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

@djones51

The answer is very simple, people think in different ways. My partner is literally a genius, her tests in verbal intelligence are way up there. She got a full scholarship to Brown University, PhD… two Masters degrees. Every time she walks out the door she walks in the opposite direction of the car… gets lost every where. She couldn’t throw a 3D chart into her mind an flip it around if her life depended on it. I can, easily.

My former boss of $10 billion company could not visualize a simple two dimensional x - y chart. But put a fine print table of hundreds numbers in front of him and within about three seconds he would want to know why one number was off by two cents.

Different people visualize and process information differently.

What does 2% sound quality improvement sound like?  Is this based on 100% or 110% sound quality?

@danager

Yes, % of sound quality are completely meaningless between different people. It is completely dependent on your own values. To me, the more sensitive my system is, the more a small change makes a difference… so diminishing returns doesn’t happen, until I reach my maximum investment. If my investment limit was $250K, then that is where my diminishing returns would kick in.

The more heroically built cabinets will "disappear" more easily and have a more stable and holographic image and soundstage presentation. As far as wide bandwidth is concerned, that's not guaranteed. There are many very costly speakers that are still limited in the lowest frequencies. Also, depending on the design, dynamics may or may not be superior to horn speakers that cost less. 

Sound is an acoustic phenomemon...

The fact that sound can be also with technology progress an electrical/electronical induced phenomenon like with stereo system and speaker will not erase the fact that we listen not to the speakers alone but to the room/speakers...( sound waves cross my 13 feet square room 80 times each second)

My 50 bucks used vintage speakers , well chosen for sure, but only very basic good one with bass capability in their specs. sound so good thanks to acoustic knowledge that any upgrade is no more appealing ever ..

By the way comparing low cost speakers like mine to Volkswagen and costly speakers to Ferrari is only an half truth because the S.Q. experience is more related to acoustic than to the difference in electronical design, especially if the low cost system is already basically well designed... Then quit car mechanic and buy acoustic articles.... 😁😊

Concerning my speakers i will not dare to name their branded name here, because like i said my point is price tag are only an indication of probable quality design... and my post has nothing to do about boasting for a speaker brand...

Now give me a room i know how to bent any room to serve any speaker at any price tag and even a low cost well designed speaker will give an astounding sound...I learned it alone for the last 2 years...

Acoustic is the ONLY key to audiophile experience not price tag at all...It is not an opinion here, it is the result of an experiment with a 500 bucks system and acoustic....

A test now:

Buy this extraordinary well recorded opera of Kurt Weill and the best interpretation of it anyway and listen...

If the sound fill the room with no relation to the speakers at all , and with long part of this opera with singers BEHIND your head or sometimes exactly beside your right and left ears while instrument are in front of you in a large soundstage and imaging so spot on that you see the body of the singer walking and moving their head when singing in your room outside the speakers, and often beside you directly murmuring in your ear and with german spoken words syllabe clearly heard, then your speakers are good like my 50 dollars vintage one... 😁😊

If not, the good news is : it is not because your costly speakers are not well designed, it is probably because you have no cue about acoustic treatment and control...Simple...

Audiophile experience MAY cost nothing, only acoustical basic knowledge with no cost at all to do the treatment and the control... I know i used mainly junk to do it... why? Because acoustic principle are mathematical principle and physical one with no relation to the cost or the shiny and esthetical appearance of the materials or devices used...

Then stop reading audio magazine with costly price tag and work your brain with acoustic..

It is the greatest fun i ever had...No cost....But here is the catch it takes time to do the fine tuning and it take a dedicated room... A dedicated room is the ONLY luxury in audio not the gear at all and his price tag...This is a market conditioning by magazine and the need to pay for new "improved" gear design for the company...

Acoustic cost nothing if you want ....Save junk.... 😁😊

I apologize for my inconvenient truth....