Searching for the best speakers for LOUD music in a VERY large living room

 

New member
Username: Lambton

Australia

Post Number: 1
Registered: Apr-10
Hi everybody,
I am having a hard time finding speakers which will fill a large 7 x 12m living room (with a raked ceiling to nearly 5m). I like my music loud for long periods of time, and the salesmen of Sydney and Wollongong are scratching their heads to come up with a solution under about AU$4000.00 that I won't blow within a month!
I have even trialled a Peavey PA system but it sounds so awful....
I also have trialled the Paradigm Studio 100s which give the quality, but will not cope with the extended periods of loudness. The techie says I need larger bass drivers to cope so I searched the internet and saw that the Dali Lektor 8 speakers might do the job?
Any comments or suggestions to someone on a necessarily steep learning curve would be much appreciated...
Thanks, lambton
 

Gold Member
Username: Stu_pitt

Irvington, New York USA

Post Number: 3791
Registered: May-05
I'm guessing horn loaded speakers of some type.

ATC speakers can do very high volumes for a long time without losing dynamics, soundstaging and compression. One of the few speakers that sound better the louder they go, to a certain point anyway. I haven't heard them in a huge room though.

Only drawbacks - they need huge and clean power. Bryston's 300 watt 4B as a minimum IMO. The speakers also cost a lot of money too. They make powered speakers for a couple grand US.
 

Gold Member
Username: Magfan

USA

Post Number: 1076
Registered: Oct-07
Don't forget that speakers change over time. As they 'warm up' power handling actually diminishes.
A medium to hi sensitivity speaker with very high power handling capacity would be where I'd head. Stu's suggestion works.
 

Gold Member
Username: Magfan

USA

Post Number: 1077
Registered: Oct-07
http://www.transaudiogroup.com/atc/scm150asl-midfield-monitors.shtml

I don't know how much these guys are worth, but this ought'a bout do it.
 

Platinum Member
Username: Nuck

Post Number: 14897
Registered: Dec-04
They look loud in the ad.
really loud.
 

Platinum Member
Username: Nuck

Post Number: 14898
Registered: Dec-04
117 continuous is very loud.
 

Platinum Member
Username: Nuck

Post Number: 14899
Registered: Dec-04
also Lambton, I missed which amplifiers you are using...
 

New member
Username: Lambton

Australia

Post Number: 2
Registered: Apr-10
Thanks all for such a quick response. When I started this 'new speaker' journey I had no idea what I was getting myself into... those lovely ATC SCM150ASL 3 speakers would cost more than AU$30,000 here (the 'classic' version is AU$27,000) and then I would have to upgrade the amplifier no doubt. I am currently using an early 1990s era Luxman A330, so I assume I am asking a lot. When I inherited this property with the big living space I didn't realise that I had to multiply the volume AND then square it to determine the power required to fill the room with decent sound.

If I am asking the impossible price wise ($4,000.00), please tell me...
Many thanks,
 

Gold Member
Username: Dmitchell

Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Post Number: 3807
Registered: Feb-07
That's a very large room. Why do you need your music so loud?

What's the room like? Do you have carpet? Lots of plush furniture? Drapes? Curtains, etc? That'll determine what the room sounds like.

Maybe look at a pair of old school Klipsch speakers. If I had a room like that, I'd load in a pair of La Scalas, and my wife probably wouldn't even notice.
 

Gold Member
Username: T_bomb25

Aurora, Colorado United States

Post Number: 2216
Registered: Jun-05
The JBL Performance LS series is in your price range,and quite popular in the land down under,you should check them out,the ATC is very good choice to,their just not very efficient,the the Cerwin Vega XLS series is a good chioce to,with former Revel and NHT designers behind them,they are not the cerwin vegas of old.The Klipsch Icon WF-35 is a very impressive speaker,for not to much coin,for loudness,efficiency,and dynamics its not much that can compete with horns good luck in your search.
 

Gold Member
Username: Stu_pitt

Irvington, New York USA

Post Number: 3792
Registered: May-05
A good speaker to my ears that shouldn't have problems filling a large room at reasonably loud levels is the Revel Concerta F12 tower. Pretty efficient, very big physically and sonically, and has a bunch of drivers that look like they can take somewhat of a beating. They cost about $1500 in the States.

http://www.revelspeakers.com/products/specifications.asp?product=19

How do you add hyperlinks these days?
 

Gold Member
Username: Magfan

USA

Post Number: 1079
Registered: Oct-07
For 4000$ US I'd expect that 2 pair of Magnepan MG1.7s would work.
But than, you'd be in it for at least 2 pair of the Bryston 4Bsst's and electrical upgrades so each amp had its own dedicated circuit....and so on.
It'd get ugly. fast.

How about alternative setups like speakers at each end of the room? I know Lambton said 'loud' but how loud is that, actually?
I don't know the limits, but if he likes it over say....100db for an hour a day, the speakers will only have to last a couple months due to hearing loss.
 

New member
Username: Lambton

Australia

Post Number: 3
Registered: Apr-10
LOL Leo Stierer
I am one of those seemingly rare females who likes loud music to clean (vacuum) by and also to dance to (when I am alone). I live in the country and so have no problems with complaining neighbours - ever.
Thank you all for your suggestions - I will look into them all for availability etc. Luckily I have THE BEST salesman, who will come to my house and set up any system we decide upon. The room is all hard surfaces (brick and tiles) but the ceiling is insulated and lined with plywood, so the sound is surprisingly integrated and not harsh at high levels. I can't tell you in decibels, all I know is that I have already blown my old speakers, and the techie who is helping me is worried about the 1-2 hr time periods I want to have music this loud...
I'll keep you posted with any trials,
Appreciation plus to you all
 

Gold Member
Username: Stu_pitt

Irvington, New York USA

Post Number: 3793
Registered: May-05
Speakers rarely blow from being over powered and/or over driven. They mainly fail due to distortion. When an amp is pushed too hard, it "clips" aka distorts.

Not saying that that is why your speakers failed, but quite possible. When listening to music loudly, once you hear distortion setting in, turn it down.
 

Silver Member
Username: Hawkbilly

Nova Scotia Canada

Post Number: 912
Registered: Jul-07
Ed's M3's would do the trick.

http://www.thehornshoppe.com/model3.html

Price should be in the ballpark.
 

Gold Member
Username: Magfan

USA

Post Number: 1080
Registered: Oct-07
I'm serious about 2 pairs of panels.
Your room is about 12,000ft cubic capacity. Based on a 4 meter average ceiling height.
That is within the capabilities of 2 pair of panels. Place the first pairs tweeters IN. Put the second pair INSIDE the first, but oriented so that the tweeters are next to the first speakers tweeters. So you would have the panels so that the tweeters are in the center of the mid/bass parts of the panels. Talk about a wall of sound. Than you'd need a bunch of Bryston. A 4Bsst or better, per pair. Swap phase on 1 pair to keep 'em together.
 

New member
Username: Lambton

Australia

Post Number: 4
Registered: Apr-10
Sorry Leo, I laughed at the hearing loss comment (probably true), not your more serious suggestions. I will certainly bring your input up with the sales rep.
Thanks again all,
 

New member
Username: Lambton

Australia

Post Number: 5
Registered: Apr-10
I have just been offered a pair of brand new Triangle Australe 260 speakers(with full warranty) for AU$4950.00 which the sales rep says will do the job with my current amplifier. It appears that these speakers are no longer made by Triangle, but I would be interested in your collective opinion.
The Revel Concerta F12 speakers were also considered appropriate but with a new, more powerful amplifier - which would end up being the same total as the Triangle speakers on their own.
Thanks in advance for any comments
 

Platinum Member
Username: Nuck

Post Number: 14910
Registered: Dec-04
That's a lot of money to be tossing about, lambton.
Like, a LOT!
There are lots of products out there.
 

Gold Member
Username: T_bomb25

Aurora, Colorado United States

Post Number: 2219
Registered: Jun-05
If you want loud get horns its that simple,the Triangles wont hold up for the kind of loud your talking about,even though they do have their own version of a horn tweeter.
 

Gold Member
Username: Magfan

USA

Post Number: 1082
Registered: Oct-07
http://media.audiojunkies.com/pechner/grateful-dead-wall-of-sound-8.jpg

This'll do it.
Someone posted this sometime ago and thought it'd amuse.
 

Gold Member
Username: Petergalbraith

Canada

Post Number: 2236
Registered: Feb-04
Never heard them up here in Canada, but many people on AVS love these for HT and music:

http://jtrspeakers.com/home-audio/triple-12ht/

Anything horn-loaded would also do high SPL without strain. Look for sensitivity above 100 dB at 1W and 1m.
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