Referent point
Look if we are going to get anywhere in this discussion on speakers,,,we've been at here now going on 20years +, We need to figure out how we are going to go forward into this 21st C, which now is 21 yrs and going.
Time to establsih some sort of reference posit, a speaker that we can all agree on which is neutral, efficient and worthy to be considered true high fidelity, Last qualification, is that any amp can drive the Speaker, From Jadis JA 800 monos blaocsk a 4 chassis 800 lb amplifier to a 1 watt SET amp.
Sure I realize this is asking for the impossible,
'But really its not.
There is such speakers.
These would be the wide bands.
You know the Fostex/Lowther you atried back in the day and found less than high fidelity.
Well we should not throw the babt out with the bath water.
The wide bands were developed in Berlin and Chicago back in the 1920;s. and IMHO are the finest design in any speaker (exception are the horns).
We can not make the big horns as reference, as few of us here can afford the big guys, + many other issues which make horns not a practical reference point.\
The only speaker i know that can fill the parameters to be designated as The Reference Point, as wide bands.
All speakers must be judged next to a high tech wide band.
Wide bands will expose the glares and flaws in your speaker, which are completely hidden from your ears at the moment.
I mean if we are all seeking true high fidelity its high time to face the facts of
1) bigger is not better
2) throwing money at a speaker will result in great sound
3) thinking outside the box is the creative approach to discovering high fidelity.
4) a lab name means nothing when heard next to a high tech wide band.(We can lay this blame at Sterophiles feet)