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
"20 feet" do you have any data to back this up? Your throwing numbers out there and imo you exagerate.
You are not wrong here in your remark.....

I have not calculated the exact size where controls of the timing early and late reflections will be more difficult.... And less rewarding and easy... A great hall is not a 13 feet room....

My room is 13 feet square and it is easy to use reverberation from the back for example to create a listener envelopment experience...
And easy to use reflection from the first reflection points for the better ...

And for the skeptic my sound is not unnatural at all.....I say that because the general saying to always  absorb reflections in general is simplistic... We must use our ears to know what to do in a specific room....


I did that by listenings experiments...

20 feet seems to me a good approximation separating big room and small one....But i had not calculated this scientifically with the many variables involved...

In a small room using all acoustical passive and active controls is rewarding at no cost....

I read somewhere that my 13 feet room is supposed to de difficult....

I experience the opposite...

It is because people usually use only passive material treatment ( balance between reflections,diffusions,and absorbing surfaces)

I used also a grid of resonators to control not only bass nodes but all the way up and control the timing and differentiate each wavefront of each speaker differently for each ear ...This give me a 3-d filling the room if the recording make it possible...Most classic recording are good...

My results are more amazing than anything i could dream of and no upgrade is on my future...

It is why i wrote this:

« acoustic is the sleeping princess and the future queen, the gear is the 7 working dwarves»

Most people here claim the opposite...The upgrading frustration confirm to me that i am right....people dont know how to install or embed their audio system... They read specs sheet thinking that only electronic compatibility is enough...

Perhaps the gear over some amount of money play a more important role, for those who can afford 100,000 bucks system perhaps and even in this case i listened harsh unnatural sound quality coming from many costly system in youtube ... Then acoustic for me is the key.....

My 500 bucks system is enough to make me smile...

Audiophile experience is linked to basic common sense and science especially psychoacoustic...
but your 50$ vintage speakers doesnt come close to the best 15000$ speakers out there.
Only a stupid person will claim that used vintage speakers are better than very costly new one...

But only ignorant person will doubt that acoustic transform completely the sound of a pair of speakers for their optimal working ...

There is no relation between my speakers S.Q. before and after my active room control...

It is not the best nor perfect but the S.Q. is so good i listen music and NEVER will think to upgrade...

Music filling the room is here and it is enough...


lets list the top 10 arguably best studio in the world or you know, some very well respected studio.

Abbey road 1 and 2
Conway Recording Studio
Village Recording Studio
Sound Factory
Sunset sound
Chicago Recording Company Studio 4
Circle Studios, Birmingham
East West
Manifold

NONE use active treatment. Why? Cause Passive treatment works perfectly, without any drawbacks (apart from visually)
Why do you think i advocate  active controls for SMALL ROOM?

 Because they are difficult to deal with....

 my room is 13 feet...

But if someone know what to do it is easy to control one...

 I did....
- Active treatment with DSP/EQ colours the sound, that cannot be avoided. that is undebatable.
- Passive Tuned helmholtz resonator will work just as well as active subs cancellation methods or active helmholtz resonator and will avoid all this EQ nonsense.
exactly...

Tuning a room is like tuning a piano....

The geometry/topology of the room is like the geometry/topology of the piano case...

The Helmholtz resonators are like the strings of the piano for the piano tuner...

It takes me a month to reach optimal results...

Each of my resonator is segmented and mechanically tunable...

No cost at all...

Audiophile experience may cost peanuts.... It is not perfect but i will never dream to buy anything more.... Is it not something?

 I wrote that because i am the only one claiming that and i want to help those who dont have money to fulfill their dream like me 7 years ago... Thats all....i learn how to make it.... Nobody here ever say that simple truth.... I never bought "tweaks" i replicated them at no cost or create new one....

I sell nothing save creativity ....
" I have not calculate the exact size where controls of the timing early and late reflections will be more difficult"

what do you mean?
Do you have early reflection panels (absorption) ? Cause one thing that is very clear in the acoustic world, any small room need at the minimum absorption at every early reflection points. DSP or EQ will not remove the decay problems caused by early reflections. Only absorption (in a small room) will. You could make your room measure flat FR wise with EQ and DSP, but without absorption at the early reflections points (ceiling, side walls and behind your listening position) any ECT measurements will clearly show that your room decay is not even at all frequencies and certainly not -15db within 20ms or even 100ms

"acoustic is the sleeping princess and the future queen, the gear is the 7 working dwarves’’
Agreed 100%