Something I rarely take time to write about on this blog is the sizing of instruments.
Some speakers — typically those with smaller drivers — create images of instruments that are too small, smaller than you would picture them in your mind if you were sitting in the audience with your eyes closed.
Other speakers — typically screens of one kind or another — produce larger-than-life images of instruments and vocalists. In the 70s, I heard a lot of screens and full-range electrostats — these come to mind, and there were plenty of others like them, Magneplanars and the like — but the images never seemed right-sized or real enough to be taken seriously.
I opted for a big dynamic system in the mid-70s and over the course of the next fifty years never heard anything that would give me reason to doubt that choice.
Further Reading
- More speaker advice
- Our system just loves certain records – why is that?
- Tuning and tweaking are essential to improving your critical listening skills
