Are advances in technology making speakers better?

@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”.

All NEW JERN 35 Monitors ! 

Major-Breakthrough for speakers ! 

Real Game-Changer ! 

https://www.lbtechreviews.com/news/hi-fi/high-end-2022-new-iron-speaker-with-exciting-technology

 

I’ve been into high performance audio playback for almost 4 decades and I can’t say I’ve noticed any jaw dropping sound quality difference.

For whatever reason I felt that there seemed to be an actual dip in loudspeaker performance during the 1990s and the early 2000s.

Some folks still hold the original Quad ESL and the BBC LS3/5 in the highest regard. If there was any jaw dropping improvements in sound quality I’m sure they’d be very interested.

I’ve yet to hear the highly regarded Revel Salon 2s which always seem to be up there with the very best when it comes to comparisons.

It’s interesting to note that they are now a 14 year old design.

+1

The OP mentioned…

 

B&w every few years upgrades there speaker line and other manufacturers do this to. But because I have the earlier version does this mean it’s inferior? Cable manufactures do the same thing.

Well did any new technology go into those speakers?
Or what changes were made?

How much more effort is required too perfect a speaker? my speaker is several years old and all the gear and the speaker are all broken in. And now I’m being told to upgrade.

I guess it would be components and integration.
It may be easier to make a decent speaker now using mediocre components like drivers are crossovers.
But to make a more perfect speaker one would assumed that they need more perfect drivers… and also have them integrated.

I can count the drivers on one or two hands that are obviously a step up in some fashion.

The active speakers are a bit easier to make good at a cheaper price point.

I am so confused what should I do?

Personally I would not do a damned thing. Just play them until you find something that is obviously wrong with them, or something is obviously better in new speakers than in your the existing ones.

Maybe buy a new CD or LP every month or two...