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Speakers The single most critical component

I know we've been over this Q hundreds of X's over the past 20 years here on audion, You can find dozen of topics dealing with this Q <which is the ,,,,most important component...>>
well time for yet 1 more topic dealing with this,, perhaps unanswered, un-resolved issue.
I'm bringing up the old hachet due to my recent experience acutally hearinga FR in my system. 
Let me tell you, there is not even 1 traditional/conventioanl/xover design <The Boxed Type>> in the world that could convince me  , there is something that will beat out FR (caveat, FR requires  some sort of high sens =sensitivity, tweeter)  in  the Boxy world of speakers.
That is to say, FR + Compression Horn is the future of 21st Century high fidelity. 
One lab has already brought us these ~~~SHF~~~ aka SuperHighFidelity  single drivers. 
The code word here is ~~SHF~~~ which can not never be employed when describing xover/trad/conventioanl style  aka The Box designs. db level under 91 are _<<IN-EFFICIENT>> , = dysfunctional, out dated, old school , = Dinasaurs. 
For amps, I only consider tube amps (PP and SET) as ~~SHF~~~ I can not include ss amps in this topic. 
IMHO all well made tube amps sound very close,
 a  kt88 in brand X will sound  close to brand Y. 
So amplification takes a  distant 2nd place in critical component.  No need to break the bank buying amp A vs  a  lower priced kt88 amp B
CD players, nearly all  tube DAC's , tube cdp-ers sound  close. No need to braek the bank over X vs Y.
My Jadis DAC is  only miniscule gain over the Shanling,
 the Shanling
only a  miniscule gain over the Cayin CD17. 
Now as for  best source  , phonograph is the ideal playback medium vs cds. 
I have some LP's now , but my main collection are classical cds, most not on LP version. Cables , I did note some gains employing silver/copper wiring throughout my entire system including inside the Defy.
Tweak worthy.
New Mundorf caps in all componets, tweak worthy. 
Yet the main central component remaisn the speakers.
Here is where  the entire audio resolution either rises to Nirvana or falls to <<distortion/muddy waters,/pollution/anti-fidelity  voicing  issues.
Your system's fidelity is ultimately dependent on what speaker  you have chosen to employ.
Forget all you've learned over the years, 
The new mantra is <,The speaker is key component>
All else is just extra tweaks/nuances. 
To sum up, a  ~~SHF~~ driver will match even the top of line Wilson weighing in at hundreds of lbs priced $$$$$$$ overa single FR driver. 
FR beats out any/all xover box design speakers. Mostly due to that key specification ~~db level~~~ which is everything in speaker design and thus in resolution/fidelity. 

mozartfan
mozartfan OP
2,143 posts
 
btw, the 8 wide band 94db just arrived, tested w/o cabinet vs the Diatone 91db w cabinet
the  8 94db  reduced  the Diatone 6.5 91db  to ~~Wet Blanket~~ status,
Things are really starting to click now with this sensitivyty thing.
The higher the sens the superior the imaging.
So the Diatone 91  smashed the seas Thor 87 db to Wet Blanket status, 
The 8 94 db sens, smashed the diatone 6.5 91 db to Wet Blanket Status.
Now what do you think a  10  98db goning to do to the 8 94db sens???
Anyone?
Well I'll tell you what the 10 / 98db  will do to the 8/ 94db, 
Going to smash it to 
Wet Blanket speaker. 
This is how this db sens game works. 

I'm guessing 98db is about as high as i figure i want to go in this deal.
I'm quite surea  Field Coil will blow away the 98 db 10, for sure. But at $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$,
Is  it worth it? 
I have few recordings in my collection that would justify speading  that kind of cash on a  speaker.
The 10/98 db  will put my sound near the Mt Everest  peaks. Had I not invested the $1800 in the Thor upgrade, I'd be  there by now. 
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pesky_wabbit's avatar
pesky_wabbit
1,183 posts
 
Oh wow, you have actually listened to a pair of FR drivers. Congratulations. Please keep your diatribe within 100 words.
perkri
907 posts
 
@op 

Have to disagree that the speaker is the most important. The room is the most important followed by system synergy. Every part of the system is important. The speaker can have the biggest impact from a sonic signature standpoint, but that doesn't make it the most important. Whats important about a speaker in my mind is the it has the kind of sonic signature that is pleasing to the listener and that it is a good match for the room it is being placed in. 

I am a big fan of full range drivers and have built many of them. They have their place, and sound amazing to my ears when matched with the right amplifier and music. They have their limitations however. And I think your logic around how much better a larger FR driver will sound, is flawed. As they get bigger, they have a greater difficulty with transients and sibilants. Go bigger than 8", and it becomes a factor. 6 1/2" seems to be a sweet spot for bass response (pending driver and cabinet design) while maintaining nice high frequencies.

Now, a 10", 12" or 15" coax is a different story. But, then you are dealing with a crossover...
berner99
216 posts
 
If no one said it, the speaker is the only item in the reproduction chain which effects the pattern of sound dispersion in the room.  For those of us who like eg omnis, bipoles, dipoles, open baffle, and wide dispersion boxes, these differences are more significant than one can achieve by changes in other components.

Yes room treatments affect this also.
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