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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
zkzpb8
212 posts
 
Before I got a pair of Harbeths, I went through an anti-cone ’n dome phase.  I thought a box with drivers was old technology - which it is - but thought more recent technologies would always be better.  With an open mind I’ve come full circle and much better off...

IMO Hartbeths sound better than their old school looks would suggest - but I can see how someone would question purchasing a pair on their looks - with all of the new sleek speakers out there.  But they have top quality components and highly skilled implementation of those components.  Like most speakers, the cabinetry is a big chunk of the cost, and the workmanship is first rate.

They have professional pedigree, and that’s just what speakers look like in a studio, post production suite, or broadcast booth - Alan Shaw sticks to a formula he knows and it works for some people..
analogluvr
859 posts
 
The trouble is a lot of the newer designs are dictated by WAF. Now  with the transistor more power is available cheaply so they can go smaller and smaller with the box and still get bass response. A lot of the design development goes into making speakers pretty and unique not necessarily into getting better sound.  Earlier Jake said something about driving his totems with a 70 W tube amp. His point was that they are not that inefficient. But to me that is still incredibly inefficient.  If the transistor was never invented they would've focussed on making speakers more and more efficient so you can drive them with 3 W. Also it is expensive to make an efficient speaker. You need to use more expensive magnet materials and more of them. So it is much easier and cheaper for them just to use more power and make them less efficient. And then the dynamics suffer. You get way more impact and dynamics out of high-efficiency speakers than out of low efficiency speakers. 
valinar
473 posts
 
analogluvr,
You stated that "you get way more impact and dynamics out of high-efficiency speakers than out of low efficiency speakers."
In your opinion what is the efficiency rating that separates low efficiency from high efficiency? What sensitivity/ impedance rating is the point of demarcation?
analogluvr
859 posts
 
There is no exact point as my explanation is definitely an oversimplification.  Other factors come into play such as complexity of crossover and what if you were hoping to pair with. I prefer to stick with SET and more specifically 845.  Personally I would go no lower than 95 DB efficient. You also have to be very careful because speaker manufacturers lie about their specifications. 
ejr1953
916 posts
 
Last year I spent several months sweating over a speaker upgrade, though the "Harbeth sound" is "not my cup of tea", I can understand why people like them...and I'd say the same about a number of other high-quality offerings from Magico, Wilson, Sonus Faber, and a few other manufacturers whose products I auditioned.

As for Harbeth, their speakers do have a sort of "old school" construction, which also has a sort of "charm" about them.  All the models I auditioned were "easy on the ears" and "easy on the eyes", beautifully crafted with real wood veneers!

As for the price they charge, I feel the marketplace determines the "right price" for items, if they didn't sell well at their price points, Harbeth would need to make changes, but it seems that they don't have trouble selling them at the prices they offer.
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