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Tech That Flopped!

Every few months someone releases technology that seems to be revolutionary, but goes nowhere a couple of years later. Some tech gets acceptance and even imitation. Some goes wildly successful.

Ideas that are a huge success:
  • Acoustic suspension
  • Bass Reflex
  • Soft dome tweeters
Some ideas, well, it's not so clear:
  • Perfectly time aligned speakers ilke Thiel/Vandersteen
  • ESL
  • Line Arrays
  • Plasma tweeters
  • Transmission line
What tech have you seen come and go, was it worthwhile?

Best,

E
erik_squires
dlcockrum's avatar
dlcockrum
2,190 posts
 
Whew...Erik...buddy. I hate to say it but you are a good bit off on your statements about time-aligned speakers.

You are welcome at my place anytime. Really.

Dave
erik_squires OP
16,895 posts
 
@dlcockrum

So what percentage of hi fi speakers would you say are time aligned? I'm not a Hi Fi industry wizard, but have they occupied a larger market than I know?

Erik
dlcockrum's avatar
dlcockrum
2,190 posts
 
Hi Erik,

Camry’s sell far better than Teslas. Bigger impact? Depends on your point of view.

I was keying on your remarks about the sound not being anything special or similar. Time-aligned speakers require extreme attention to detail in setup and carefully matched ancillary equipment/cabling to do their magic. My holding is that few have heard Thiels set up properly and your remarks lead me to believe you may not yet be one of them, so I offered to change that. :)

Best to you Erik,
Dave
erik_squires OP
16,895 posts
 
I think that the technology of electric cars is far beyond a niche any more, and it was the tech I was more interested in than the brands.

Best,

E
erik_squires OP
16,895 posts
 
So one technology that has absolutely not flopped (even if not implemented consistently) are Beryllium domes.

It's rare, but multiple driver and speaker manufacturers have jumped on that bandwagon. Speaker makers include:

Focal
Magico
TAD
Yamaha (long ago)

While drivers from Scanspeak, SB, Radian, Seas are available over the counter, and without a hazmat suit. There have also been fake Be tweeters, and "alloys" which are basically everything but Be still available through china. The immitation is kind of proof that this is not a flop.

E
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