[Elecraft] Speakers - Optimal Frequency Range?

[Doug Person]

Wow Phil, right on.  My first career was a buyer for an audio chain.  I 
listened to everything they brought in.  My assistant and my secretary 
and I NEVER agreed on what system sounded best. I would think a speaker 
that is reasonably flat from 200 hz to maybe 5khz with low mechanical 
distortion and good power handling would provide a decent baseline.  
After that - your warm tones are my screeching trebles; your full bass 
is my headache- inducing low range.

I use a quality, small bookshelf speaker and then use the K3's equalizer 
to make the sound fill into the peaks and valleys of my ear's response 
curve.

$50 would probably net you a pair of small Sony, Polk, KLH, JBL or even 
Pyle. New or used - you can't beat a nice rigid box with a woofer and a 
tweeter.

Other interesting options are line-out to a Bluetooth audio source and 
then to one of the many Bluetooth wireless speaker systems.  Or to a 
small stereo hifi amplifier. The K3 has stereo line output - a nice pair 
of bookshelf speakers left and right would definitely give you the best 
sound the K3/K3s is capable of producing (especially the K3s or an 
upgraded K3).

A good audio setup will amaze you when you talk to another properly 
adjusted radio with a good microphone.  There is a very broad range in 
the quality of signals on HF SSB.  From dreadful to beautiful.  I 
recommend setting up your station for the very best receive quality your 
radio can produce - which in the case of the K3, is substantial.

Doug -- K0DXV

On 10/17/2016 4:20 PM, Phil Townsend Lontz wrote:
> I have spent may years in “hi end” audio… some building some selling some just fooling around. Does wire matter? is there a difference between tubes and soild state? Can I hear 20K? does it matter if I can’t hear 20K? Why build a wide band amp if you can hear it?
>
> All these questions really don't matter one bit.
>
> The ONLY question the listener need ask…
>
> Do I LIKE how it sounds?
>
> That's it folks, no more no less.
>
> Simplistic… yep sure is.
>
> A few years back I was attending an audio show in Denver with a few “audio” friends. We would typically visit different rooms together and give a listen to the various systems in each room.
> To my surprise, we all had different ideas about what system sounded good.
> I like room 990 but Glen said it sucked.
> He liked the system in 512 but to me it nearly drove me to drinking.
> Chris loved 234 but the rest of us were sure he was ready for the funny farm.
>
> We all “hear” differently…
> I love how my K3 sounds with high end speakers left and right side... and a fine digital amp that drives the speakers.
> I eq the crap out of the K3 after 8K and set the tone of my CW note to 440… Near a natural “C”.
> to me that sounds easy and warm.
>
> But to my old ears the best tone in the world was and is a fine old Drake or a Collins pure analog signal run thru a nice 8" alnico speaker in an open baffle.
>
> That, to me, is simply the best.
>
> Phil
> K5SSR
> Santa Fe
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