Speaker Technology over the last 10 years

04-20-09: Unsound
I'm not convinced that todays speakers provide better value than yesteryears models.

Then you need to get out more. :-0

For under $500 you can get speakers with far more resolution, dynamic range, and linearity (the PSB Image B25 comes to mind) than was even considered possible 20 years ago. Adjusted for inflation, a $479 speaker today would have been $266 in 1988.

What could you have bought for $266 in 1988?
Not much.

I got a pair of ADS L1090 small towers in 1987 when they listed at $1100/pair. Adjusted for inflation that's $2100 today. For about that you can now get a pair of Mirage OMD-15s. They're physically the same size, are 6dB more efficient (equivalent to quadrupling your amp power), have more uniform in-room response, have nearly a full octave more bass extension, and can handle nearly 100 wpc more power. That's nearly 10dB greater dynamic range.

Johnny, perhaps I was thinking beyond budget speakers, I'm not at all convinced that "more efficient" speaker designs sound better. I can give you examples of some of todays speakers that are harder to drive, and have less bass response and cost much money than their predecessors. I'm not suggesting that they aren't better in some regards, I just wonder if they offer better value. BTW, you have no idea as to where I go and how often I do.

04-20-09: Unsound
Johnny, perhaps I was thinking beyond budget speakers, I'm not at all convinced that "more efficient" speaker designs sound better. I can give you examples of some of todays speakers that are harder to drive, and have less bass response and cost much money than their predecessors.

I've had low sensitivity speakers and higher sensitivity speakers, and all other things being equal, I'll take the more sensitive ones. It's like quadrupling your amp power and doubling your dynamic range.

But you raise a really important point: If some manufacturers' speakers perform worse and cost more money, they're ripping their customers off or have a bad business model.

But there are upscale speakers that are improving as well, perhaps at high cost, but are improved just the same. The Wilson Maxx 3 and latest version of the Alexandria are stunning, and are more coherent than their predecessors.

I also like what Sonus Faber is doing as well as JM Labs.

BTW, you have no idea as to where I go and how often I do.

Ahh, I was just goofing off, and had a goofy emoticon to prove it: :-0

Johnnyb53, while I tend to agree with you re: "some manufactures' speakers perform worse and cost more money..." In all fairness I suspect that sometimes some of those manufactuers' might have been working towards different priorities or market considerations. Never the less I find the higher prices of todays products not necessarily in line with higher performance, again value.
Perhaps I goofed, the "emoticon" went over my head.

Well, Unsound, why not name some names? Who's making speakers that perform worse and cost more? I don't doubt your word that they exist; I just don't know anything about them.

What I've been amazed at is how the entry-level and mid-level of audiophile speakers is performing at levels previously held only by the most expensive gear. I already mentioned the $479 PSB Image B25. The PSBs continue to improve in dynamics and bass extension (while retaining that flat, smooth frequency response) as you move up their price/quality scale into the $4K-$6K range.

Hell, a recent Absolute Sound had a gush review over the Cerwin-Vega CLS-215 speakers, some floorstanding 3-ways with two 15" woofers that weigh about 115 lbs each. are 92dB efficient at 1KHz, and can absorb up to 500 watts. And they sound good, scale down, and do human voice particularly well. The ultimate frat-house speaker for about $1K/pair. The review mentioned that these speakers are not only *very* listenable for acoustic and small group music, they also have the kind of dynamic range you usually have to pay very big bucks to get.

Ten years ago, when someone came to me for a sub<$1K speaker recommendation, I had to scour the internet to find them a deal. Now there are so many decent $1K speakers I don't know where to start--PSB, Paradigm, Mirage, Revel, Infinity, Totem Rainmaker, JM Labs, B&W, Magnepan..., stand-mounted, columns, panels...