How can Wilson Audio speakers sound that good if they are using OEM drivers?

Having dealt with some of the most innovating and respected driver manufacturing firms in the world, at point blank range, with regard to making custom drivers...it’s the depth of knowledge in the lore of the build that is the big deal. New materials are exactly that, new materials. The new material may not be a panacea and is probably not a panacea.

Added to the mix is that we still don’t correlate the measurements back to how we hear, in a perfect manner...so we can get some good measurements..but that may not necessarily correlate back to being a good sounding driver.

100 years later, the basic design of a dynamic driver has not changed.

It is our understanding of the applications of the materials, our understandings of how the driver works, our understandings of how the ear works ---that propel us.

In such scenarios where those (mentioned) aspects change, the 100 year old material and design may propel us forward in a increase in sonic quality, at least as much, or more, than the application of any fancy new material.

However, the new material makes for great advertising fodder, fun little white sheets to read. Cool exploded diagrams with all kinds of labels, and so on. Looks really high tech! Now we’re really getting somewhere! At least in cool advertising, that is.

Useful quantification and weighting is difficult, with so many things going on. It’s actually near impossible to put paper, for example, behind or in front of , lets say, diamond. The number of other variables outside of the material itself, is what makes that be a near impossible task. "All other things being equal" is not possible, due to the entire complex package of designing and executing a driver.

Then you add in all the other aspects of a whole finished speaker package, and you’ve got one huge complex mess. Then you add in the cables, the amplification and it’s reactionary aspects in conjunction with the speaker and all the rest, well....it’s amazing that we have any forms of consensus at all.

Thus, we circle back to trying to impress people with slick advertising about the old, about the new, or whatever the case may be. Whatever demographic the given advert may be trying to catch the eye and ear of. Buy our stuff, watch our dance, we be best buds, we gotcha covered, we be slick, we charm you!...the undercurrent of the advert says silently....

And so on.

Simple integrity, IMO works best, but..oddly enough, it's not the biggest demographic of potential buyers. Advertising is a strange business..... I know exactly how to do it, I just don't like it and balk at the line, when it comes to playing those psychological games.

Was talking with a European speaker rep about a new diecast basket I said cool you mean like hotwheels use? 

@bdp24 phenomenal post!

Seems to me Wilson uses a number of drivers made by MISCO of Minneapolis. They often make custom drivers and have been in business for decades. Experience working with materials is worth something; its often all about execution!

I only have a brief comment to make here, but one i feel future speaker buyers might want to consider.  Foam surrounds do not seem to survive well in wet, sticky climates (like Florida for instance). Apparently they can still be found in some expensive products, as I can attest to from personal experience.  I was able to replace the speakers with identical designs but now the manufacturer substituted rubber surrounds.  I believe some of the Watt/Puppies way back when also used foam and had to be repaired or replaced after a few years.