Jump to content

Jubes vs “High end audiophile speakers”


AHall

Recommended Posts

BTW, the OP mentioned Wilsons.

 

I demoed two different pair with McIntosh electronics at a store I used to buy equipment with.  The models were NOT the Alexandrias.  It was the sabrinas and the sashas at two different times.   I was not impressed with these.  Infact at the time I was comparing them to The top of the line B&W 802's and their similar model with the 15" woofer (not the nautilus).  I actually liked these better than the Wilson's and they were less expensive.  I would still pick Maggies over any of those though.

 

I didn't like the bass on the Wilson's even when hooked to $12K amplifier.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

32 minutes ago, Chris A said:

Unfortunately, I'm now compelled to say that I disagree with some assessments over which loudspeaker configuration "sounds better"--realizing of course that my listening criteria are perhaps much different than theirs. 

 

Chris

 

It should be fine to disagree.  It's audio............ it's like Pizza.  Not everyone agrees which is best.  The best setup is the one each of us prefers.

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, Chief bonehead said:

What is the goal of a speaker?

 

Quote

Back in 1940 when I started working seriously with loudspeakers, my aim was to approach REproduction of original sound as closely as possible.  In 1946, when I produced the first components for the KLIPSCHORN loudspeaker, that was still my aim.  REproduction with accuracy has been my aim ever since.

 

Dope from Hope Vol. 22, No.2, 3 August, 1983 PWK

Good enough for me...

 

Chris

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/6/2019 at 10:36 AM, Chris A said:

especially if they can see the loudspeakers that they're listening to

 

Yes!  Thus the use of an acoustically transparent scrim, fabric or grille cloth to hide the speakers being listened to, or compared.  Ampex fooled me that way once with one of their smallish monitor speakers (self contained, with tube amps built in) behind an AT curtain at a Hi Fi fair.  I've also seen it done with burlap (perhaps not AT), a darkened room, with blindfolds, etc., and with some AT fabric from Acoustic Solutions (I think), and an AT screen in our home.  This last didn't involve a comparison, and the fabric + the screen added up to a very slight attenuation in the extreme highs, apparently fully compensated for by Audyssey.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, Edgar said:

I know that PWK mentioned that multiple direct radiators was a viable approach to increasing sensitivity and decreasing distortion, but I'm talking about subjective sound quality -- there may or may not be a correlation between the two.

When I asked PWK about Bozak Concert Grands, which were BIG direct radiator speakers, he said he never measured them, but believed them to be good (after I saw the photo of he and Rudy Bozak aiming sharp axes at each other on a wall print).

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, mark1101 said:

Of course I was at those get togethers in Roy's lab and sort of became the Jub villain among us.  As just about everyone except me bought Jubs...........I went and bought MWM cabinets.  It hasn't been mentioned yet here that Roy also did the same test with Jub vs. MWM and I always felt the MWM sounded much better.  This was in 2007 I believe.  I hunted all over to find some MWMs and started with 2-way, then 3-way and eventually 4-way.

 

I only got jubs two years ago and have tossed thousands at them in an attempt to get them to sound as good as the MCM setup.  The plan was to have the Jubs replace the MCM, and me get back some real estate in my room and cash out of the big MCM and multi-amp setup.  The plan failed.  The Jubs have their good points but just come up short compared to my MCM.   I still love and enjoy them for the great sounding speakers they are, but they will simply never replace my MCM.  I could see myself selling the Jubs but not the MCM.

 

Not too many folks making posts like this!!!  The truth!!!

I did the same thing within 2 weeks of you, back in 2007. I agree with what you say here.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/6/2019 at 10:36 AM, Chris A said:

I'd personally listen to people who are trained musicians to their impressions of a sound system and that have a good concept of what acoustic instrumentation sound like in real life.

 

Those of us who have played in orchestras or acoustic bands may be biased in favor of sound systems that sound like the actual instruments up fairly close.   We have often preferred horn loaded Klipsch, JBLs, Altec (in the old days), and other fully horn loaded or partly horn loaded speakers.  A notable exception is that several violinists I knew preferred Bozak 3 ways (back in the day).  This was not true of those who played cello, or string bass.

 

On 3/6/2019 at 10:36 AM, Chris A said:

The best systems that I've heard were built into custom venues in fairly large theater or stadium-type seating arrangements

 

On the string thing, the best reproduction of massed strings I've heard was with the fully horn loaded JBL speakers in this 70mm 

6 channel stereo theater, with sound system designed by Ampex.  The texture of the massed strings came through better than ever with at least 3 of the films shown there.  A friend who noticed the texture of the massed strings, said something like, "Here I thought that sound was made only by high school orchestras" (the only ones he had heard live).  My friends & I habitually sat in about the 9th, 10th, or 11th row (about half-way down in this section), dead center.  When the system was needlessly replaced later, the sound approached knife in the ear, and the bass was a lot less clear and tight.

image.png.6e1930a2fb33e56280e6d8fe949b5de4.png

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I haven't heard Jubes, just to get that out of the way. But I have heard and owned some speakers that are considered main stream high end.

 

Heard:

Wilson Grand Slamms

Genesis (can't remember the model, huge with outboard subs)

MBL 101

Von Schweikert VR9

Quad 989

 

Of the above, the stand outs for me were the Genesis and the MBL. The others had some enjoyable traits, but didn't present the whole package like those two.

 

I won't post the entire list that I have owned, due to time and space constraints. But here are some of the more well known speakers.

 

Owned:

 

Wilson Sophia (these didn't hang around long)

Magnepan 3.5r

PBN Montana EPS 2 and SP2 (of these two I especially liked the smaller SP2)

Green Mountain Audio Continuum 3 HD (time and phase coherent)

Piega P10

Von Schweikert VR4 Silver

Von Schweikert VR4 HSE II

 

Of the above I hold a special place for the VR4 since it was my first foray into the "higher end" of speakers. Kept them for over 3 years which is somewhat of a record for me. I also liked very much the Piegas and Continuum 3s.

 

All that said, I think Klipsch Heritage speakers need not apologize for their performance when compared to some of the best out there. My Forte IIIs were as good as some and better than many mentioned above. And my Khorns even more so. I can only imagine that Jubilees would close any gap quite handily.

 

As always, it is about what you listen for and  your preference for the presentation. There will always be some out there that choose a Wilson over Klipsch products. Completely different approach to music reproduction IMHO. One is not right and the other wrong.

 

Shakey

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I also haven't heard Jubes but may have some sense of what they can do based on my K402/TAD 4002/Khorn bass system with Xilica active xover.  While I haven't owned any of the high end speakers mentioned either I had a brief listening session at fellow audiophile's home of the Magico Q5 recently and am about to have a 1 hour demo of the Magnepan 30.7 flagship on Monday night setup and demoed by Wendell Diller on his regional tour.  I'll report back after then.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Delicious2 said:

I also haven't heard Jubes but may have some sense of what they can do based on my K402/TAD 4002/Khorn bass system with Xilica active xover.  While I haven't owned any of the high end speakers mentioned either I had a brief listening session at fellow audiophile's home of the Magico Q5 recently and am about to have a 1 hour demo of the Magnepan 30.7 flagship on Monday night setup and demoed by Wendell Diller on his regional tour.  I'll report back after then.

 

 I look forward to your report.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The only thing I can report on this is I prefer the performance of the jubilee to my friend’s dunlavy sc-IV and sound labs. Much prefer them over my khorns. My uncle has Martin Logan CLX Art and is a huge electrostat guy. He came over to demo my jubes and we spent a whole evening. He said he actually preferred my setup over his. This might be because he is more of an old school rocker and the jubes and large horn loaded sub present so much energy and impact without effort. I haven’t had a chance to listen to his setup so I really can’t claim this demo as first hand info. 

 

ukNYS7J.jpg

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/8/2019 at 10:35 AM, Shakeydeal said:

 

 I look forward to your report.

 

 

The Magicos in my very brief audition in an unfamiliar room were impressive in their detail and coherence on Steve Wilson's Even Less and some high rez jazz.  But, I knew after a couple tunes that I couldn't go back to that buttoned down, canned, relatively lifeless sound.  Big horns are too addictive!

Tonight the flagship Maggies in a big room playing some classical piece custom recorded to sound like Jim Winey's 11th row concert hall seat.  I've got to give props to the latest top dog from this premier designer but ...it's not for me.  Too polite. Very nice background music.  Again I'm addicted to the immediacy of the K402/horn loaded bass

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...