Different speaker presentations..

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Re: NVA Update

Unread post by _D_S_J_R_ »

Once you get used to a particular sound presentation and like it, nothing else will do. If you like Cubes, especially the smaller models, nothing else sounds like them so you're on a non-starter listening to anything else without some kind of re-adjustment. Not judging, just trying to put extensive past experiences into current listening - to various Cube models as well as conventional speakers of various styles and presentation.
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Re: NVA Update

Unread post by _D_S_J_R_ »

CN211276 wrote: Tue Jul 09, 2019 5:12 pm
_D_S_J_R_ wrote: Tue Jul 09, 2019 4:34 pm Once you get used to a particular sound presentation and like it, nothing else will do. If you like Cubes, especially the smaller models, nothing else sounds like them so you're on a non-starter listening to anything else without some kind of re-adjustment. Not judging, just trying to put extensive past experiences into current listening - to various Cube models as well as conventional speakers of various styles and presentation.
To my ears Cubes provide a more authentic presentation of music and this applies to 1s, 3s, and Cubettes, all of which I have heard. I believe that the main problem with the system I heard at the dealers were the speakers which were also very bass light compared to Cube 1s. In addition the "sweet spot" was very narrow. Richard was very scathing about tall thin WAF floor standers and after hearing a pair I can see why.


I've heard a good few waf-friendly floor standers in recent months and you know something, they all sound subtly different from each other, even to my tired ears and some of them are really good as well as being fairly discrete for a busy family household. Cubes are very much a personal taste imo and ime (I had Cube 2's here for a number of weeks in an attempt to 'convert me' to their charms)
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Re: NVA Update

Unread post by Classicrock »

CN211276 wrote: Tue Jul 09, 2019 5:12 pm
_D_S_J_R_ wrote: Tue Jul 09, 2019 4:34 pm Once you get used to a particular sound presentation and like it, nothing else will do. If you like Cubes, especially the smaller models, nothing else sounds like them so you're on a non-starter listening to anything else without some kind of re-adjustment. Not judging, just trying to put extensive past experiences into current listening - to various Cube models as well as conventional speakers of various styles and presentation.
To my ears Cubes provide a more authentic presentation of music and this applies to 1s, 3s, and Cubettes, all of which I have heard. I believe that the main problem with the system I heard at the dealers were the speakers which were also very bass light compared to Cube 1s. In addition the "sweet spot" was very narrow. Richard was very scathing about tall thin WAF floor standers and after hearing a pair I can see why.
That is a generalisation that doesn't hold water. There are plenty of towers out there that produce serious bass depending on size and design. Some small ultra thin models seem pretty pointless and offer less than a decent standmount. You would be surprised at the amount of bass my ancient Missions produce with appropriate amplification. Usually a ported design is used to enhance bass in this type of speaker. What is more authentic. Nothing reproduces live music properly but an illusion can be created by a wide and deep soundstage. The cubes are good at producing the natural tone of instruments as well. I'm sure they are not unique in this but is there a speaker out there that is truly accurate to the source?
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Different speaker presentations..

Unread post by _D_S_J_R_ »

As requested by savvy, here goes -

'Once you get used to a particular sound presentation and like it, nothing else will do. If you like Cubes, especially the smaller models, nothing else sounds like them so you're on a non-starter listening to anything else without some kind of re-adjustment. Not judging, just trying to put extensive past experiences into current listening - to various Cube models as well as conventional speakers of various styles and presentation.'

If it's not too much trouble, perhaps Savvy could transfer the responses to this over from the NVA future thread please?

P.S. Ultimately, Cubes, Harbeths or impressive but expensive Naim 500 driven active Kudos 707's as I heard this afternoon, it doesn't matter really as long as the user can listen to music for long periods, find it enjoyable and expense be damned...
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Re: Different speaker presentations..

Unread post by CN211276 »

There is a Cube Club thread and there is little I can add to what I posted on it earlier in the year. To these ears the semi opnidirectional design is superior and I believe it boils down to a living room not being a concert hall. It is less aparant that music is coming out of speakers. I also think that the lack of a cross over with Cubes has a positive effect, being a believer in less is more. I fail to see any attraction in tall thin floor standers which seem to be the rage now. Bass extension is dependent on the size of the cones and marketing :Bllocks: cant change that.
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Re: Different speaker presentations..

Unread post by zebbo »

All I know is that I've had more speakers through my lounge than you could shake a stick at. Big ones, small ones, tall ones, short ones, pretty ones, ugly ones, electrostatics, hybrids you name it and nothing worked satisfactorily. Then I tried the Cube 1s. I tried them, more than anything, out of desperation. I wasn't at all sure what to expect but had it in my mind that the presentation would be too diffuse for me as I like a good 3D image/sounstage or whatever you wish to call it. How wrong was I ! They certainly did produce what I wanted but in an exceptionally "easy", unrestrained way, much more natural sounding. That was me hooked, and no more box swapping thank goodness, (well apart from going from Cube 1s to Cubix-Pro when the opportunity presented itself ! ) 8-)
If the Cubix-Pro hadn't come along I'd still have the Cubes and would still be a happy bunny.
Also, my wife is actually quite happy now too. Not that she likes the speakers, as she doesn't, but she is very happy not to have a different set of speakers in the lounge every few months! :lol:
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Re: Different speaker presentations..

Unread post by karatestu »

zebbo wrote: Wed Jul 10, 2019 7:54 am
Also, my wife is actually quite happy now too. Not that she likes the speakers, as she doesn't, but she is very happy not to have a different set of speakers in the lounge every few months! :lol:
One way to deal with the wife in these matters is to question the choices she makes on things home related. Too often us men shy away from giving our opinion or don't have one (all for an easy life). Then she will know how it feels and possibly back off. It is as much our house as theirs :grin: If we are passionate about music then we need to stick to our guns. It is bullying at the end of the day.
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Re: Different speaker presentations..

Unread post by zebbo »

:lol: Or learn to live without a sex life!
To be fair, my system is smack, bang in the middle of the lounge so I don't particularly want some pig-ugly monstrosity sitting here either.
Come the day that I get my own music room I'll probably have several pairs of speakers, in addition to my Cubix of course.
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Re: Different speaker presentations..

Unread post by CN211276 »

karatestu wrote: Wed Jul 10, 2019 8:09 am
zebbo wrote: Wed Jul 10, 2019 7:54 am
Also, my wife is actually quite happy now too. Not that she likes the speakers, as she doesn't, but she is very happy not to have a different set of speakers in the lounge every few months! :lol:
One way to deal with the wife in these matters is to question the choices she makes on things home related. Too often us men shy away from giving our opinion or don't have one (all for an easy life). Then she will know how it feels and possibly back off. It is as much our house as theirs :grin: If we are passionate about music then we need to stick to our guns. It is bullying at the end of the day.
I dont say anything about how many pairs of shoes my wife has and she does not say anything about the hifi. :grin:
Main System
NVA BMU, P90SA/A80s (latest spec), Cube 1s, TIS, TISC(LS7)
Sonore OpticalRendu, Chord Mscaler & Qutest, Sbooster PSs
Network Acoustics Eno, ifi iPurifier3, AQ JB FMJ, Cisco 2940 & 2960
DH Labs ethernet, BNC & USB cables, Farnells cat 8 ethernet cable

Second System
NVA P20/ A20, Cubettes, LS3, SSP, SC
Sonore MicroRendu, Chord Mojo 2 MCRU PSs, AQ Carbon USB cable & JB FMJ

Headphones
Grado SR325e/Chord Mojo, Beyerdynamic Avetho/AQ DF Colbat

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Re: Different speaker presentations..

Unread post by karatestu »

zebbo wrote: Wed Jul 10, 2019 7:20 pm :lol: Or learn to live without a sex life!
You don't need your wife for that :whistle:
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