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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
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.
polarin
73 posts
 
Companies like Harbeth and Magnepan which have been around for several decades are like the automotive equivalent of Porsche.  They developed a product that worked when originally introduced and were well received, then they continued to refine and improve their products over the years.  They don't create a "new model" every year or two, I guess the saying " If it ain't broke don't fix it" applies here.  Some people, myself included, appreciate a timeless design on some things, others don't, AND THAT'S O.K., if something doesn't appeal to you for aesthetic reasons move on.   However,  companies that have been in business for 5 or 6 decades and continue to receive positive reviews must be doing something right.
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