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From: bwm@ccice2.UUCP (Brad Miller)
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: Re: How to choose speakers
Message-ID: <608@ccice2.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 25-Feb-85 12:55:28 EST
Article-I.D.: ccice2.608
Posted: Mon Feb 25 12:55:28 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 1-Mar-85 06:21:46 EST
References: <263@lcuxc.UUCP>
Reply-To: bwm@ccice2.UUCP (Bradford W. Miller)
Organization: CCI Central Engineering, Rochester, NY
Lines: 28
Summary: 

In article <263@lcuxc.UUCP> wjm@lcuxc.UUCP (B. Mitchell) writes:
>I thoroughly agree with Dick Grantges (hound!rfg) and Andy Koenig (rabbit!ark)
>about the problems with high-end stereo stores who only put one pair of
>speakers in the room.  This is another one of those infamous Linn myths that
>was thoroughly debunked here on net.audio in 4Q84.
>The minimal effect that one or more additional sets of speakers have on the
>sound is far outweighed by the ability to perform A/B comparisons.

Um, I may be off base here, but my understanding of A/B comparisons was that
the extra impedance that had to be switched in to equalize the loudness of
two speakers penalized more efficient speakers. A local high end audio dealer
here (Gala Sound) demonstrated this to me once -- he took a reasonable (but
not great) set of accoustic suspension speakers, and A/B'd them with a pair
of highly efficient (and expensive) ones. The expensive, efficient speakers
sounded terrible by comparison. Yet, removing the extra impedance from the
circuit and driving it on the same source material, it was readily ascertained
the expensive drivers were doing a better job reproducing the sound.

While I can certainly appreciate the problems with longer term memory vs. A/B
tests, it would appear that one cannot A/B speakers with different impedance
or efficiency ratings - which makes A/B somewhat impractical. Better would be
to set up two separate amps and correct for loudness (I guess), then, once you
have made your decision, reverse the amps so you know you are not listening to
coloration from the amps.

Brad Miller
-- 
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