I don't really know why these particular speakers aren't spoken of in HW circles, as the research I've done suggests they are very good quality. Perhaps there is a hesitation on active speakers?
Hi FrPip,
After looking a the link you provided for these speakers, I may have an answer to your question as to why they are not discussed much in HW circles.
I would suggest that might be because they appear to be high powered PA type speakers. I have no experience with the brand or model you have mentioned, however 2 years ago I tried a pair of powered JBL Eon 15" with a Viscount digital organ. The results were very unimpressive. They had a HUGE amount of power available therefore having enough volume was not the problem. The issue was that they sounded like PA speakers. They were very mid-range heavy and seemed to lack subtlety or finesse.
In the and my friend went with 2 pairs of hi-fi speakers. They sounded WAY better than the JBLs.
From what I have read, and from my own experience, it seems that quality near field monitor type speakers are more effective at pipe organ tone reproduction. Many people seem to be happy with powered speakers of this type - like the Behringer 2031A for example.
If your building is very large, the speakers you have chosen might work well, otherwise you might end up with a lot of power that lacks clarity.
I try to scale speakers to the building similar to how organs are scaled.
Remember that a 9 rank theatre organ can sound as loud or louder than a 20 rank classical organ - due to the theatre organ's very high wind pressure and large scale, loudly voiced pipes. The trade off has been well documented elsewhere that, for example, a diapason rank on very high wind pressure, seems to lack much upper harmonics. However, a classical diapason on 2.5 or 3 inches of wind is much quieter, but a more interesting tone with much more upper partials.
So, I have come to the conclusion that, for classical organ tone, a higher number of smaller, less powerful speakers might give better results than a few high powered ones.
The power and presence of an organ comes as much from the effect of the ensemble as it does from the sheer volume of each rank. They both are important and are interlinked.
Anyway, I wish you every success with what seems to be a very substantial project.
Looking forward to your reporting to us all about the first sounds of your new instrument.
regards,
Matt