Affordable vs. ultra expensive speakers - what's the difference?


Candidate 1: Affordable at about 3K

 

Candidate 2: Ultra expensive at 50K.

 

So what's the difference?

andy2

What’s the difference? Just in terms of manufacturing and parts quality there’s a huge difference. Aluminum enclosure, drivers made from billet aluminum, substantially better crossover components. Is it “worth” a $47,000 difference, or does it “sound” $47,000 better? I have absolutely no clue but there is big money in making the expensive example you reference.

@hilde45 ,  I think (at least for me and my logic), you nailed it.  

I don't have $50k speakers, but today I have $6500 speakers and I never thought I'd get here.  I can now fathom maybe a $20k set of speakers if I could use them and enjoy them thoroughly for 20 years. 

I tell a neighbor friend I bought an amp for $4k and their eyes pop out of the sockets.  Someone on the street buys a $70k car and no one's eyes pop out.  The amp plays on, while the car moves one more step toward the junkyard each day. 

there are some inexpensive speakers I like a lot, and some expensive one's I do not like, but all my favorites are expensive...not sure if those who do not hear a difference are lucky or unlucky...they save money but miss out on so much

No speakers at any cost will beat by his upgrading power,

These 6 aspects of acoustic control parameters in a room:

-Balance between absorbing surfaces,

-Reflecting one,

-Diffusive one....

-control over reverberation time and timing of the wavefronts

- control over the distribution of the pressure zones

- fine layering and tuning of the laminar flow

These 3 last aspects could be  controlled with Helmhotz mechanical  method NOT by electronical equalization...

 

 

Dont upgrade good speakers with costly one BEFORE studying and experimenting with acoustic...

@jbhiller i couldn’t agree with you more, each upgrade makes me believe I can now reach the next echelon of component, something I never thought I’d get to 10 years ago. The same goes for the spending habits people have that are socially understood, music, despite it being almost vital to life, seems like an afterthought for many. I use my system basically everyday and enjoy it for hours, what else is getting that kind of use except my work laptop!