Speaker upgrade confusion

[guf]

In the past 1.5 years i have purchased 5 new pairs of speakers: 3 pairs of salk (internet direct company), 2 used and one new. A pair of active a5 for my computer and then a set of orcas. I have settled  with 2 sets,  a main system, Salk SS8's that is probably 15 times more expensive than my desktop system of Orcas and no sub powered by a sex amp. I'll go days ( not often) without listening to my main system. My orcas are a really fun engaging sound, not a ton air moving from them but you feel it emotionally not physically like with a bigger box speaker. Similar to a headphone or a maggie. When i built a crack and got headphones i had to learn to love the headphone. I was used to the physical feeling of a bigger speaker.  When i sit down in front of the main system i'm blown away, but its more of a commitment, it's "better" and fuller and amazing sounding... but as fun? not really, it's serious not fun. I spend more hours listening to the orcas with the sex.

i recently went to the SF audio show and honestly was really unimpressed with most the set ups that were on the expensive to really expensive side. Sure its probably because very few people had any treatments in the room. Its harder to demo speakers for a lot of the internet direct speaker companies but the pay off is greater. i purchased all of my speakers without hearing any of them. i know not recommended but there are some great resources to research, and  to find local owners that will demo speakers for you.  With all that said, i highly recommend the orcas and maybe another pair of box speakers. you will find things you like in both and those things will change over time.
good luck

[earwaxxer]

Well said Guf... The 'fun' aspect is so important IMO. The sound cannot be just "technically" good. You know, clean, large stage, quick with good extension, bla bla bla... It has to have 'soul'. I have not heard anything except for tubes that can do that. Period. Speakers are of course a very important piece, but they cant do it all. 

[Clark B.]

Guf,

Thanks for the mention!  Indeed, its been the hardest quest of all, taken by far the longest of all initiatives, to engineer "fun" into the sound.  I'm glad I was a music history major and not an E.E. (for me personally, because I was able to self teach most of the engineering I've needed as I've gone along, and learn the rest by proxy to talented people who were willing to teach). 

Our qust with the company is to make HiFi culturally relevant again.  And it has proven to be a much more fulfilling pursuit than to just try to make our graphs wart free.  Additionally, we are after as practical of a package (and price) as possible in the Orcas and accesories.  The tough part  these last few months (paradoxically, because you'd normally think that when you just spend more, you'd get more) has been trying to get that same sound into our upcoming larger and more expensive speaker model releases.  But we are close... very close... to realizing that goal!

Cheers!

-Clark

[Grainger49]

Now Clark, I'm an EE but didn't have to go to school to know what fun is or sounds like!   Well, maybe I learned when I got my Psychology degree?

And the Orcas are fun!

[Clark B.]

Grainger,

Actually, I did have to go to school to learn what "fun" is in music.  Paradoxicaly, I started this quest from a very analytical perspective.  My dad is a biostatistician, I aced my SAT's, and I was president of the math club in high school, etc. etc. 

So when I met Terry Cain, he told me - "dude, you've got to balance out your talents...you really should consider learning about music from music's viewpoint rather than learning music from an acoustical science's standpoint purely." 

Boy, am I glad that I balanced out my math heavy upbringing with an music degree.  Of course, I still did alot better on my music theory than on my piano performance, but still... so important to have a balanced mind in any pursuit.  Terry was the only guy with the gumption to tell me how warped my perspective was.

Surely, we've all got strengths and weaknesses.  part of what makes life interesting.

Cheers,

Clark

[Grainger49]

You should have been a teenager in the 60s.

My wife and I had dinner with Terry and his wife at the 1003 2003 VSAC.  He warmed up after a few minutes and it is a memory I will cherish.

[Chris]

"My wife and I had dinner with Terry and his wife at the 1003 VSAC."....... My Gaawwddd man, you are an old mofo.......     couldnt let that one slide.......

[Grainger49]

My profile says "Old Fart", what more do I need to explain it???

[Chris]

Explain how you attended the 1003 VSAC...

[4krow]

 He was there in spirit.

[Grainger49]

That is what I get for typing in the dark at 6:00 AM.

[Chris]

Haha, that is why I was saying you were old... you were there a thousand years ago... your stamina is incredibly impressive...

[Grainger49]

Ah, HA!  But maybe I would be wiser?

[4krow]

  You made this far sir, what's wisdom got to do with it?    'That's a joke son. I say-I say, the boy don't have too much cookin' in the kitchen, if you get mah drift.' When I die, maybe I'll come back as Foghorn Leghorn.

[Grainger49]

Loved Foghorn Leghorn!  My last boss at K-C was from Coosa Pines Alabama.  He was the human incarnation of Foghorn Leghorn.