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Don't judge all of us audiophiles with a blanket statement. Yes, measured hearing capacity is definitely a key metric to know (why invest in super tweeters when

Don't judge all of us audiophiles with a blanket statement. Yes, measured hearing capacity is definitely a key metric to know (why invest in super tweeters when you can't hear past 18KHz for example), but room acoustics is probably the very next thing I'd look at. I've seen so much "expensive" gear in rooms that are absolutely horrid in terms of sound reflections. Just a carpet, curtains or a couple of cheap sound panels can make wonders in improving sound if you know just a bit of the physics of sound. You don't have to invest in super expensive equipment to do that. Furthermore, there is a healthy DIY community these days, where you can build your own speakers, cables, amplifiers, etc, with very little effort, and get a lot of enjoyment in the process and with the product. I built a set of LX521.4 and LX Mini speakers from Siegfried Linkwitz [0] and it changed completely the way I listen to audio now for an order of magnitude less money that what I'd had to pay otherwise... [0] http://linkwitzlab.com/ http://linkwitzlab.com/

pbronez 6y ago
Can you provide some more detail about your experiences with these speakers? I’ve seen the designs before, but they’re so exotic they seem like a gimmick. I want to make two sets of speakers. First, a two channel set up for my home office, to play high-quality music while I work and handle conference call audio. Second, a monitor for my synthesizers. They produce a crazy range of detailed sound, and I want something that reproduces all that detail across a full range, even at lower volumes, and ideally without strict placement/listening position constraints. I dream of building a battery powered custom speaker bank for synth busking / disturbing the peace.
- Natales 6y ago
  I wrote about my experience with the minis first [0] and then with the LX521.4 [1]. The posts are old and I moved since then, but my experience has not changed. The minis are unreal. The quality of the sound you get in such a small (and cheap to build) package is to my knowledge, unmatched. Actually, I had them in my home office until recently [2]. As long as you have 1 to 1.5 ft of distance from the walls, they'll work like a champ. The LX521.4 will go down to 20Hz, but the dipole open baffle bass is not "punchy" in the sense of pressurizing a room, but rather, you feel it all around. So it depends on the kind of music you listen to. I prefer classic rock and jazz, and some electronica, and so far I find them very rewarding. The community in Oplug Support is very friendly and will help you in anything you want to know. [0] https://ramirosalas.com/2016/02/on-my-lxmini-speakers/ https://ramirosalas.com/2016/02/on-my-lxmini-speakers/ [1] https://ramirosalas.com/2017/11/complete-linkwitz-setup/ https://ramirosalas.com/2017/11/complete-linkwitz-setup/ [2] https://oplug-support.org/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=4941&p=44858&hilit=home+office#p44858 https://oplug-support.org/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=4941&p=44858&...
ohazi 6y ago
Thanks for the reminder -- I have an unassembled LX Mini kit in my closet that I should really build. I was fortunate enough to meet Siegfried at one of his listening sessions about a year before he passed away, and we had a fun conversation about physics and electronics. Very nice man, with the right mix of formal (with his super nice diagrams) and informal (with his scrappy, clever, practical designs).
- Natales 6y ago
  I cannot agree more. I also had the pleasure of meeting him at his home in Corte Madera. After an hour of conversation and listening, of course I was really impressed with his creations, but during just a moment, I saw a glimpse of why he was really sharing his living room with a total stranger: it wasn't about the speakers or the tech. It was about music. He ultimately wanted to share his love of music.

pbronez 6y ago

Can you provide some more detail about your experiences with these speakers? I’ve seen the designs before, but they’re so exotic they seem like a gimmick. I want to make two sets of speakers. First, a two channel set up for my home office, to play high-quality music while I work and handle conference call audio. Second, a monitor for my synthesizers. They produce a crazy range of detailed sound, and I want something that reproduces all that detail across a full range, even at lower volumes, and ideally without strict placement/listening position constraints. I dream of building a battery powered custom speaker bank for synth busking / disturbing the peace.

Natales 6y ago
I wrote about my experience with the minis first [0] and then with the LX521.4 [1]. The posts are old and I moved since then, but my experience has not changed. The minis are unreal. The quality of the sound you get in such a small (and cheap to build) package is to my knowledge, unmatched. Actually, I had them in my home office until recently [2]. As long as you have 1 to 1.5 ft of distance from the walls, they'll work like a champ. The LX521.4 will go down to 20Hz, but the dipole open baffle bass is not "punchy" in the sense of pressurizing a room, but rather, you feel it all around. So it depends on the kind of music you listen to. I prefer classic rock and jazz, and some electronica, and so far I find them very rewarding. The community in Oplug Support is very friendly and will help you in anything you want to know. [0] https://ramirosalas.com/2016/02/on-my-lxmini-speakers/ https://ramirosalas.com/2016/02/on-my-lxmini-speakers/ [1] https://ramirosalas.com/2017/11/complete-linkwitz-setup/ https://ramirosalas.com/2017/11/complete-linkwitz-setup/ [2] https://oplug-support.org/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=4941&p=44858&hilit=home+office#p44858 https://oplug-support.org/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=4941&p=44858&...

ohazi 6y ago

Thanks for the reminder -- I have an unassembled LX Mini kit in my closet that I should really build. I was fortunate enough to meet Siegfried at one of his listening sessions about a year before he passed away, and we had a fun conversation about physics and electronics. Very nice man, with the right mix of formal (with his super nice diagrams) and informal (with his scrappy, clever, practical designs).

Natales 6y ago
I cannot agree more. I also had the pleasure of meeting him at his home in Corte Madera. After an hour of conversation and listening, of course I was really impressed with his creations, but during just a moment, I saw a glimpse of why he was really sharing his living room with a total stranger: it wasn't about the speakers or the tech. It was about music. He ultimately wanted to share his love of music.