there are some mighty fine deals out there where less money buys more of what you are looking for.
I agree with you that there comes a point where more dollars do not translate into better sound. I personally think (at least with the speakers I have heard) that the Vandersteen 5A'a sounded better than anything I have heard to date. Now, will these sound as good as some $150,000 speakers? I haven't heard the expensive speakers, so I can't make a judgement. I can say that the expensive speakers, which are about 8 times as expensive as the Vandersteen's, most likely aren't 8 times better, if they are better at all!
Electronics today are getting very good for the dollar spent. But, I must point out that this is a hobby, and as such, tends to make one want to have the best he can afford. It is the hunt for something a little bit better that makes this hobby fun. Is it practical-Not at ALL! But it is fun.
Thanks for your insights. Dennis

[Bob_99]

Dr. Doan,

Thanks for the response. I'm pleased to hear that you enjoy the SBS-01 speakers as I am anxious to see what the LTS-01 look like. Can you tell me if the brightness of a speaker is related more to the general design or to the type of tweeter used? I was just wondering if there's a way to predict if a speaker would tend to be bright.

Thanks again.

Bob

[drdoan]

In my experience, several factors come in to play as to the "brightness" of a speaker. As a rule of thumb, a metallic tweeter tends to present more brightly than a cloth tweeter. but, it really boils down to the intended design of the manufacturer. I have heard the diamond coated B & W speakers, and didn't percieve them as bright, just very clear and clean. I have even heard Klipsch's that weren't overly bright in my HT room.
Unfortunately, it is always best to hear prospective speakers in your own home to make a good decision. I would also take the views of others more seriously than some do. That is why I love this forum, I can get good responses and advice.
IMHO, so far, the SVS's have impressed me everytime I listen to them, as being transparent, I just hear the sound of the source, not, the "color" of the speaker. Have fun, Dennis