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The 1812 overture cannons is a great way to test the bass performance of your speakers.
The cannons have transient energy to below 5 hz, but unless your speakers can reproduce
this, you are not getting the awesome bass energy that is on this recording.
I use a Thigpen Rotary Subwoofer that can respond down to below 1 hz! (Just awesome)
Your Neoliths are great speakers, but, believe me you are missing a lot.

I understand your point of view. It is the same complaint as given by Mark Henninger in his discussion in AVS forum that I posted a link to in post 80. I provide it again here for your convenience.

http://www.avsforum.com/forum/173-2...ogan-demonstrates-neolith-speaker-system.html

I know of no speaker that will reach the lows that you can reach with your Thigpen Rotary. So if you want the lowest lows you must use a sub. When I post my conclusions for my observations you can expect some modest negative critique of the depth of the bass. In about 6 weeks I will make some posts regarding the Neolith's within my MCH system. Only about 0.5 % of my music has any content below 23 Hz but I do want to be able to reach Co at 16.35 Hz which is a real note and exists in some of my pipe organ pieces. For this I have multiple Velodyne subs. Explosions are a special case and almost always in movies and with subs. Here I was referring to the Neolith's as stand alone stereo speakers with a low end at 23 Hz. I find the bass in the cannons to be tight with a nice punch. If you must extract more you will need to do it with subs.

Gary
 
Gary, have you tried the famous Nojima Plays Liszt yet?

Bernard, I have "Nojima Plays Liszt" and will put it on when I return to Vegas. Lucky for me the Clippers continue to do well so I will be at the ball games this weekend in L.A. before I go back home.

Gary
 
My system

Here is my speaker system:
Speakers are Martin Logan Summits (bass disconnected) along side of Magneplanar Tympani IV bass
panels (modified). Tympanis are bolted together and stands provide total rigidity.
Eminent Technology Rotary Sub
Center channel is Martin Logan Logos
Rear channels are 4 Anthony Gallo Nucleus Micros
Side channels are 2 Spica TC-50 and 2 Nucleus Micros

Coherency is superb and imaging outstanding!
Bass power and transients are fantanstic!
Huge soundstage that has great depth

The room acoustics are the most important part of the system
36 ASC bass and midrange traps and other bass traps above
and below equally spaced around the entire perimeter of the room!
Room is 29' L x 19' W x 11' H

All equipment is in a separate and isolated room
Cabinet is sand filled and mounted on a concrete slab

Electronics include Audio Research, Arcam, Eminent Technology
PS Audio, Oppo and other
 

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Let me make some observations about the Neolith's and another system I own and have routinely listened to. Major caveat, these are my opinions (YMMV). I have become a fanboy of the Neolith's and I will try to temper my comments whenever I can. Here I cannot. I have been listening to my B&W 800 diamonds for the last 3 days. I have played many of the same pieces that I have recently played on the Neolith's. Not long ago Kedar posted that the B&W's eat music and IIRC Adam seconded that motion. Well, tonight I put on a Handel flute sonata and while it was playing I looked at the album artwork. While I could not see the music being eaten, I swear, I could see some bite marks on the flute.:D The flute seemed flat, lifeless and dull. I replaced the flute sonata with Beethoven piano concerto #1. There was no ring, zip or zest in the piano. I could not find one instrument that I thought was close in SQ to the Neolith's. The bass was not that tight. The ability to separate the instruments seemed modest at best when compared to the Neolith's. Wow, I own the B&W's. I like the B&W's. How could there be such a big difference? Well, the Neolith's are after all three times more expensive. But what about the law of diminishing return? Next time I see that law I will tear those pages out of the book. Am I over the top? Probably. But I would listen to the B&W's and then recall the Neolith's and I found myself saying:

Nolo contendere
Nolo contendere
No Contest.

As I said, over the top? Probably. The truth as I see it? Absolutely.

Gary
 
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Well the worrying thing is Abbey Road is full of B&Ws. See here:

https://insideabbeyroad.withgoogle.com/en

So to give the B&Ws the best chance you need a recent recording you know was produced at Abbey Road.

TBH they don't stand a chance even if you do that IMHO. Would be fun to try it though I can't suggest an appropriate recording but I am sure Google will.

That Google link might just be a scam to get you to download Chrome. It doesn't work on my MS setup. It just about runs on my Android phone but a few features don't work. It is an excellent link - well worth trying to get it going.
 
That Google link might just be a scam to get you to download Chrome. It doesn't work on my MS setup. It just about runs on my Android phone but a few features don't work. It is an excellent link - well worth trying to get it going.

All connections worked for me. It is indeed an excellent link. When Martin mentioned the Beatles 5.1 mix "Love" project I was reminded of my DVD-A copy of that mix. So I'll drag it out for my MCH tests when I get there. Also, after finishing the tour, I headed for Amazon and purchased the Robbie Williams "Swings Both Ways" disc. Also I'll repeat again I like the B&W's and it is unfair to compare these to the Neoliths without taking price into consideration.

Gary
 
Well the worrying thing is Abbey Road is full of B&Ws. See here:

https://insideabbeyroad.withgoogle.com/en

So to give the B&Ws the best chance you need a recent recording you know was produced at Abbey Road.

TBH they don't stand a chance even if you do that IMHO. Would be fun to try it though I can't suggest an appropriate recording but I am sure Google will.

That Google link might just be a scam to get you to download Chrome. It doesn't work on my MS setup. It just about runs on my Android phone but a few features don't work. It is an excellent link - well worth trying to get it going.

Hi Justin.... I was in London by the Tower Bridge last year for work... and I'm with some folks that were apparently clueless... They were 'lets go see Big Ben...etc...'.... and I look at them and say....'Uh....I'm going to Abbey Road....'...They looked at me like I was some old goof.... Omg.... it was like Mecca to me..... the vibe and the feeling being there.... by the crosswalk... and I'm looking for the VW with the 28IF license plate.... I will remember it for the rest of my life....Stupid yes... but hey...what can I say....

Re: those B&Ws Gary...The only B&Ws I have heard that I thought were decent - but would not purchase were the 802s (haven't heard the 800s)..... but essentially a nice box speaker.... The Logans with the speedy stat and that rear wave doing its magic are special.... Are the 800s and CLX is the same price point? Maybe a better comparison (although I am sure the 800s would blow the bass off of them).... The Maggie 20.7s I recently listened to were very special indeed.... Although given your taste for huge volume (so it seems) - probably not your cup of tea. But, tonality and space with no 'thin-ness' to the sound...just beautiful. I have yet to hear the Neolith... but in my very humble opinion - I like the passive Logans.... and this thing is that on steroids.... Have you messed with that crossover adjustment... or any other adjustments on the speaker itself? I don't think you mentioned how the speaker was set up (if I recall it has some adjustment 'gizmos' on the back)....

Thanks Tim.
 
Ah... I for one like the BW diamonds. I think they sound great dialed in. Perfect? No. But I like em.

I have not heard the Neoliths, but I will some day.

For now, let's just say that it's hard to top what's probably SOTA for stats.

I will say that I can live with my 802 diamonds until the end of time.

... But there is also another speaker coming my way very soon if things go right and will supplant them as the premier system anchor for my house.

But thanks for the snippet Gary, it just goes to show how good the Neoliths are rather than how deficient the diamonds are.
 
Joey I just think Abbey Road could do better for a pair of reference speakers. It is a premier studio after all.

Maybe, round the back, there is a pair of Neoliths:)
 
Justin, I was always under the impression that studio monitors are not what you want for your home. I remember reading way back when that they generally have a very forward high end so that the engineers can hear everything that's on the recording. But maybe that's changed...
 
Ah... I for one like the BW diamonds. I think they sound great dialed in. Perfect? No. But I like em.

I have not heard the Neoliths, but I will some day.

For now, let's just say that it's hard to top what's probably SOTA for stats.

I will say that I can live with my 802 diamonds until the end of time.

... But there is also another speaker coming my way very soon if things go right and will supplant them as the premier system anchor for my house.

But thanks for the snippet Gary, it just goes to show how good the Neoliths are rather than how deficient the diamonds are.

Joey. Graphite or red violin??? :)
 
Ah... I for one like the BW diamonds. I think they sound great dialed in. Perfect? No. But I like em.

I have not heard the Neoliths, but I will some day.

For now, let's just say that it's hard to top what's probably SOTA for stats.

I will say that I can live with my 802 diamonds until the end of time.

... But there is also another speaker coming my way very soon if things go right and will supplant them as the premier system anchor for my house.

But thanks for the snippet Gary, it just goes to show how good the Neoliths are rather than how deficient the diamonds are.

Joey, If I were to have waited a few days after that 3 day session I probably would not have made that post. I am very familiar with the 802 Diamonds also and they are almost as good as the 800's. I like them very much and I agree if that was the only speaker I could listen to I would be ok with that. Tim's post on Abbey road got me reaching for my vinyl stacks here in LA and it turns out the 180g remaster was here volkswagen and all. It's playing on the 800's now. Very Nice indeed.

Gary
 
Joey. Graphite or red violin??? :)

Oh buddy... Mums the word my good friend!


You are always welcome at casa de joey to hear and see them for yourself!

End of the month... That's the due date!!
 
Joey I just think Abbey Road could do better for a pair of reference speakers. It is a premier studio after all.

Maybe, round the back, there is a pair of Neoliths:)

Hahaha yeah... Abbey road 2.0
 
Oh buddy... Mums the word my good friend!


You are always welcome at casa de joey to hear and see them for yourself!

End of the month... That's the due date!!

Hahaha!! One thing to say..... BOOYAH!!!
 
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