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Have speakers really improved within the last 20 years??

Question:

  • If there is one measurement that would prove that speakers have indeed got better over the last 20 years, what would it be? 

I dont just want one example of a speaker from today that has a better measurement than another speaker from 20 years ago because that could just be a coincidence. I want to see IRREFUTABLE PROOF that most speakers today have a measured performance in at least one area that is better than most speakers 20 years ago.

When I look at a typical bookshelf speaker from 20 years ago versus one from today i see little difference. All i see is a wooden box, typically mdf with a pair of drivers in 'em. There would be a small crossover circuit inside and a bit of foam inside the box and that would be the end of the story. I would like to believe that speakers have gotten better but I see no reason to believe it. All I see is that speakers may have gotten brighter and brighter with time to dupe us into thinking we are hearing more detail. 

This challenge is open to any audiophile or speaker designer reading this.
kenjit
jonnie22
42 posts
 
It depends on what type of speaker.

Quality stand-mounts -yes, for a price. The good ones are north of 5k. Cone-material and cavity-noise were improved.

Big-box cones -slow improvements, I’ve noticed better driver-integration -3 -ways were a tough-nut to crack. If you can afford the pricey Magicos, then progress was more than "slow".

Panels -less panel-resonance and better bass-integration,

Horns -the biggest improvement. Esp. for those who were not tweaking before (to remove mouth reflections). If Emerald Physics and Spatial count as horns, this category did very good.


wyoboy
282 posts
 
Sigh--on and on we go--yes, Kenjit, you have the right to believe that measurements are the only way to know if a speaker is good or has improved over the years.  But your obsession with measurements is misplaced--why?  Because your ears don't process sound the same way a microphone does.  What a microphone hears, and measures, is nothing like what your ears process and filter.  Therefore, relying on measurements is pointless--it's only a first step filter to weed out really bad speakers with poor FR--which your ears could do anyway--after that it's up to your golden ears entirely--and merely your opinion...
agwca
122 posts
 
Short answer:Yes.
Long Answer:Yes.
rwwear
2,873 posts
 
No. They've gotten worse.
mglik
911 posts
 
Measurements are relatively meaningless compared to the sound.
IME, there are only a handful of speakers that sound “real”.
I believe the biggest factor is the matching of drivers and crossovers. The designer’s knowledge of what music sounds like is key. And their ability to transfer that to their design.

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