Nearfield measurements of the port and woofer showed response peaks close to those same frequencies. The sonic and musical effects of such resonances would at worst be modest, but they could be audible; in fact, John predicted that they would be. “I would expect this behavior to color the sound of male vocals,” John concluded.
Independently—Stereophile reviewers don’t see measurements until after their review is submitted—Herb Reichert reported “a vexing lack of focus in the lower midrange and upper bass.” It was especially noticeable in male vocals, including two tracks he auditioned from Ry Cooder’s album Jazz.
Herb wondered, “Was it the speakers I was hearing or their interactions with the room and my amplifiers?” Because of his room’s modest dimensions, Herb avoids speakers he thinks might overload it. He reviews almost exclusively standmounts, smaller floorstanders, plus the odd smaller Magnepan. The Alyssas are standmounts, but they go deeper than is usual for standmounts of their size and weight. “In a larger space, with lower levels of reflected bass energies, the Alyssas would, perhaps, present themselves with a more balanced tone and sharper lower-midrange focus. Perhaps another Stereophile reviewer can audition these speakers in a larger room.” I decided to try to answer Herb’s conjecture.
My room isn’t perfect,2 but it’s big, and I’ve rarely had any serious problems with room interactions—just the usual bass modes, and here they’re reasonably tame and well-spaced.
This story is from the December 2020 edition of Stereophile.
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This story is from the December 2020 edition of Stereophile.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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