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Speaker fatigue? Stupid question...

goaliechris

Active Member
I have had Dynaudio Contour S3.4 speakers since probably 2003. Loved them for a long time. However, I recently visited my brother who has a bunch of Naim gear connected to Totem Forests. Obviously different room, different sources, different pre and power, but I came away very impressed. So much so, I got to wondering am I just used to my sound and I heard something different and was blown away? Granted my stuff is more centered around home theater and his is 2-channel only and vinyl.

Anyone else experienced this? Is it maybe time to try something new?

Edit - wow, looks like Dynaudio is changing. These speakers may be in demand.
 
Different will always have an impact on you, good or bad. But, and this is important, we are always impressed in the short-run by boosted treble and bass. Much like a row of TVs in a store, the brightest one with the sharpness turned all the way up seems the best, a set of speakers with more bass and more treble will seem better at the moment.

However, for long term extended listening, a more smooth and natural sound will allow you to enjoy the music and not the speakers. Also, boosted bass and treble often causes proper listening fatigue where you will lose interest or get headaches after long listen sessions.

Tat said, you were not comparing apples to apples, which you pointed out. Even if you were listening to the same music, the LP will always sound different from a digital version. One of the reasons I have Supertramp's "School" as my opening track on my speaker auditioning ad test CD is because it is very complex and dense from the middle to the end and stresses any system. It also sounds very different on every system as any change to frequency response or increase/decrease in distortion will bring out different instruments. Sometimes I still believe I hear a new part I've never noticed before after decades of studying that specific song. That can be exciting when it happens, but it doesn't mean the system which brought out the new experience was better or even preferred.

What's great about this hobby is all the psychological confusion it brings out in us. We can be told a new cable will enhance the detail, and no matter how much we doubt tat statement we Will almost always experience our interpretation of those words, even when a new cable wasn't switched into the system. Our brains have terrible auditory memory and are daily fooled.

So, the question is this... when you listen to music at home do you mentally notice how it sounds, or do you deeply get into the music?
 
Good points and a good question. My wife came away impressed with his system as well but I agree. I remember when a dealer was trying to sell me an upgraded power cord and switched them. And of course we both "heard" an improvement. So easily fooled. Not to discount his stuff at all, it's great soundin but I think you're right.

I enjoy listening to my system but I think it may be time to upgrade some of my sources and components as I've had some issues and lost an older CD player among other things. I have a 14 years old 5-channel amp and an old pre/peo. Not going to touch my speakers.

My wife loved the vinyl sound as did I.
 
Chris, I've actually experienced just the opposite. Twice.
I auditioned every speaker within reason back in 1979, ended up with "new" Advents. Used them exclusively for 30 years. In around 1998 I auditioned studio monitor speakers, ended up with a pair of Tannoy Reveals w/subwoofer; I set them up next to my Advents, and A/Bing them (admittedly not a blind test) I could hear a very slight difference between the two, but couldn't verbalize the difference nor could I pick a favorite.
When I finally upgraded to 5.1 (and joined this motley crew at S&V) Advent was out of business; after much auditioning I ended up with Monitor Audio Silvers; again, direct A/Bing with my Advents (in stereo) very slight difference but soooo close!
No doubt I've heard plenty of speakers that sound better than my system, but starting at $17K each, I can't consider them.
FWIW.
 
Good for you Botch! My thing was that the Totems are much cheaper than the Dyns.

I think it was a combination of things including Flint's observations - sources, room, the experience at the time.
 
goaliechris said:
I think it was a combination of things including Flint's observations - sources, room, the experience at the time.
Agreed; when I auditioned my 5.1 systems it occurred to me that I was driving all over the state, getting fatigued, completely different room for every audition, etc. The one cool thing was that every room included DefTechs, and they pretty much were my favorites everywhere, until I heard them against the Monitors; worked for my ears.
 
Welp, wife and I had a listening session last night. After commenting that she liked the sound of my brother's system (more open, richer were her comments), I had to agree - but something was wrong. And I figured out, through moving main speakers, wire switches, that my 13 year old amp is losing it. One channel is clearly more dominant but not all the time. There were occasions when it was okay. That now makes 2 amps out of the 5 that are sketchy (center goes out sometimes). I listening to it enough that I am certain that the amp is going. Which is okay - it served me well for a long time at a really reasonable price.

Time for a new amp. Maybe its time for that Bryston again or a Parasound...
 
Make sure the speaker wire connection points are not corroded or collecting dust. If you are using banana plugs, just remove them, wipe them off and reinsert them.
 
Also, if the amp has a trim control or volume knob, clean that by vigorously turning in fully in both directions about twenty times.
 
Thank you. I'll check the speaker contacts but pretty sure I have this figured out based on all of things I did last night. Sound was dominant through the right speaker, changed the speaker wires at the back of the amp and the effect was dramatic - now left speaker was clearly stronger.

Unfortunately there are no trim settings.

I haven't totally given up on it yet. I've also had issues with the amp the center uses - sometimes crackles and then goes out. Switch the power off and on and it fixes it.
 
For what it's worth I've always loved the way Totems sound. To me it's hard to find any new speaker that sounds as good, at any given price point, as anything in the Totem lineup. Having said that (and I know I'm not hitting the same price point) I prefer the sound of the Contour S5.4 over the (less expensive) top-of-the-line Totem Wind. But not by very much. (I've got many many more hours of listening to 5.4s than Winds.) My guess is that I'd prefer the Wind over the 3.4 (and I've not heard the Contour 3.4 - which is below the Wind in cost - so this truly is a guess on my part.)

Jeff

ps. The one (and probably only) thing that turns me off Totem, is their snake oil claims for speaker break in requirements. Here's what they typically say for each of their speakers:

"The speakers require several hours of actual music playing time as a minimal break-in period. During this time, refrain from playing them at very loud levels. You will notice a definite gradual improvement in the cohesiveness of the music reproduction as this occurs."

There are so many things wrong with that as to be laughable. For example if they require "actual music" (as opposed to what - the spoken word?) then surely the type of music will matter (again as opposed to just sound - and not "actual music".) And exactly what is meant by "the cohesiveness of the music reproduction" and how does it change with time? Makes me cringe - and gives me serious pause about ever wanting to by any of their speakers.
 
If you like a case of true listening fatigue, purchase speakers with titanuim tweeters.

Rope
 
I think the Winds are around $13k retail which is up there for the Contour range. I'd like to hear them as like you I've been impressed with their lineup.

But you are right - some of their recommendations are nuts. Have you seen their "beaks" you put on top of the speaker?
 
Zing said:
JeffMackwood said:
...I've not heard the Contour 3.4...
I know where you can. :angelic-green:

Me too. :happy-smileygiantred:

Had a listening session last night. I'm still amazed every time I listen. Sister in law wanted to hear them last night....and she was in awe of the imaging and how they don't sound loud. Over 90 dbs for most of the session.
 
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