Stand mount speakers

Been doing some research. I see lots of people rave like hell about the Linn Helix speakers, for their nice decent sound for the money. I have also seen people say there was also the Helix version II, what is the difference?

If I do get a pair of Helix, I'll be using them in my bedroom. With 2modified Quad 405 poweramps 200w (Bridged)

Will the Helix be suitable with the Quads?

Any help welcome.

And I'm still keeping my TDL's

 

Although more than used Linn Helix speakers why don't you try PMC TB1, TB2s or DB1's as they have the transmission line you love in your TDL's. You can pick up TB1 for under 300 or even less if you are lucky.

Paul

 

I fancy trying something different maybe. I was looking at the older royd speakers, never heard royds. But always seeing them getting good reviews. But I will keep the PMC speakers in mind.

 

Do they?! Such praise has entirely escaped me. I remember the Linn Helix very well and they were............OK (certainly nothing to rave about though). At the time Linn were in their transition period between their previous speaker range (Isobariks, Saras, Kans) and their new range (Kabers, Nexus, Helix, Index) - not an easy transition either. The Helix is pretty sensitive and easy to drive, pretty much any amp will drive them; in truth though they are pretty average. Anybody prepared to 'rave' about them needs to listen to a lot more speakers and hear what good ones are actually capable of.

 

How would you discribe the sound of the Linn Helix?

I also see the Royd Sorcerers get a lot of respect from their owners. As people say they have nice clean midrange but lacks a bit of bass.

 

Very average indeed is how I would describe the Helix - but better than the Nexus if I was pushed. They don't have any major faults but nor do they have any notable strengths. Midrange transparency is Ok but nothing special really; the top end is much less 'spiky' than some Linn speakers at that time but it's also not that detailed. The bass has reasonable weight (if used with the KuStone stands) but is obviously ported in nature (despite Linn's claims at the time regarding the slotted port) and whilst they go reasonably loud they won't do real volume. The cabinet thrums along quite nicely as they aren't particularly well braced and definitely colours the bass.

Shane, you are doing it again - comparing wildly different designs and expecting them to be in any way comparable. The sorcerer is a much smaller speaker and, for me, a much better one. But you can't just slap it down, whack on any strange combo of equipment and expect it to sound the dog’s danglies. The Sorcerer won't sound like it produces as much bass as the Helix, partly cos it isn't and partly because its bass is much tighter and less boomy.

 

Ermm....how exactly do you think they get less dusty? I'm not sure the avoidance of dusting is a very valid reason to change speakers either.

More seriously, in what way is your room 'struggling' with floorstanders? Booming away uncontrolably by any chance?

 

My Bedroom is not very big. It's only 12ft across and 10ft wide. The shape of the room is square.

 

So what? Are they just too big in terms of size - they won't fit? Or is there too much, one note, bass?

 

Of course my speakers fit LOL!

In terms of size, yes they are a little to big for my bedroom.

Anyway, I'm not desperate to buy any stand mount speakers. But It would have been fun to have got a 2nd hand pair and just experiment with them.

 

I think the point YNMOAN is trying to get at, is people often assume the speakers are too big for a room because they have too much heavy boomy bass. This is not a problem caused by the speakers really, its a problem of the room resonating, and you can help this a lot with room corrective EQ.

Smaller speakers will only fix that by having no bass, which is not really ideal. Its better to have correctly balanced, extended bass.

If you mean they are too big physically, and look too dominating in the room then fair enough, look for something smaller.

 

If you want to experiment, get the Royds. The Helix need to be away from the walls a bit and will take up as much space as your TDL's do (if not more) - they will also sound crap in your room, Both will still gather dust,

Right, I'm going back to bed

 

"Smaller speakers will only fix that by having no bass, which is not really ideal. Its better to have correctly balanced, extended bass."
Thats not correct Tenson as there is no point in making them if no bass is heard. A properly set up standmount with good stands and tweaked a bit can give a surprising amout of bass , as mine at the moment, would give quite a few standmounts a run for their money.

 

Actually smaller speakers have no useful bass. What you hear are the harmonics which fool the brain to think that a lower note is being played - which is why you can hear basslines clearly on tiny clock radios and phones etc.

A deep kick drum still has it's punch around the 80-120hz region and a deep bassline is a bit lower in the 60-100hz region.

REEQ.. I wouldn't actually use one in my system , I would rather just use it as a tool to get the balance right with speaker positioning - ie keep on moving your speakers about until the DEQ graph hardly needs any adjusting.

RE: your TDL speakers... what type are they ? I had Studio 0.75M for about 12 years or so. great speakers though they need alot of space to breathe. I had mine pulled out over 1m to get a good balance with them.

 

yeah I know - which was my point, the fundamental note of the kick or bassline is far lower but the punch is higher. If your music was mixed with EQ on the actual notes of basslines and kick drums, the low end would be a big wallowing mess with no definition on large speakers and clicks and pops on smaller speakers.

On smaller speakers you aren't hearing the fundamental frequencies , you are hearing notes harmonics usually an octave or two higher.

 

Mines are 0.75M's too. These ones I have are the special John Wright versions. Have you sold your TDL's, if so why?

By the way, how much did the 0.75M cost new?

 

going back a bit here , I think I paid around £750-850 mark for the Rosewood version, also about another £200 for the custom metal stands.. I had them happily running on arcam alpha 8P power amps for most of that time.

I give them to a friend after an accident. I had the speakers connected to a rather large Dussun V8i 250 watt per channel amp and accidently touched 2 wires on my turtable headshell which caused a feedback loop and popped the bass cones right out of the speaker ... was quite a frightening moment for me

I couldn't find replacements for the bass drivers as the spiders where ripped afterwards.

I give the speakers to a mate who I think has them in storage for future use of the HF and X-overs which are quite high quality bits.

If you ever need spares let me know and I'll see if my mate hasn't threw them out for you.

 

Can I send you a PM?