Speaker Reviews - Is there ever a bad Review?

[PhotoByMark]

As someone who has been doing research on speakers for 3 or 4 months now I find it very rare to find a review that is not good. So many brands, models, types and it seems like 99% of the reviews are very favorable of the speakers being reviewed. I guess that is par for the course?

Speakers can be such a subjective thing anyway. I think it is time for me to go the next stage and start the auditions of the ones I am most interested in and even better, discover ones that I would have not even considered.

What's my point? I suppose that reviews can only get you so far and that my ears need to start doing the reviewing.

And so the second leg of my journey begins.

The Audition!

[bonehead848]

Your right, its personal preference above all. Speakers are very expensive and people want to believe they made a good purchase. You drop a couple grand on a pair of mains and you are not quite the most unbiased listener. This is the reason many people still love bose. "It sounds better than my tv speakers so its the best thing ever!!!!!!!"

[PhotoByMark]

I agree. I got to go start the whole listen to them review.

Funny thing: Of all the reviews I have read (pro and consumer) the one brand that did have some negative reviews are the Bose Cubes.

It went something like this:
Pro's: Easiest speaker to throw against a wall.
Makes me laugh in a sick/twisted way.

But ya know, had I not started reading around and joining sites like HT Shack I probably would have bought the cubes. Back in October I almost did. I was aware they weren't the best but thought they were good stuff. I will not say they are horrible but I now know that for the same $$$ one can get a better sounding/quality product. PHEW! Close call.

[Funkmonkey]

I think that most speakers, from the relatively inexpensive to the extremely expensive, do some things well. That is what people write about, the good points, especially the pro reviews because they are trying to sell you the speakers based on words. You get the same thing with the car magazines, a car could be the worst piece of junk to ever come off a line, and there would be a review of it saying how nice the dashboard was laid out, and how nice it was to have cupholders in the back seat... Speakers are the same thing, if sound comes out of them, they have something that someone will like about them. I've been trying to read between the lines lately (I too am researching speakers, and I have been auditioning). When I read a review that says "really clear highs," and "the bass played really loud for a speaker this size"; I'm thinking bright sounding, lacking in the midrange and boomy bottom end... Okay, maybe not that harsh but you get my point. If someone does not comment on it, the speaker is most likely lacking a bit in that area, and if they go on and on about one aspect of it's sound that may be all that it has to offer (and quite possibly become an irksome trait in the long run).
Good luck in your search, it really is true what they say about picking speakers out: Audition, Audition, Audition
On the other hand maybe ignorance is bliss.

[Sonnie]

The one thing to be careful of when listening is going to dealer showrooms. In those cases you are reviewing the setup of the system, the room acoustics and the speakers. The sound could be and probably will be different when you get them home. In home trials are preferred if possible.

[PhotoByMark]

Yep, In home trials would be the best. But the logistics of that scares me. I live way out in the boonies and to "Buy" some speakers, bring them home, try them, take them back to town and repeat the process etc? That is why I really was leaning towards going with Axiom or other places that I could try at home and ship back if I do not like. Truth be told though, in all probability if I get something to the house, the odds are very high that I would just end up with those speakers. I am pretty easy to please for starters and I think I would like them and well, I think I would just be too lazy to pack them back up and send them back. LOL.

There are some high-end audio stores around in San Antonio so I feel I like I need to invest a couple trips to hear at least a few brands. Maybe even I hear a few that and find something in the "Ballpark" that I like then I can at least post and ask others for other speakers similar to that sound?

I am curious to hear the Magnepan's - maybe the 1.2s or 1.6s? And Martin Logans and Paradigms so many so many more BLAH! Driving me crazy this stuff. (But fun! don't get me wrong here).

[warpdrive]

PhotoByMark wrote:

Yep, In home trials would be the best. But the logistics of that scares me. I live way out in the boonies and to "Buy" some speakers, bring them home, try them, take them back to town and repeat the process etc? That is why I really was leaning towards going with Axiom or other places that I could try at home and ship back if I do not like. Truth be told though, in all probability if I get something to the house, the odds are very high that I would just end up with those speakers. I am pretty easy to please for starters and I think I would like them and well, I think I would just be too lazy to pack them back up and send them back. LOL.

Critics of the Internet Direct model say that it's precisely the fact that most people, once they get speakers home, will find them ok enough that they don't send them back. Most people lack a proper reference to really gauge a speaker. For instance, I was all set to buy an Axiom speaker but when I A/B'ed it against another brand, I preferred the other brand by a long shot.

I don't think it's that bad to audition at a dealer even though you are hearing the dealer's room acoustics. If the same speaker sounds really bad once you get it home, that should send the message that you need to fix your room acoustics as much as possible. You should never buy a speaker that has flaws to compensate for your room acoustics, you should buy a speaker that sounds good in a acoustically correct environment. Often many things can be done to improve the sound.

[tonyvdb]

Buying new Speakers are allot like buying cars, even after test driving one or even several you never really get a taste of what they will be like until you bring it home and use it for awhile.
The best thing to go by is by asking on forums like here where users have actual in home use of various brands. There are so many good speakers out there that its tough to recommend just a few.
There are pro's and con's with going with Towers over Bookshelves and price doesn't always mean that your getting the best. In home auditions are the best way to go but not always possible. But as said above even in the showroom where the acoustics are near perfect you can get a good idea of what you like.

[Sonnie]

In home auditions via direct mail Internet companies are very good options for you. Of course you may be out the shipping on some of them.

Hmmm... if you ever get Martin Logan's in the house, I doubt you'll send them back.

[PhotoByMark]

Warpdrive, I agree and I know that is probably what would happen to me. I would mean to pack them up and send them back but, then life happens and they do not go back.

MMMMMM, Martin Logan's I do not think I ever heard them but I am willing to bet I would really like them!

Sonnie, why did you pick the MLs that you picked? as opposed to all the other various versions of MLs?

[Sonnie]

They are fairly recent models and have been very well reviewed. They are very reasonable on the used market and were within what I was willing to spend. I had several dealers who have heard them all over the years tell me that the Ascent i's were one of their favorites.

[PhotoByMark]

Looks like the Magnolia stores in a few of the Best Buy stores is my best bet to audition. I will go check them out. If I went MLs I am thinking I would have to go used but thats ok with me. Selling yours Sonnie? LOL. PS - I can guess the answer to that question.

[salvasol]

PhotoByMark wrote:

Looks like the Magnolia stores in a few of the Best Buy stores is my best bet to audition. I will go check them out. ...

If you're lucky ... maybe you'll find some open box deals ... I saw a couple of weeks ago at my local Magnolia, some ML's for $399 (regular $900+??) ... they also had some Definitive Tech

[PhotoByMark]

Rest assured I will ask that question....

[WmAx]

PhotoByMark wrote:

As someone who has been doing research on speakers for 3 or 4 months now I find it very rare to find a review that is not good.

There are certain things a review is good for: let's assume you can find several reviews of the same speaker, and you can find common statements in each review in regards to a certain 'flaw'. If that is the case, it is likely it is true. As for positive statements, these are usually just bologna thrown in for a colorful review, so far as I can tell.

Considering the common advice to " go listen for yourself ", this is sadly the best thing to do, considering the common circumstances.

As a side note, one can look for credible 3rd party measurements of sufficient data points to determine many things relating to audibility. You can, if you have sufficient knowledge of the relevant perceptual research and how it correlates to measurements and how measurements are made, and what errors they are subject to, determine most things or importance from measurements. You also can determine in that case, if certain hardware or manipulations would be of great assistance. However, it seems that very few people would be willing to invest the massive level of work required to learn these things. I can't blame them, as this would normally equate to years of study of research as well as your own experimentation performed under careful controls to reduce/remove personal bias. Even the majority of speaker designers lack sufficient knowledge to correlate, so far as I can tell, so it would be ridiculous to expect consumers to be familiar with this information.

-Chris