Speakers: Anything really new under the sun?

I design manufacture collect restore all types of loudspeakers I get my hands on the most advanced transducers many times far before they hit the market for consumers. I assist in the development of transducers. And I keep a Shearer horn about because after all this time we have not bested that design and its essence is still with us today. I've had many jaded audio professionals hear the Shearer horns and have to rethink what progress we have really made since the 1930s. If you compare a modern BE dome tower to a Shearer it sounds like a toy compared to it. We lose so much sound quality to convenience don't fool yourself into thinking you have the absolute sound.

@johnk

And I keep a Shearer horn around because after all this time we have not bested that design

Which of today’s speakers do you think come closer to that design. What qualities make the Shearer such a stand out to you?

Do a Linkwitz LX521 DIY project and you'll have your "Forever Loudspeaker."  And it won't cost you $30,000.

 There was some talk of plasma speakers, haven't heard anything since. The obvious advantage is almost no mass, hence no mechanical resonance and instantaneous response.

Now that would be a breakthrough in design.

Hi Jaybird. I had the MA Gold Ref60s in the past. They were excellent for the money. Their sound was clear and engaging. Fairly balanced.

Compare the MA Gold R60 with a Magico S3 or an Evolution Acoustics Micro One, and it becomes clear the MA is not capable of the resolution and balance of those mentioned. Both the above are more open in the midrange especially, and much more resolved across all frequencies. It doesn’t sound like a huge difference, but from someone very familiar with your MAs, believe me, it is a case of ‘night and day’. The Evolution Acoustic Micro one is a small narrow-baffle standmount with two ceramic drivers flanking the centrally mounted tweeter. It is extraordinary for its size. The soundstage and presence for a smaller speaker is breath-taking.  The Micro One has slighty less low bass presence than the MA, but is more dynamic, resolving, timbrally and tonally accurate. The Micro One presents a more real-life scale visceral sonic picture, which is is shocking for casual non-audio ‘normies’ because the MA is a ‘full-range’ floorstander. The Micro One cabinets are constructed of baltic birch hardwood. The MA cabinets are constructed of plywood (if I remember correctly) with a veneer. The layered baltic  birchwood cabinet of the Micro One is much stiffer and more inert. My son’s Magico S3 V1 are in my humble opinion, a masterpiece of audio engineering. The S3 constructed of ultrastiff and well-damped extruded aluminium monocoque cabinet enclosure with carbon midrange drivers, beryllium tweeters and ultra stiff aluminum cones. The eliptical crossovers, made from the finest components, are also highly innovative.

If you are looking for a speaker to really rock your world, and you have a budget of say 50 Benjamin Franklins give or take one or two kay, look at used pair of Magico S1 or perhaps the new A3. The advancements and execution of those speakers will bring you much closer to audio nirvana than your MA Silvers.plus this will get you state of the art speaker tech.