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After the thrill is gone

I think we all understand there is no “perfect” speaker. Strengths, weaknesses, compromises all driven by the designer’s objectives and decisions. 
 

Whenever we make a new (to us) speaker purchase there is a honeymoon period with the perfect-to-us speaker. But as time wears on, we either become accustomed to the faults and don’t really hear or hear past them, or become amplified and perhaps more annoying or create minor buyers remorse or wanderlust.

I am guessing the latter would be more prevalent when transitioning to a very different design topology, eg cones vs horns vs planars etc.

While I’ve experimented with horns, single drivers, subwoofer augmentation …  I’ve always returned to full range dynamic multi-driver designs. About to do so with planars but on a scale I’ve not done before, and heading toward end game system in retirement.
So I just wonder what your experiences have been once the initial thrill is gone? (Especially if you moved from boxes to planars)

inscrutable

Showing 1 response by wspohn

wspohn's avatar
wspohn
610 posts
 

@johnlnyc 

I listened to the very expensive, at the time, ML (CLS model). A solo piano record was played and I was stunned. It sounded like the piano was in that room with us.

There is magic to electrostatics - the Quads and my series 1 ML CLS reproduce acoustic music in a way that beggars the imagination. First time I was listening to the CLS my wife called and asked if I was playing the piano.

And if I ever find a usable pair of Apogee Scintillas I will add a pair of panel speakers to my menagerie (I have the amps to drive them!)

The only problem I have with falling in love with various gear is that you end up with several systems each having a particular virtue that you wouldn't want to do without.

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