Speakers

[slinger]

I see so many posts both here and elsewhere singing the praises of this "classic" speaker and that "vintage" speaker it makes me wonder if anyone here actually auditions and/or buys modern speakers
any more...other than me apparently, with my new(ish) Monitor Audios. Jerry, you can just post a list if you like.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

It is symptom of a declining market, in a declining market you have to increase return per sale. So two thing going on. From Names that can get away with it because they have hoards of brain washed sheep following them = ridiculous price increases. Along with this cheapening production as they have all realised that all they need to do is make the product *look* as though it is the bollocks and rely on the crook salesmen that are the hi-fi dealers or their on commission employees to do the rest.

[Lindsayt]

I'm not really into slimline ported speakers. Which makes up over 95% of the market for modern speakers.

The only slimline ported speakers that I've come across that I'd be happy to live with have been expensive, with the prospect of a large amount of depreciation.

On the other hand I do like huge sealed boxes, huge compression driven horns / horn hybrids, electrostatics.

[Firebug1]

You are not alone here slinger. I have pair of those awfull ported, slimline, WAF design speakers called System Audio Mantra 30. And, yes I can listen music with them.

[_D_S_J_R_]

all they need to do is make the product *look* as though it is the bollocks and rely on the crook salesmen that are the hi-fi dealers or their on commission employees to do the rest.

That's cruel and I insist that not all Hifi dealers are crooks! The independents usually went into it because they loved music and their hobby was tinkering around with the gear to reproduce it. Any crooked businessman worthy the titale 'crooked' would have fled the industry by now anyway as there's little business in 'new' gear outside of a few wealthy cities - IMO...

I'm of course excluding Sevenoaks and Audio T staff, some of whom don't always put the client's needs first...

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

They may have started that way in the industry heyday, but they are now all crooks in order to survive, because none of them now deserve to survive, apart from the odd one that still does it almost on a hobby basis. The reality is the industry is no longer an industry, it is a *hobby*, so the sooner they all die off and leave the rest of us too it the better.

[Classicrock]

I think the problem is quality of reproduction. There are not many 'specialist' designs left. Just the bigger manufacturers who put looks first - though this does not exclude some of their output being quality. Unfortunately most of the really good sounding speakers I have heard tend to retail from £3-10K or much more. Some are in fact from brands that the Doc hates The worst I have heard have been from new brands that are charging £4-5K for ultra slim speakers that make my Missions look enormous and with drivers of 3-4 inch diameter. I hope this isn't the so called hobbyist end of the industry Doc is referring to. Buying used is OK but most of what you see is bashed up with at least one damaged driver. I think those who value their well kept vintage speakers are hanging onto them due to the cost of anything new that is good.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

Get something old for £10 to £20 and Doc Mod it. Otherwise buy Cubes

Disclaimer - Just because I say something doesn't make me always right, just most of the time

[wallace]

I've yet to hear cubes,but i have yet to hear anything to beat my IPL's (£400)that i bought from a hobbyist,i have a few over payed chums with ten grand speakers that sound shite,but can't tell them,why should i.....

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

I thought you just bought Royds.