The crunch factor
LSA Group LSA-1 Signature Bookshelf Speakers; Rosewood Pair I like to directly compare my DIY speakers to some of the world’s best designs from time to time, if just to take regular whacks at my ego. In my test rig, I’ve got a nice high-current speaker and amplifier switching box, so comparisons are easy and transparent. And I will say it’s nice to occasionally hear no difference in quality from a well-regarded speaker compared to mine, hearing instead just a change in perspective. My crossover intentionally allows a very slight dip — the “Nudell dip” — in the lower-midrange, to give the soundstage presentation a touch more depth. In contrast, I hear some speaker designers going the other way, accentuating the vocal and presence ranges to give extra detail and bite. Sometimes, in my opinion, at the expense of livability and resulting in listener fatigue. There is a middle ground, however. The TAD Evolution One speakers are smack dab in the middle of that middle ground (I call t...