Are advances in technology making speakers better?

@cd318 

well, it's all subjective. I really meant "entertaining" as opposed to useful. But I am twisting my own words now. I don't have 20 or 10 minutes watching a stranger for pure entertainment value. I better learn something if I spend the time that I could use for other things.

@kingbr  I hear you and can relate!

I have switched in numerous speakers over the years to try to find something I like better than my trusty Epi speakers... to little avail.  

I only got my Klipsch Heresy IV for something different... are they "better" in some ways?  Yes, especially in a larger room.  But they do not kick my old Epi to the curb by any means, and in many ways the Epi are far more practical, too, smaller and less picky placement, in addition to continue tickling the old eardrums in mysterious ways.  

Maybe when I move out of L.A. and to Arizona to enjoy full on energy independence (thank the solar for that) and open skies and easy living, I'll try out the Q Acoustics Concept 50 vs. the Heresy, but even then, I'm keeping the classic Epi 100 for my second system. 

There's something to be said for keeping what you have once you have them and like them.

@cd318 

You have to look across the spectrum of speakers. And really Quad? The first thing absolutely every Qual lover will say is, “well they are rolled off at the top and are really restricted in the bass… but within the midrange they are spectacular.”  That doesn’t constitute evidence of lack of progress. 

I suspect that the taste of the buying public has more to do with the sound of modern gear than the state of the technology.  The public favors “detail” which means lean upper bass because warm upper bass obscures higher frequencies that provide the kind of detail people seek.  

@larryi

I’m sorry, and respectfully disagree. While there are brands… Magico come to mind that overwhelmingly capture detail and must be paired very carefully with components to avoid loosing upper bass and a sweet natural midrange. OMG, what is possible today that is incredibly natural, fleshed out, and articulate mid-range and bass is simply stunning.

Honestly, I take for example my system. See my ID. While there are folks of the “detail” orientation that would criticize it as being too rich and without the etched detail they want… I think this is an attribute of youth more than the technology. It is easy to get focused on detail and slam and miss the gustalt. It has always been a pursuit of matching appropriate components to get the output you want. The capability today is sooo much greater than the 50’s, 60’s… etc.  But this has always been true. The capability today is so much greater than those “good old days”.