While I wouldn't exactly buy any of his modified speakers from other companies myself, I can reasonably see those things as maybe a viable option for someone else. Maybe one or two his better successes there might be interesting food for thought though. But, if Danny's not saying that most of the speakers out there are schlock, then I suppose I might say it - not that I'm here to launch some kind of campaign against them, exactly. But, that's why I finally went the DIY speaker route, and when I did everything opened up for me and I was able to get everything I ever wanted from a pair of speakers, for the first time ever. I even based the main speakers loosely on one of his original designs and his thought processes have been very influential on me.
His original designs have always struck me as potentially very good, though they tend to have more or less different applications (as many speakers do), but I mean he seems to have a better grasp than even many manufacturers that good, well-thought out crossover design is a critical part of good speaker design.
But, if a maker can willfully screw the pooch on crossover design (and it's often so bad that I don't think it qualifies as simply 'saving money') then my first question is what else in the overall design did they also screw up? I've seen so many bad crossover designs now, that it's no surprise to me that they are often associated with extremely bad driver mismatching as well for example, which can even be the bigger sin...something no good crossover design can remedy. But, for my own purposes, why would I want to throw bad money after good to try and improve the sound if I can avoid spending the bad money in the first place?
To me, it seems most of these speakers are not built to a design standard and not even built to a price point - it's as if they are just being 'built' - that might be the best I can say about some of them. And that they are just being built for no other purpose than to get them out the door. I'm sorry to say it that way, I'm not trying to step on anyone's toes here, but that's roughly about the state of the speaker market in my mind at the moment, at least with the brands and price ranges Danny's been working with and also from what I've happened to experience as a longtime audiophile as well.