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When/why to upgrade?

I have a pair of Dunlavy SC-IV/A speakers that, as far as I can tell, work the same as when I bought them new in 2000. I would upgrade if I had confidence that replacement speakers would work better for me. But that would require considerable effort and expense, and is not something I would undertake just for the novelty effect. Over the years, I've upgraded amps and DACs, and always with positive results, but speakers seem different. How do you folks know when it's time to upgrade yours? Dunlavys, after all, have a great reputation for producing neutral sound, and I don't see compelling evidence that speaker design has advanced much, at least, within my price range.
gary_moresky
inna
7,296 posts
 
That's a good question. How high in the amplification and cabling have you gone so far ? 
I also have 20 years old speakers that keep performing better with each and every upgrade in the chain, no matter how small it is.
erik_squires
16,039 posts
 
Room acoustics are where I’d spend my money if you haven’t already.


I don’t think you’ll find better speakers per-se but there have been very trendy sounding fads in what high end speakers should sound like.

However... I would look around to see what crossover upgrades users have tried. Modern caps are really really good.
boxer12
8,656 posts
 
Great advice from inna & erik above. Those suggestions bring out the best in already great speakers. As does resonance control (feet, platforms, stands, etc.) & IMO power filtration for everything but the amps. 
milpai's avatar
milpai
2,369 posts
 
@gary_moresky,Do YOU feel the need to upgrade/change the Dunlavys? If not, then why think?In my case, I wanted full range sound. My previous loudspeakers were very fine, but not full range. The upgrade price was 10X the price of my previous loudspeaker.

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