Speakers: tweeter or bass?

Mike

Mike

Audioshark
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Sarasota, FL
When you’re shopping for new speakers, what is more important to you, top end or bass? Are you looking for a detailed, lively, airy tweeter? Are you looking for a smoother tweeter? Are you looking for deep big bass or are you looking for tight bass?
 
In my case as follows...:

Tweeter --> smooth well defined (not so penetrant to bother your ears after long day listening)
Midds --> present and sweet
Bass --> tight (but present with no necessity of Subs)
 
My favorite music lives in the midrange (vocals, acoustic guitar, piano). I am not a bass-head but speakers that only go into the low 30Hz range don't do it for me. Bass has to be tight and articulate. Highs must be easy on my ears.

The two worst offenses of speakers for me are boomy bass and a harsh top. I can live with the crime of omission more than the crime of bad "commission".
 
I was always a Bass Head and played Bass for years. I bought my Dynaudios for the bass and silk tweeter. Back then, metal tweeters gave me fatigue after a while. I am hoping that has changed a little bit if I end up with a pair of Fyne 502s that I have no way to demo. When I got my Clearfield Continentals, VAC-Counterpoint setup, it lacked deep bass but I ended up learning to love the Midrange and was fine with the detailed and tone of bass even if it was not real deep and pounding. All my Demo music is actually Bass heavy like Fourplay, Marcus Miller, Primus and such.

I am hoping to find a nice compliment of smooth non-fatigueing tweeter along with controlled Bass and big Mids.
 
I like a well defined bass. Prefer a more bottom up sound. I don't mind hearing metal cymbals clearly but they have to be clean as to not be harsh. Smooth highs without seeming rolled off.
 
I need toe tapping. That sometimes means its realistic music sounds and sometimes just MUSIC.

That being said - these are what I think helps in getting to the toe tapping:

Tweeter is the first thing - cause with a harsh top end, a system is worthless. can't toe tap if you are cringing - imo

after that it needs to play at the sound level you like in your room.

then everything else.

as a side note - bad bass is SOOOOOO much worse than NO bass.

You can't have anything the makes you go --- (censored)
 
The salon 2 probably had my favorite tweeter, detailed but not hot. Bass from active speakers is tough to beat. Judging from many reviewers favorites a boost of 10 db around 100 hz will get a 'highly recommended' every time, personally I just need a bass line I can follow.
 
If the speaker doesn’t have a silky smooth tweeter, it is off the table. The tweeter should draw no attention to itself whatsoever. Bass should be accurate, articulate and deep reaching. For me, it doesn’t have to be visceral, punching me in the gut.

Ken
 
Tweeter is first and foremost important to me. Any forwardness, brightness or harshness is an absolute deal breaker. Mids need to sweet and organic. Bass is great but I can give it up a little.

Vocals and piano are most important to me.
 
I look for a smooth integrated response for both drivers, with excellent horizontal and vertical off-axis response. There should be excellent spectral decay with minimal ringing for both drivers, and minimal comb filtering.
 
Every great concert I have ever been to has moved me with tight bass that I could feel. This is my quest for the holy grail in home audio....
 
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