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Why are so many companies like harbeth making old speakers designs and charging thousends?

Hi everyone I am a little confused about the speaker market. I had been two dealers that sell totally different products. The one I had been to which I bought my forests from sells Totem And Monitor Audio and B&W. though I went to the other that sells Harbeth And audio note speakers which they recommended me buying. And the problem I have trouble understanding Is when I spend thousands on a speaker. Especially my next big purchase. That has no real new technology and is the size of my dads old conerwalls and never use to cost Thousands to build. With no technological advancements. to a product such as the totem that is small compact and modern for the wife approval , and to be more exact. The new Element line and technologically advanced like the torrent driver. Which I can get the same speaker as the same cost or less of the audio note and Harbeth and dose not need to take up the whole room or look like the 70's. Whats your opinion? Would you buy a product that is a 30 year old design that costs 5 times as more with the only diffinceses as upgraded silver wire and upgraded crossover components. To a thousand dollar woofer that is machined not stamped and has so much magnetic flux that it ca lift a car and no crossover?
128x128jakecanada
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
Jakecanada,
There are so many brands of speakers available and at all price points. It is a buyer's marketplace and you'll be able to find precisely what you want if you're patient. The only criteria I consider important is "how does it sound ?" Technology in and of itself is irrelevant in my opinion,  bottom line is sound quality /performance,  Some design concepts are so fundamentally right as to be timeless. Technology claims can be legitimate or marketing hyperbole. At the end of the day you still must decide by listening. 
Charles, 
akg_ca's avatar
akg_ca
2,280 posts
 
Every bit of audio gear is built to a pricepoint . For example, POS chi-fi caps can cost a piddly few cents each and then they range all the way to the high-end build Mutdorfs ... Google them for a summary of the differences .

Harbeths are top-end quality build kit (UK) instead of shoddy crap build and shoddy labour made Chi-Fi, and has been emphasized above, that is why they sound so good...

in in this hobby you get what you pay for ... Full stop.
rodman99999
6,159 posts
 
".... the only diffinceses as upgraded silver wire and upgraded crossover components. To a thousand dollar woofer that is machined not stamped and has so much magnetic flux that it ca lift a car and no crossover?"(I made no corrections, just copied and pasted)    The only component of a speaker system YOU left out, in the above rant, is the cabinet.   Improvements have been made by numerous companies, regarding materials to make them less resonant also, not to mention improvements/advancements in every other transducer necessary(midranges, tweeters, etc).    As others have stated, if you don't appreciate the progress made, or the sound, save your money and relax.
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,891 posts
 
I didn’t mean to imply that Harbeth doesn’t innovate with newer technology but in the end they seem to strive for the same sound (very mid range centric at the expense of the extremes). A well proven but old formula. My auto analogy would be something like a modern Mustang: same looks, same NVH, despite now having fully independent rear suspension and a newer platform. Despite all the advances, they haven’t really changed the car and for the money, you can get better, unless you’re into nostalgia, or in the case of Harbeth, their house sound.
If you like it, fine.

All the best,
Nonoise

mapman's avatar
mapman
22,316 posts
 
Www.ohmspeakers.com sell updated and refurbed versions of their old box designs similar to modern Harbeth for essentially the same price they cost 40 years ago.   Don't know how they compare sound wise but the originals were always one of my favorites back in the day and the new versions must be as good or better.   A pair of refurbed Ohm H speakers is a pretty formidable speaker for only  $800 a pair these days.   When available.  
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