The Pulsar’s published specifications indicated that they’d be a fairly easy load, and with a larger cabinet volume than the Rosebud II, I was optimistic that the blend of my new room, my 80Wpc tube amp, and the Josephs would be a synergistic one. Since minimonitors often need lots of power to bring them dynamically alive, and to meet their sometimes challenging impedance and efficiency specs, I had to search for a while - until I ran smack dab into Joseph Audio’s Pulsar ($7700/pair). This was just a bit too much space for my little Red Rose Rosebud IIs ($3500 USD per pair when available) to fill, but it seemed appropriate for a stand-mounted design that was reasonably efficient and somewhat larger. My new room measures 14’L x 9’W, with a 9’ opening along one side into a large kitchen, and a faceted sloping ceiling with a maximum height of 11’. ![]() Minimonitors also avoid the problem of something I can’t stand: mushy, one-note bass. I love minis’ speed and transparency, and their often-sublime coherence, imaging, and soundstaging. My old listening room was perfectly suited to my favorite type of loudspeaker, the stand-mounted minimonitor. Inevitably, they’re shocked by how much bass some smaller speakers can produce - yet what they’re really hearing is taut, pitch-defined upper bass that has tons of snap where the mud used to be.Īs I moved into a new house this summer, I thought about this a lot. Asked for advice in setting up a system, I’ve told many friends to pull the bass in a notch, explaining that unless they listen only to hardcore dance or techno, or if most of their friends are tweaked-up ravers, so much bass will overload their rooms. Needless to say, the sneaky bastard who’d set it up for him made a nice chunk of change.īass freaks never seem to have enough until there’s waaaaay too much. He loved that system, and I didn’t have the heart to tell him that he could have spent vastly less and gotten far better sound. ![]() However, as nothing good ever comes from some punk audiophile scribbler offering advice after the purchase has been made, I stayed mum. The sound was not good - the poor room was overwhelmed at both ends of the audioband and at many points in between. I once attended a dinner party at the home of a wealthy music lover who, when he learned that we shared that passion, invited me downstairs to listen to his “big rig.” The system, set up by an “expert,” included some very expensive hardware shoehorned into a space too small to accommodate the power amplifier and the two large subwoofers and the pair of near-full-range speakers. Or perhaps they don’t understand how much power and speaker a room can accommodate, or lack access to anyone, be it a friend or a reputable dealer, who can offer guidance. This is sometimes because they don’t know what sound they want, and sometimes because they make buying choices based on price alone, figuring that the more expensive equipment must automatically sound better. Many people who get into hi-fi spend way too much money for the sound they get. ![]() Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere’s Fan, Act III (1892) “What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything, and the value of nothing.” Note: Measurements taken in the anechoic chamber at Canada's National Research Council can be found through this link. 2018-2019 EISA Awards Video Introduction.
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