Speakers: Anything really new under the sun?

Yes, for some to many. Crossovers, caps, parts, Drivers, materials, cone materials, surround materials, internal wiring, binding posts, and even cabinet designs have improved compared to 20yrs ago.

example:

VA: Helped a friend to upgrade his Vienna Acoustic Grand Mozarts. Replaced boards, caps, woofer surrounds, in the same cabinets on the first try. A marketed improvement just using better materials. 2nd try a better X-over design with modern measurement tools, software. Raised to another level again. It’s possible.

Hersey: Ask any Klipsch Hersey owner if their Version 1 speakers sound as good as versions 2,3, or the new Hersey 4s. Same basic speaker, better drivers, materials. Compare the old vs new versions and then ask if there is no change or improvement.

Quad57s: Dave at Marihart Audio completely redid his Quad57s, every single bit replacing what he could or simply using updates parts with the same basic speaker design and reports are in, he’s absolutely thrilled with the results. Super cool upgrade!

Mine: AMTs, better crossover parts and drivers with Nomex cones with better materials, new material diaphragms, decent solder, connectors, binding posts sound notably better than 20yrs ago.

I worked on a speaker assembly line early 1980s, and most of the internals were marginal compared to what we are in decent quality speakers today.

Yes, sure, in many cases with new speakers or upgrade kits too for old speakers as another option. 

I'll second the Tekton innovations. My 4 1/2 foot Pendragons with the 7 speaker array and upgraded wiring and caps Delivered to me for $2550.  Nothing I've heard under 5K comes close to the Music these make. Tekton Design.

Line arrays have appeared several times over the years and most have been very interesting and very good. Pipedreams come to mind.

But the latest and most interesting are Arions. I have a Mundorf AMT in my Tetra 606s. Dipole, they produce open and clear trebles. In the YouTube from the Florida Audio Show, the sound I heard from the Arion/Audio Research room was beyond any of the others from this show. This was especially evident in a drum solo on a LP. The presence and impact was unlike any I have heard. This lead me to exchange several emails with Arion and brought me to the point of almost going to Charlotte. If I ever wanted to change speakers, Arion would be on the top of my list.

Even only hearing a MP4 YouTube!

Very true. Nothing really new at any price point tho I still like a standard Brit Box as much as anything. All else is window dressing.

@strawj 

Very true. Nothing really new at any price point tho I still like a standard Brit Box as much as anything. All else is window dressing.

 

Absolutely. To think out of the decades old box is fairly easy, I'm sure we could all do it, but to bring it to the market takes an awful lot of ingenuity and guts.

The usual obstacles of price and consumer expectations are always there obstructing your way.

The biggest one, however, may be that undefeatable foe, domestic acceptability.

It's so formidable, that it's even more or less seen off most of those large loudspeakers that previous generations got to enjoy.

I was at lecture where I heard a prominent designer unabashedly declare that he began his new design from the premise that it must be domestically acceptable.

That is to say, a slim cabinet.

Of course, there are always constraints in anything you do, but to see sound quality demoted in such a way is always disappointing.

Therefore we should always give credit to designers like Hiroshi Kowaki who bring us products like the TD712z, or Lawrence Dickey with his dynamic Vivid Audio speakers. 

Neither of these designs can be called your typical box, but alas neither also seemed destined to be commonly found either.

The TD712z mark 2 is certainly the speaker I'd most want to hear.

It's already well over a decade old and still no sign of a mk3. I guess when your working at the periphery of what is possible, time moves slowly.