Are vintage speakers really that good?

Speaker drivers have improved dramatically in just the past 5 years. I have heard some older drivers that aren't bad, but they are nowhere near the latest designs.

Just the facts, ma'am.

"Improved Technology" often means producability. They are more easily made, and therefore cheaper. "Improved" does not always refer to audio quality.

Fashons change with regard to how a speaker should perform. Nowadays, imaging is king. Older speakers excell in reproducing large sounds, like a symphony orchestra, at realistic volume. Maybe that is more important than imaging. Doing both with the same speaker is the challange. My solution, by the way, and a lot cheaper, is to use different speakers for different kinds of music.

My Snell type B from 1990 is still there with the best of the new crop.Nothing beats them at under $10000=00 price.the rest of my equipment is post 2000.

Certainly productability falls into place with the mass produced garbage, I was however, speaking of higher end speaker drivers than you. If you've heard some of the better hand-built/hand-made speakers, such as the ATD drivers from Italy, you would not be making such statements. I listen to everything from Blue-Grass to Country, Jazz to Classical, and Folk. I don't need different speakers to give me the large orchestra sound at high volume. These are the same speakers that will play a simple solo guitar/folk vocalist perfectly.

This is my point: Many are not aware of the better drivers out there, so they have no idea of what is being missed.

My definition of improved DOES refer to sound quality.

jes45@aol.com ...I don't consider Dynaudio or Seas to be garbage. Perhaps you do. I am sure there is someone who likes drivers that are hand made by saffron-robed monks using pressed llama wool cones, laminated with yak milk , and thinks that the stuff slapped together by happy-go-lucky Italians is junk.