Bright speakers

[browndk26]

I was listening to some Sony Sony SSF6000 and Polk TSI400 speakers. The sony's were very quiet/dull sounding and the pols were much louder especially high notes. Is this an example of what people call bright speakers?

[StimpsonJCat]

Originally Posted by browndk26

I was listening to some Sony Sony SSF6000 and Polk TSI400 speakers. The sony's were very quiet/dull sounding and the pols were much louder especially high notes. Is this an example of what people call bright speakers?

That may be just a difference between lower quality and higher quality speakers. Listen to some Klipsch (horn based) speakers if you want to know what "bright" sounds like.

[aramis109]

This is an example of Sony's less-than-stellar speakers. I wouldn't call the Polks especially bright. Have you had a chance to listen to anything else?

[Steve]

I think you're on the right track, although most people don't really find Polks to be bright. If you could listen to Polk and Paradigm or Klipsch next to each other I think you would find the Klipsch the brightest and the Paradigm the next brightest. "Bright" usually refers to an emphasis on the higher frequencies/treble.

[StimpsonJCat]

Also keep in mind that you can get a "bright" or "warm" sound with settings in your AVR. So just because a speaker is considered "bright", "warm" or "fuzzy" (-jk ) you can usually tweak this sound to what you prefer.

[browndk26]

There were some Klipsch KF2 or 3's there also. They sounded as loud or bright as the polks. Didn't listen too carefully to the klipsch though.

[StimpsonJCat]

Originally Posted by browndk26

There were some Klipsch KF2 or 3's there also. They sounded as loud or bright as the polks. Didn't listen too carefully to the klipsch though.

Also remember when you go to a store who knows how they have everything setup. It may be the best way you have to audition these speakers, but they may not sound anything like that in a properly setup environmenet.

[EidolonAlpha]

Being a Paradigm owner I can tell you they're not "bright". Very balanced speakers that don't focus on the higher frequencies.

[xneox]

Sony = paper tweeter
Polk = silk tweeter
Klipsch = titanium tweeter (in a horn)

This is not the end of the story by any means, but in my experience, speakers with titanium tweeters are going to be the brightest. Silk is smoother...paper, just there.

JBL also uses titanium tweeters and mine are very 'bright'...so much that I don't think I'll do titanium when I upgrade. I prefer the sound I've heard from silk...but that's just preference.

Also, I'm sure some higher-end speakers loaded with titanium tweeters aren't overly bright at all, probably as a result of quality, deliberate crossovers. I've just not heard any.

[McLoki]

I find that many brite speakers (like klipsch) to sound fantastic for the first 15min. Amazingly detailed and very accurate even at low levels. As the listening time increases to 1/2hour or more though - I get more and more the "icepick to the ear" feeling. I just cannot listen to them long term.

Everyone has their own opinion of what sounds good though and I completely understand why people like brite speakers - I am just not one of them.

Get your listen on to as many brands and lines within brands as you can. Also make sure you spend your time with them before you put down your money (listen to a CD, not just a song). In the end, purchase what sounds best to you - not what someone on the forum or a friend of yours said you should like.

Michael

[xneox]

Originally Posted by McLoki

I find that many brite speakers (like klipsch) to sound fantastic for the first 15min. Amazingly detailed and very accurate even at low levels. As the listening time increases to 1/2hour or more though - I get more and more the "icepick to the ear" feeling. I just cannot listen to them long term.

This.

I find them (titanium tweeters) great for movies...but I have a pair of Insignia NS-B2111s (silk tweeter coaxially loaded in carbon-fiber driver) that walk all over my JBLs for musical SQ.

[RWetmore]

The Sony SS-F6000's tweeters produce really smooth natural sounding highs to my ears. I can listen to them all day at loud volumes and my ears never tire or become fatigued. I've owned Polk and Klipsch as well. Both are really too bright for my tastes. I listen to mostly orchestral classical but pop too.

I think this review of the SS-B3000s (same tweeters) posted on Amazon.com from a professional orchestral musician say it all:

"HECK OF A BARGAIN, April 1, 2008

I'm in the unfortunate position of having audiophile ears but a small budget. So I shop carefully for audio equipment. I purchased a pair of Sony B3000s here recently ($84), and while I auditioned them I was also testing a pair of Klipsch B-3 bookshelf speakers ($329). I only use my system for audio, by the way, in combination with a 100w Sony subwoofer, and I listen mostly to classical music.

I noticed a big difference in sound right away- the Sonys seemed to be accurate up and down the frequency range while producing a very even, smooth ensemble sound in full orchestral passages. To my ears the Klipsches did none of these things well. I'm an orchestral musician and I know what different instruments sound like- the Sonys reproduce all the instruments very accurately. The Klipsches, on the other hand, were so bright and lively that I found them harsh and difficult to listen to. They're more efficient, so they produce louder sounds at the same volume setting, but that's not a consideration for me. All that I want is accurate reproduction.

I compared both pairs side-by-side with a wide range of recordings, for about 50 to 60 hours each, and ultimately, for my tastes, the Sonys far outperformed the Klipsches. And at 1/3 the price of the Klipsches they were a heck of a bargain. They're not high-end speakers so they're not going to blow your doors off, but for the money they're a great value."

[JasonR]

Originally Posted by EidolonAlpha

Being a Paradigm owner I can tell you they're not "bright". Very balanced speakers that don't focus on the higher frequencies.

I wouldn't call the Sigs or Studios bright, but would say the Monitors are a bit too forward for my liking. Even if they have a greater balance over some other speakers.

[Rob J in WNY]

Originally Posted by xneox

Sony = paper tweeter
Polk = silk tweeter
Klipsch = titanium tweeter (in a horn)

I do believe that the Sony SS-F6000 speakers have a hard polycarbonate tweeter and not paper.

But these old Sony's of mine had paper tweeters:


My old Sony SS-U6030 speakers were replaced by Polk Audio T90e speakers.

[xneox]

Originally Posted by Rob J in WNY

I do believe that the Sony SS-F6000 speakers have a hard polycarbonate tweeter and not paper.

Actually, Sony's "Nano-Fine" tweeter is paper. It's surrounded by a plastic frame and has a small plastic dome suspended over it by a couple thin ribs.

All other drivers are a polycarb of some sort.

[callas01]

What matters is what you prefer in terms of Sound. And what you can afford in terms of Budget.

To me I thought that my old Sony speakers were good for a $350 5.1 setup. But once I got around to looking into new speakers, I found that there were better speakers for not too much more that were more accurate and detailed. Speakers that were more musical and sounded better with HT then the boomy Sony speakers that drowned out detail. Yes they are loud and great for any explosion, but the nuances of the sound were missing, and that is what I have now. Powerful bass that doesn't overpower the details. I find now that I know about speakers and have heard many more, that YES the Sonys do sound flat, and lack mid-range.

Klipsch I do find bright, I can watch a movie listening to them, but would rather not listen to music with them. Paradigm are a brighter speaker to(monitor 7s), but not like the Klipsch can be. I will have to consider Paradigm when I upgrade, but there is gonna be some competition when I replace my Energys. Polks are nice, nothing really bad about them, to me the high seem slightly exaggerated, but I think that makes them better for HT then Music. Mid-range is not as good as say the Energys I have, but they are nice sounding speakers too. Definetly a good entry-level speaker to pick up.

I would suggest if you are interested in speakers to also listen to Energy C series, KEF iQ5s, Monitor Audio BR5s, PSB Alpha T1s. They are all great speakers you should audition if you are below $1000 entry level setup.

[crazyBLUE]

Originally Posted by Rob J in WNY

I do believe that the Sony SS-F6000 speakers have a hard polycarbonate tweeter and not paper.

But these old Sony's of mine had paper tweeters:


My old Sony SS-U6030 speakers were replaced by Polk Audio T90e speakers.

Dang Rob , That speaker looks BRAND NEW !!

[lojack1976]

I own JBL speakers and yes they can be considered bright, but they are not as bright as Klipsch speakers. I also own some Sony bookshelf speakers, and though they have a warmer sound I would also consider them to be a bit muddy. I've heard much worse, but the sound quality of Sony speakers is just solid at best.

Polk speakers are a tad bright so in that regard the difference between Polk and Sony will be noticeable, but I think you are also hearing a difference in quality. Its not really a fair comparison between Polk TSi series and pretty much any of Sony's offerings. The TSi series just outclasses what Sony offers. The Polk Monitor series would be more comparable IMO.

You should also consider the receiver you are using for the speakers in use. You may find that the receiver being used will change how the speakers sound. The difference in the sound of my speakers when switching from my Onkyo receiver to my Harman Kardon receiver was very apparent. The added warmth of the HK gave my speakers a completely different sound.

I've even read in some threads where people recommend not pairing certain brands of speakers with certain receivers because the end result is not optimal. Of course that is still all up to the listener's preference, but in my personal experience I do find that certain speakers seem to match up better with specific brands of receivers.

[ozzman]

Originally Posted by crazyBLUE

Dang Rob , That speaker looks BRAND NEW !!

I had something like those sony speakers i gave them to my DAD.Just looking at them just makes me so grateful Ive moved forward ,Yeah its paper.

Mirage has titanium hybrid tweeters.They were the FIRST company to put them out

Iam sorry i still thinking about those Sony speakers,Not impressed,You guys can call it warm i want to call it something Else LOL

[got rice]

The term "Bright" is somewhat exaggerated at times. I think "Forward" would be a better description. More in your face. Kind of like being in the front row of a concert.

Klipsch is known for their forward presentation due to its Horn technology. They are very effient. Many people like this sound especially for HT. Music not so much.

Paradigm Monitors are slightly forward, but as mentioned before, they do offer a nicer blend of the mid-range and low end. Great for HT, and sound pretty darn good for music. I believe the Monitor line is Paradigms effort to offer something for the budget minded enthusiast. Great Speaker. JMO.

If you want something warm or neutral try the Paradigm Studio Line.