I wasn't going to buy new speakers until I heard a deterioration in my existing TDL RTL 2 transmission lines which are now over 30 years old. I was reluctant to change anything. However, I was listening to some opera about two weeks ago and heard some distortion when Mirella Freni sang an aria from La Boheme.
Her voice is very powerful and has a huge dynamic range when she was at full volume then her voice sounded distorted. My old speakers were tired at high volumes. I invested in a pair of Acoustic Energy AE109 Mk2. I hadn't auditioned them but I knew I could send them back if I was not satisfied.
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7923506--puccini-la-boheme
The speakers cost £600 for the pair. They offered terrific performance for the money from the outset without being "run in". I am not convinced that speakers need to be "run in" for that matter. Anyway, after playing Mirella Freni again the distortion had disappeared when she hit the high notes at high volume. The speakers sounded noticeably better across the frequency and dynamic range. My wife also noticed that the the diction of the singers was clearer. The speakers were keepers and I was very pleased with them. The old speakers were almost holding their own especially when comparing pop music and jazz, but it was classical music that revealed the differences. I tested the sound reproduction by playing the BBC proms on Radio Three and I noticed the improved sound quality of the new speakers.
At one point when playing Beethoven's 9th symphony at higher than the usual volumes, I though that at some times the bass sounded a bit booming. However, this was more a function of the recording which was apparent when listening through a decent set of headphones.
I also tested LPs against their digital equivalent; I played Chasing The Dragon's Espana LP which was recorded directly to vinyl without the intervention of a tape or digital recording machine. Essentially, I was listening to a live recording. Rosie Middleton's voice sounded almost perfect, and at at some points it felt as if two mezzo-sopranos were singing, as her voice was that rich. When I compared the LP to the digital recording which was made at the same time I could hardly notice any difference, which is a tribute to how good vinyl can sound if it is produced and recorded well. It is also a tribute to modern turntables and cartridges. However, the LP record reproduced some clicks perfectly. Clicks and static discharges annoy me intensely which is why I rarely buy classic LPs, I prefer the digital purity.
I also compared a remastered vinyl version of Miles Davis Blue Haze to its CD equivalent. Once again I could hardly notice much difference in sound quality, but the LP sounded more "lush" and "thicker "to my ears, some may call this warmer. Obviously, the CD produces better sound quality, and I prefer the accuracy of a well recorded CD, but I can understand why some people think that LPs sound better, as the inherent sound distortion of LP playback introduces extra harmonic features.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Haze
All in all replacing the speakers was a good HIFI experience for me and points out that when making comparisons and judgements there are too many variables to consider. One thing is certain; it is the quality of the recording that really matters. A £10,000 set of speakers will not improve a bad recording and won't stop you hearing the annoying clicks and crackles which are always present on vinyl LPs even brand new ones.
