Are all speakers at Best Buy/Circuit City crap? (1 Viewer)

[TJEli]

The Insignia bookshelfs from Best buy are getting great reviews from the audio world. They are only $50 per pair.

-Eli

 

[dany]

Get what you pay for in speakers.

 

[MikeLi]

"YES"

 

[LanceJ]

I always wanted to see a double-blind test (DBT) done with speakers considered to be mass-market junk with pedigreed and/or pricey speakers that pro reviewers shower with praise. I have a strong feeling many of those speakers that are thought of as being superior would receive the same or worse score than the "junk" speakers. And I believe it is not a coincidence that hi-end/esoteric audio forums usually ban the discussion of DBTs.

There have been many times when I thought I had adjusted something on my system - like a bass control, a soundfield or another feature that truly audibly affected the sound - and after an hour or even a few days of listening to it that way I finally noticed I hadn't adjusted that particular feature......but all that time I was thinking how much better my system sounded now.

After several of these incidents I finally realized how useful DBTs could be and at the same time my interest in hi-end audio took a serious hit.

I'm not saying truly superior speakers don't sound any better than something much cheaper but IMO the differences aren't always nearly as large as some people think. And grading a speaker's sound quality strictly on its spec chart and price tag is a big no-no. Grumpy old man lecture over.

 

[dany]

In a blind test you cant tell the difference from $50 junk speaker and a nice $300 speaker then get your hearing tested. Receivers,players that are 4,5,600 different in a blind test might be very hard if at all to tell but not speakers. Go ahead and use some $50 speakers and turn your bass one way or the other,i'll take some nice mid-priced speakers that i can truely hear the detail and true bass without adjusting that little B knob.

 

[LanceJ]

I wasn't talking about $50 3-way speakers with 12" woofers or similar bargains - I was alluding to the brands I mentioned in my other posts (Boston Acoustics, Polk, etc). Even I have limits.

btw: here's a 20 min video about audiophiles (I only watched the first half) with views of some really exotic gear & interviews with its owners. The first speakers you see are some big Tannoys similar to these with (I think) owner-added supertweeters. The next guy - "I was a normal human being until......." - shows off these JBL K2s.

 

[ChrisWiggles]

I've never heard anything of remarkable quality at best buy. They have some reasonably passable brands like JBL and Boston, but IMO they are not very good performance or value. You can do a lot better.

 

[LanceJ]

Well for people who don't like to purchase speakers online, they are still a decent choice. For me speakers are in the exact same category as clothing & shoes when it comes to buying them via the Internet: I don't buy them from the Internet. The chance of them not "fitting" isn't worth the savings.

I guess I am just not up on the latest lean/mean financial thinking i.e. just call me "Lance The Luddite".

BTW: I am assuming peoples' opinions here are based on objective observations.........& not because they simply didn't like a certain speaker's sonic personality. For example, I've seen many *negative* opinions over the years of Wilson's "Watt-Puppy" model (around $22K per pair). It's usually accused of sounding too bright, analytical or downright harsh. Or from a diffrent era: while the "Large Advent" was one of the best selling speakers of all time (in 2006 dollars about $600/pair, built in Massachussetts) its detractors complained about it using words like "dull", "uninvolving", or "the music just laid there". Just sayin'.

My own Boston Acoustics speakers, a pair of CR9s, like any other BAs I have heard properly set up, have pinpoint imaging similar to much pricier brands* and deeper bass than comparably priced speakers from other manufacturers, but their sound is a bit on the warmish side, an INTENTIONAL design choice (its easy, relatively speaking, to build a speaker to sound whatever way its designer wishes, even when using drivers that are very similar to another brand's models). Though for whatever reason, I've noticed a lot of online manufacturers sell speakers that have a reputation for an analytical/bright sonic signature.

* despite the melodramatic advertising from so many hi-end manufacturers, it just isn't that difficult to design speakers that do this. This ain't the 1960s anymore folks.

 

[dany]

I wouldnt spend 10K for 5 speakers but i wouldnt spend under 1K either. I to would need to hear before i bought online except i did buy my SVS but i think its abit different with a sub vs the other 5.