vintage versus modern speakers

It is interesting how technological advances can be more readily applied in certain areas, but, not in others. We now have, and employ, the latest tools to analyze such instruments as the violin and yet, many of the best instruments remain those made from the late 1600's to the early 1700's. There are instruments made of fancy metal alloys and carbon fiber composites, and yet, no one has been able to make consistently superior instruments using modern technology. Why? For one thing, we don't completely understand what makes for good sound reproduction and how to measure those qualities and how to then embody those qualities in the instrument. A lot of that is the "art" of making a good violin or a good speaker.

There are a lot of speaker designers who employ very high tech approaches to reducing cabinet resonance, controlling breakup modes in speaker diaphragms, reducing driver mass, etc., and yet, notwithstanding the same technological goals, the sound of their products is radically different. Clearly, there are things at play that have not been analyzed, measured and accounted for that ultimately matter.

From a perspective of my personal taste, a lot of the high tech speakers are a disappointment. I suspect that, in the pursuit of improving on certain measurable aspects of "performance" something else suffered.

Seconding Larry's characteristically excellent post, there are reasons that Western Electric speaker drivers from the 1930's command astonishing prices these days. And it's not just rarity, although that is certainly a factor. Or that Tannoy speaker drivers from the 1940's, 50's, and 60's can go for the better part of $10K. Or that many present day audiophiles build their systems around the 1950's Quad electrostatic.

It's possible to get both great sound and poor sound with both recent speakers and vintage speakers. My suggestion to the OP, as stated on 2-8-15, was that in his price range the price vs. performance sweet spot, also factoring in condition-related risk, is likely to fall in between.

Regards,
-- Al

They made good stuff and bad stuff then . They make even better stuff and bad stuff now. Except now the good stuff from then is old now and if still sounds good has probably benefited from being refurbished or rebuilt using modern technology.

Anything can sound good anytime as long as it is in good working order, old or new.

The key is to do your homework. If you do it no telling where you will land. But it probably should not be some untouched speaker that was a gem 40 years ago.

...unless you happen across a steal somehow but most often you usually get what you pay for on the used market.

As Larryi and Almarg have touched upon the subjective impressions of some older loudspeakers compared to some newer ones, I would like to add that some older loudspeakers compare rather favorably objectively to some of the newer offerings too.
When one considers the marketplace bathtub effect of the value of some older loudspeakers, it seems as though some of these older loudspeakers offer quite a bit of intrinsic value.