Speakers The single most critical component

yeah, I think OP’s opinion is valid in many ways.
Wideband/FR speakers do things in the midrange/treble that no multiways can achieve. The transition and transients with the mid to treble is just unique in character.
however, I dislike large format wideband (4 to 6.5 inch wideband are the best) and so they are extremely limited in the bass, cannot go loud and since wideband use very light cone and weak magnets, the bass they make is truly subpar next to a 12 inch based 3 way for example.

I’m listening right now to a pair of Fostex ff105wk that ive implemented in a minimus enclosure.
https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/inspired-by-the-chinese-abomination-thread-h...
These roll off around 110hz, ive added a REL T5 sub and yeah, there’s magic there in the mid that my SEAS A26 cannot match. but they sound anemic when played loud, not as even in frequency response in the treble and the bass is definitely weaker vs the A26.

as for the discussion about room acoustic being king, i disagree. and my room is fully treated. a well treated room wont make a P3ESR sound like a harbeth 40.1. room acoustic is extremely critical for good sq and one cannot get best SQ without proper early reflection treatment and bass traps ect, but speakers are the most important tool

PS: im quite confused by the Voxativ hype. The frequency response is average at best. I feel like audiophile community look at the prices and automatically assume Voxativ are the best cause they are extremely highly priced.
cough cough
https://www.stereophile.com/content/voxativ-ampeggio-loudspeaker-measurements

wouldnt want them if they were given to me

@mozartfan you state:.

Maybe Richard can loan one of his SET amps, and compare to Defy7, If SET wins out I’ll buy Ricahrd’s SET, and dump the glorious Defy7 with all new Mundorf SESGO + F&T caps. New navships internal silver wiring. New copper speaker posts. NOT selling on the cheap. She’ll be priced mid level. ain’t gonna take a hit. R

Hows about a true Loftin-White with NO CAPS in the signal path to mess things up. Design elegance always trumps boutique components. i‘m available.......

And by the way, you haven‘t addressed any of the issues I have raised.

as for the discussion about room acoustic being king, i disagree. and my room is fully treated. a well treated room wont make a P3ESR sound like a harbeth 40.1. room acoustic is extremely critical for good sq and one cannot get best SQ without proper early reflection treatment and bass traps ect, but speakers are the most important tool

You speak about passive room treatment...

There exist also Active room treatment that use tubes and pipes resonators in a precise distribution to complement powerfully the passive treatment...They work by conveying the timing wavefronts of sounds coming from each speaker to each ear...

And nobody can contradict the fact that speakers is important and everybody know that ...

acoustic on the contrary is completely underestimated.... especially with people owning very costly speakers...

And acoustic can transform good average speaker in a better experience... with my mechanical equalizer made of resonators i control imaging,  timbre, soundstage, listener envelopment etc...

Just read the review ‘there are are other loudspeakers that can do the the same thing - the Naim IBL‘ I think i‘ll stick to mine and save the $29k.

PS: im quite confused by the Voxativ hype. The frequency response is average at best. I feel like audiophile community look at the prices and automatically assume Voxativ are the best cause they are extremely highly priced.



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@ Murphythe cat
Quite a impressive DIY project  you have going on. The 4 inch Fostex is not enough bass for me. This 6.5 Diatone chinese clone, is not bad, livable/doable, But looking fora  bit more
So  I figure if Im going to pay $2k for the Voxativ, better go 8 inch, I've livied with these Thor dual 6.5's, nice bass, but want the lower registers to come through.+ a single wider cone , as i listen at low gain, nice easy relaxed sound. 
I'm not after perfection, uphoria, Nirvana, Speaker heaven, Not at all. 
Consider i lived with the 87db Thors for 20 years, A 8 Vox will be as close to Mt Everest as these ears will get in my  remaining years.
Tradeoffs
WE all agree, tarde offs on every amp, source, speaker.
I am waiting on Richard Gray to provide at least 3 alternatives for my Defy KT88 amplifier. He says FR is the wrong speaker, same vote as my Thors, So far he has not written back.
The 3 alternatives to my Voxativ, I am more than surem, all 3 will have ~~issues~~ tradeoffs that will be close to the Thors ~~faults/weaknesses/issues~~~
You say the Vox chart looks dreadful. 
I can not read charts, diagrams,
I know one tech on YT says charts are 1 thing, listening is yet another,,Wait tahts the founder of Voxativ stating this idea.
I've heard the Vox only via YT uploads, I LOVEEEEE what I heard. + I;'ve read some comments from YTers who attended the Audio Shows, both said to the effect
~~~Voxativ was best room at the show~~~ For what reason would they  be biase? Even lie?
No reason at all.
You can raed comments all over the Inet that Voxativ's speakers are the finest musical voiced speaker they have ever experienced.
Its all over the Inet testimonies from real audiophiles.
You can not find even 1 speaker which  has such accolades,  super high prasies. 
Vox is the only speaker where folks say ~~Simply the finest~~~
Why would they lie? 
I see no reason they are selling snakeoil,. Not like the snakeoil we  have all been guzzling these past 40+ years about speakers.
Vox is the New Kid on the block, Which is why there is so much resistece. The Lab is in Berlin. My guess is sales are far higher in the EU vs the USA.
can  anyone here  provide a alternative choice in speakers for the Defy7 KT88, other than Voxativ entry model, all i can  Afford after The Thor $1900 upgrade broke my bank.
You also mention Vox are ~~high priced~~ Most are wayyy out our budgets. But they offera  few entry models at near $2k-$3k.
Considering the used market for box/xover designs here on audiogon, most are in the $$$$$$$$, wayyy over the $2k  mark + Shipping = $$$$$
= Voxativ's are budget/low priced/ = a  steal.
Worlds finest sounding pre high fidelity speaker for alotttt less than any of Troel Gravesen's 2 or 3 way xover designs
Vox are best bang for the buck.