@grislybutter wrote:
I am curious how the experts choose speakers when upgrading? What are the priorities, what would make you stretch your budget?
Based on e.g....
- brand/company’s reputation
- price
- sensitivity
- crossover frequency
- compatibility with existing amp, etc.?
Hardly speaking as an "expert," but of the above options only sensitivity has some bearing in my considerations. I don’t have the financial means to go "all out," nor would I want to and I don’t believe it’s necessary either. Using one’s ears, an open mind and some common sense there are true bargains to be had in audio equipment, certainly found 2nd hand, and not least looking in segments of gear not typically associated with "hifi."
I place little value in finding that very particular speaker that makes it all come together; to me it’s about the physics of things, horn profiles and their size, a range of known compression drivers, midbass and (sub-)bass horns, their size/principle and fitting drivers. Getting those parameters right can be made across a range of options and is more or less about the pure physics and acoustics of things and, again, size, rather than any brand or über price range.
What really makes it come together is the implementation of these "ingredients" in the specific listening space and with the chosen gear, and going by an active approach here makes this endeavor all the more meaningful and configurable. Having a pair of pre-configured speakers, which all passive (but not necessarily all active) speakers are to my mind defeats the purpose, and this is where "the one and only" speaker is sought for that matches a given acoustic space and its size, not to mention individual taste. Actively and being able to set filter values by yourself this all changes, and even very large horn-loaded speakers can be made to sum and sound excellently at the listening position in small to moderately sized rooms.
I don’t get hung up on brands, price and segment any longer, and over time have come to loath the notion of a secret/elusive/esoteric "sauce" that some manufacturers love to flaunt to make themselves more desirable as a brand. It’s about physics, acoustics, design and implementation - preferably actively configured - and there are different as well as affordable ways to get there.