I’ve learned that I have to hold something in my hand, set it up and use it, live with it for a little while, before I know if I’ll like it. Some of that is build quality and control feel, some is sound, some is ineffable.
I know this is easier for some than others, but I would try. Get used gear and resell it when you’re done. It’s really worth it. It’s the only way to really grow in this hobby.
I watch internet reviews daily and it’s driving me crazy. There’s too much hyperbole and too many biases. Measurements don’t fix that problem, they aggravate it. Everything is becoming a ranking system. Not agreeing with the top ranking products is a curse. Not having the same priorities as the internet reviewers will guarantee buyer’s remorse. This entire hobby can be summarized with a Starter Pack meme showing KEF speakers, Hypex chip amplifiers, SMSL DACs and Wiim Streamers. This hobby is so diverse and we’re narrowing everything down to a tiny list.
And I feel like a crazy person thinking that single driver speakers are the way to go. I heard single driver speakers alongside 2 or 3 way speakers in a showroom. And yeah, the single driver speakers just sounded more clear and life-like. The 3 way speakers had more bass and were more dynamic, but they sounded like speakers. I was not immersed in the music.
A pair of these mounted in some simple DIY open baffles. The coaxial OB sound was eye-opening (ear-opening?) when I put together my first pair.
The speakers ‘fill’ the room with your music in such a satisfying and natural way, you forget about them altogether. The build is as easy as you could ask. No crossover, no cabinet volume, porting, polyfilling, or bracing to worry about. If you can build a wood panel that stands up (or hangs suspended), you can build open baffles.
Add 2-4 subwoofers with DSP, and you’ve got an even, equally room-filling low end, which, admittedly, is something open baffles struggle with on their own.