After the thrill is gone


I think we all understand there is no “perfect” speaker. Strengths, weaknesses, compromises all driven by the designer’s objectives and decisions. 
 

Whenever we make a new (to us) speaker purchase there is a honeymoon period with the perfect-to-us speaker. But as time wears on, we either become accustomed to the faults and don’t really hear or hear past them, or become amplified and perhaps more annoying or create minor buyers remorse or wanderlust.

I am guessing the latter would be more prevalent when transitioning to a very different design topology, eg cones vs horns vs planars etc.

While I’ve experimented with horns, single drivers, subwoofer augmentation …  I’ve always returned to full range dynamic multi-driver designs. About to do so with planars but on a scale I’ve not done before, and heading toward end game system in retirement.
So I just wonder what your experiences have been once the initial thrill is gone? (Especially if you moved from boxes to planars)

inscrutable

Over decades moved from sealed bookshelves to ported to numerous dynamic floorstanders, some with subs, to small planars to a couple of partial open baffles to large full electrostatic planars. Don't ever wanna go back. When I recently moved, I pondered long and hard with what I'd do if I landed somewhere where I'd have to switch to a smaller speaker. Was leaning towards full open baffle as the best compromise for my preferences and system, but I'm really relieved to be keeping the Soundlabs. Cheers,

Spencer

I've tried cones several times and they just don't sound like music. Always go back to Maggies.

I don’t think there is an ultimate solution, because it’s so much depends on the room you have available. I have tried quads and Maggies  in my listening room, and although I like them quite a bit in other spaces, dynamics seem to do better for me in this room.