Speaker Technology over the last 10 years


I bought my last pair of speakers 13 years ago, Legacy Classic. How much has speaker technology changed since then? I know in terms of amp and cd player there has been tremendous advancements but what about speakers?

Are speakers for the most part dependent upon the source? I appreciate any comments.
revrob
I definitely agree with the above. Most of the focus these days is on the cosmetic. Bookmatched veneers, piano gloss finish, and jewel-like binding posts are what seems to attract too many buyers.

The best drivers have improved, but a lot of that has been negated by the fading away of folks who understand crossovers, which are more important than the actual drivers themselves.

I have a few friends who build speakers, and in all honesty, their knowledge of crossovers is almost nonexistent. One has a design that was given to him, and despite making other changes to the speaker, he steadfastly refuses to change the crossover, as he simply doesn't understand them. Sadly, most folks are afraid of mathematics these days, and that holds things back.

From a technical standpoint, we've more or less returned to a long ago time. Gone are the days when the likes of designs like Quad, Magneplanar, Apogee, and Ohm are on the horizon.
Trelja, All that you say may be true and probably is, and I just came late to the party, but I have been astonished by the clarity brought to some boxes by introduction of tweeters like a properly integrated Dynaudio Esotar. I must admit I don't miss my Quads much anymore (I've still got them in the closet in case I get angst ridden). :-)
Even if speaker design were to stand still, there are so many designs out there now it would take more than one lifetime to explore them all in your own room. If you could manage to do that, then just change the room and start all over again.
The marketplace has changed radically, with fewer multi-national electronic companies dominating the space by offering audiophile components across the equipment spectrum. You rarely see the hold that the Japanese had several decades ago.

In many ways, it is going more the way of a cottage industry, with specific companies offering limited but succinct products by American, Canadian, Danish, and English firms. I think DeVore and Harbeth are in this vein--very focused range of speakers made by small operations.

I see most of the R & D being invested in DAC technology, with very few significant improvements in speaker design.

With that said, I think that price to performance is still available to the end user with limited means--there are wonderful budget oriented speakers in the market at the moment: B & W 685s and DALI Lektors come to mind that offer real world sound for the budget-minded.