Are advances in technology making speakers better?

Change brands.

What should you do? First of all, relax. You are always being told to upgrade. We all are. Why? Because, in order to stay in business they have to sell, and people who have already demonstrated desire (existing customers) are always the best market. Hopefully you bought what you bought because you liked the sound. As long as you continue to be happy with the sound then it really doesn't matter what they do and so you can just sit back and relax.

Now, about that technology. It really isn't speaker technology now, is it? Its materials technology. Lighter, stiffer, less resonant, more magnetic, that kind of thing. This is not speaker technology. 

This is important to distinguish because among other reasons it means you can upgrade yours any time you like. Inside pretty much every speaker ever made are some disturbingly cheap crossover parts- caps, resistors, inductors. Very old technology that being stuck deep inside nobody ever sees and so being audiophiles we think that stuff either doesn't matter or is black magic, or even both- being audiophiles logic seldom enters the frame. But the truth is all they have to do is spend an extra $5 more per cap and this alone is enough for anyone to notice. 

But again, that's not speaker technology. That's materials, craftsmanship even.

Speaker technology is something rarely ever comes along. Electrostatics, horns, those are speaker technology. 

A new technology, genuine speaker technology, would be to find a way to make something like a lot of small tweeters functionally equivalent to a single 9" midrange driver. THAT would be some new technology! Unless I guess your name is Eric Alexander, and then audiophiles don't even get that it really is new, they just see a lot of drivers.

Technology is hard. I'd enjoy what I've got if I were you.

pick your expert carefully…. some change gear like clothes….new amp, preamp, turntable, cartridge / ancillary, super tweeters….. list goes on………. and yet lack introspection about JUST how hypocritical they sound…and behave

you are not being told to upgrade, you are told to give them your money. These greedy companies are out to make a profit and and their trick is to make new products that they claim is better than the old ones and you will be happier if you buy them. What a world we live in! 

What should you do? First of all, relax. You are always being told to upgrade

Good advice.

I am so confused what should I do?

Watch Steve Guttenberg videos.

@jumia wrote:

How much more effort is required too perfect a speaker? my speaker is several years old and all the gear and the speaker are all broken in. And now I'm being told to upgrade.

You're not being told what to do, if anything you're letting someone tell you what they would like you to do. Don't let their business (incl. marketing crap) dictate your choice, instead make it the other way 'round and/or cut loose of it all and use what's available (from past/present, 2nd hand/new, DIY/preassembled, pro/domestic, etc.) to make your own preferred sonic meal - so-called advances in technology, peer pressure, dogma and paradigm be damned. 

It's about physics, implementation and quality/type of design. The first two are about scaling and the effort you/they out into getting the different pieces/parameters to intermingle properly, and the latter have been around for decades in a variety of shapes with nothing essentially new under the sun.

Mostly what it's about is no different now than it was many years ago. There have been important advances in digital tools, and class D amplifiers make for more compact active speakers (with the aid of digital tools) with potentially tons of wattages. Indeed, DSP tooling is a great asset with active speakers, and they needn't be small nor bundled solutions. 

At the core of things though what's out there is generally streamlined business ventures meant to make money from a package too small and wrapped in different yet stereotypical looking clothing to distinguish themselves and have excuses for design "upgrades." Any advances that are are not least about making something smaller with the least negative impact, but with speakers there's ultimately no escaping physics. 

My guess: if you were to hear and realize what even fairly priced, and perhaps in particular older, properly sized high efficiency speakers could do, you'd step off the merry-go-round of the "small, new and expensive" speaker category that seeks of you to make progressively deeper digs in your pockets and invest in their going-in-circles business hierarchy. Once the basics are right it's really about the implementation, and suddenly much if not most of the fancy new stuff just becomes irrelevant. 

They do it with cars too, just enjoy what you have as long as you like it. 

Do what everyone does when they don’t know what to do. Fire the drummer. 

Upgrade everything every forty years whether you need to or not. Donate your speakers and all the rest of your old equipment to an unwary, yet appreciative neighbor. You’ll experience a 100% sucess rate with this procedure and wont have to worry about it again for decades. Makes for a good nights sleep and spares the drummer any possible inconvenience.

They'd need to prove to you first that what they are offering to upgrade to is significantly better for you.

With the ongoing materials and components shortages, this may be not the case.

For instance, I remember a decade ago neodymium magnets were used in many new speakers, even budget ones. Now they are rarer. Ferrite rules.

I'm still running with Epi 100 speakers in two of my systems (Minnesota cabin and bedroom suite) from 1979... still excellent, w new caps and binding posts, and of course woofer foam or new woofer from Human Speakers.  Not trendy, and neutral rich pleasing enjoyable speakers; no need to get new.  They, or should I say Winslow Burhoe the designer, had found a "sweet spot" design, that model, and then later iterations degraded it.  And, as the other posters have pointed out: a lot of times newer models are simply for marketing, because the companies are expected to bring out new stuff to sell... doesn't necessarily mean it's better stuff.

Likewise the very first Bose 301 bookshelf was, and is, a pretty darn good, enjoyable speaker for almost everybody except perhaps discerning audiophiles, but even I still like it for general casual listening... but the LATER versions of the 301, the II, III, and IV, were not as good... so newer again certainly does not necessarily mean better.

That said, the new Klipsch Heritage line, the mk IV, are supposedly better than the previous I, II, and III... so, progress can be made.  Likewise the newer JBL 100 and the KLH model 5 are supposedly better, according to various critics, than the older versions... but note (as @skyscraper points out) that the new models were a LONG time coming because the old models were already excellent.

And, all that said, I think one thing that HAS occurred is that we are now in a new golden age when it comes to the LESS EXPENSIVE speakers out there, the lowers in the lines, so to speak(er), as they have inherited trickle down tech.  Examples are the low-cost Andrew Jones-designed Pioneers,,, or perhaps the Q-Acoustics Concept 50 at $3000 which borrows from the Concept 500 and apparently from what I've read might actually be even an improvement over the Concept 500 at $7000...  $3000 isn't really inexpensive, but it illustrates a point.  Another example is the Polk R700, which has garnered stellar reviews vs. higher cost speakers including the higher cost Polks and again has inherited "high end tech" genes. 

But speakers under $1000 these days if you choose carefully can be stunningly good for most home applications.  

and, I do agree with what most of the posters here are saying: why switch out if you like what you have?  

my 1994 Lexus 300 is comfortable and reliable and still runs beautifully.. sure a plug-in hybrid would be nice, but at what price?  I'm rolling w my old Lexus as long as possible.

Yes.  By definition, Advances in technology always makes technical products better.  

If you are confused and thinking you should probably upgrade without really knowing why, then the marketing compaies are earning their money.

Jerry

"Advances in technology always makes technical products better"

well.......

advances mean an improvement in one or many aspects. Which then have to be applied to the product in a way that it improves the product. Not trivial at all. 

The famous story is with the Ferrari F40: when the F50 came out, with better measurements in every aspect than the F40, it was still slower. Engineers spent months trying to figure out why. At the end they just conceded, sometimes awesome design is just hard to beat, it's not only about improvements.

Everybody’s different.  Some like to seek out the latest design/technology innovations in an attempt to stay or get ahead of the pack.  Others choose a well tested design and stick with it for years.  I started with a pair of used B & O BeoLab 8000 active speakers, which ceased production in 2010.  I added 12in and 15in sealed subs.  I’m pleased with the sound and look to my other components for upgrades.

Maybe I look at this differently. I never upgrade unless I can jump up another level. So if I found the very best for my budget… say fifteen years ago… I look for the very best I can buy at a minimum of 2x cost. This way what ever advances (yes, largely material science in speakers as @millercarbon says) occur are included with my purchase of a higher level product. I want my decision to result in a much better sound. It always does. 
 

I wouldn’t for instance buy brand x for $10k and ten years later buy the same brand x for whatever. Would it sound better? Yes… but the increment might not be worth it to my ears/brain… and that is what I am trying to satisfy. 

An advance that doesn’t make things better isn’t really much of an advance now is it?  

 Advances in technology != advance in sound 

it could be but doesn't have to be

As said by most if you like it.. that’s the one. Just know there is better, but also a lot of mass market junk. There’s the silly tin can with 100 speakers or real Technology advancement like the aspen FR30 for example. What ever floats your boat is the way to go. And don’t forget Spectacular from the past it’s still D… good today.

It seems to me that the OP wasn't really in a personal quandary about upgrading, but more trying to provoke a conversation about it. 

Is it wrong to apply the wife/girlfriend analogy that if it still feels good/sounds good just, for Christ’s sake, thank your lucky stars for your good fortune and enjoy.

Employ some Zen thinking and be satisfied for awhile.

@roxy54...either way, it worked. ;)

The baseline is still ones' perceptions about the devices being questioned having improved over time, and whether 'trickle down' works to 'lift all boats'...so to speak.

There always seems to be 'exceptions to the rules' in pricing v. performance in what seems to be any given (examples stated...or not) in nearly anything proposed.

Specs get poo-pooed, blind tests questioned as to veracity, 'new' gets greeted with huzzas or bronx cheers, 'old' is 'quaint' and needs new this, that, or dumpstered.

One can toss the towel and just enjoy what you've got until you don't, and return to the upgrade treadmill at the price point you pick.

Please carry on, though....tired of watching and trying to ignore the election returns. ;)

I agree Jerry, and +1 on the election returns.

If one likes the quite processed sound quality of B&W speakers, their various design iterations have been getting better.

If one doesn't, they've been getting worse.

Better spanners don't necessarily make a better mechanic.

Sometimes the latest, greatest super duper material that supposed to be better than the previous version turns out to be a dog ten years down the road. One of the best things I like about B&W is that their old speakers hold up and sound great YEARS later. OP, stick with what you have! The next time you're at a hi fi show walk past a pair of $100.000.00 speakers and have yourself a little chuckle. Joe

Good horn loaded speakers were designed & made in the 40’s, 50’s &60’s(Klipsch, Western Electric, Altec),  electrostatics in the 50’s, Good acoustic suspension & ported woofers in the 50’s & 60’s, (AR, KLH, Advent, JBL) AMT tweeters from the early 70’s (ESS), good planars & ribbons in the 70’s & 80’s (Magnapan , Infinity)good dome midrange driver in the late 70’s (ATC), good full range driver in the 70’s ( Ohm) to name just some of the technology that have all stood the test of time. 
 

Cabinet technology, crossover design & component quality, internal wiring & binding post improvements have all added incremental sound improvements but unfortunately at often substantial cost increases beyond simple inflationary reasonability. 

European and American made gear is overpriced versus comparable Chinese gear from a handful of high quality Chinese mfgers like Line Magnetic...Audio-gd and Denafrips....It's not All junk coming out of that country. Can't afford Mac...Pass....etc. There are alternatives that are their SQ equal available for less $$. You're just not getting that LOGO on the gear ( which some people Must pay extra for).....to each his own. Again....look at the American and European "Reviews" of Higher quality chinese gear.......You don't have to be wealthy to get "wealthy sound"....Welcome back Millercarbon. ( I love my Pendragons with that 7 tweeter array)

@mbmi , disagree about the value of products that don't come from China provide.

I think no country has exclusivity on value, your statement is really naive.

Except for my Node2i and DAC, I own 'vintage' gear'. Why? One: I can afford it and Two: I like the way my gear sounds. That said...

I recently went to the Pacific Audio Fest and, as expected, I heard some great sounding products. (And some 'meh', TBH) Now, all of this gear by definition was 'new' with the latest in materials and technology. And yet, I didn't leave feeling the overwhelming need to upgrade everything. Even if I had an unlimited audio budget, I didn't feel the need to tear out all my old gear to get the latest kit. Why?

I'm happy with the sound I have. And that IMHO is the question you should be asking yourself: Are you happy with your current source/DAC/speakers/cables/etc.? If you are not, and you're willing to part with the requisite amount of funds to get something you feel is better then my all means, go shopping. But if you're sitting with a glass of wine and enjoying the music, why get on the upgrade treadmill?

Anyways, I'm not trying to be a killjoy here. I'm merely suggesting that you take a good look/listen where you are first. If you can arrange an audition in your home with your gear for comparison, so much the better.

Happy listening.

kota1...I’m not being naive at all....wrong take. I’m stating MY opinion and that’s what these forums are about...You’ve got your opinion and I’ve got mine. I’m very satisfied with mine... I don’t have all chinese gear...only a few pieces...but oh...the value I get out of those is exceptional...Yes, you have to be careful but you also can’t judge All chinese products as junk...They make some pretty sophisticated electronics at very Reasonable pricing. I know the china bashers are here in force....but for open minded audiophile types...there are some fantastic values. PS. I don’t like Chinese speakers..Mine are Teckton...Klipsch Heritage...JBL...and Nola.

Of course it does! B&W, Meridian, Paradyme and others are using super materials such as diamond, beryllium to enhance  mid and high range. As my hearing goes down, the reproduction is getting better and better. Today, thanks to new technology, I have the entire Berlin philharmonic under Karajan in my living room. 

Marketing plays on all of us no matter how much you think it doesn't.

Just ask my wife how she likes the Home Shopping Network!

Should have blocked that sheeit the first time I heard of it.  Sheesh!

Only >100 pair of shoes later....................I still buy the gear I want.

Regards,

barts

In my environs cars are seen as accessories or jewelry even. "Nuff said.

Try to relax. Unless you dislike your sound then why be influenced to change? I have had my present loudspeakers 17 years and every once in a while I demo other speakers and have not found anything I really wanted to purchase. I greatly enjoy the sound I am still getting from my Von Schweikerts. Quality construction with a good design is timeless.

For me, the best therapy for Audiophilia Nervosa is to attend an audio show. I've been to two of them pre-covid (AXPONA & Tampa) and the Pacific Audio Fest (PAF) in July. This is where you can get a broad overview of new stuff and how it sounds.

In my case I'm running a pair of Thiel CS6 speakers, Velodyne sub, and a Krell KSA 300S amp with a Krell KRC2 preamp - all dating from the mid 90's.The rest of my system is nothing exotic (KI Ruby SACD, Blue Jeans cables). I can safely tell you that very few systems at the PAF, with many costing over 6 figures, sounded as good as my system. There were a few systems that outshined mine is tonality, detail, and imaging but I left most rooms thinking that my system sounded better. There were many rooms where the cabling was worth more than my entire system and the sound was certainly not spectacular compared to my system.

My answer to your original question is that, in my experience, audio has not come all that far in the last 30 years unless you spend big bucks. At AXPONA I heard a pair of Von Schweikert Ultra 11's ($325,000) in a system that was valued at over a million dollars. The sound was incredible and it was definitely better than my system in pretty much every way. But when I got home and played some of the same demo songs I was shocked at how well my system held up. The speakers that blew me away were MBL 101 E Mk II ($80k). This is one case where a different technology really is a step forward. IMO everyone should hear these speakers if they possibly can.

At PAF I made notes of which demo songs were played in which room and as I played those songs on my setup after I got home I was somewhat incredulous that most of the time my system sounded at least as good or better than systems costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. Yes, I know that show conditions are not great for demoing high end systems but my listening room is certainly nothing special (have no dedicated room treatment).

I'm a big proponent of going to an audio show if you can possibly swing it. It will exponentially expand your knowledge and experience base and it's just plain fun. If you really want to hear if all the hoopla around "new" audio technologies is justified it's the best way to do it.

Manufacturers have to replenish their lines for marketing reasons alone. The technology has not significantly improved or even changed in decades. 

Spend your money only if you are looking at a significant upgrade in performance, otherwise keep saving your money until you can do so or you will never get there. You should not budge until you can afford to spend at least three times what your current system cost and even then you have to be very careful not to make a sideways move. 

I have a friend who has a very very good system, his speakers are old Wharfedale, I always wonder how much more improvement he will get,  if he will upgrade his speakers? I once ask him ? If he is considering new speakers? He said never ? I like his response because he is happy with his speakers why change?

@jumia I'll share my story and hope this helps. 23+ years ago when I got into the higher end I auditioned, bought, sold many different speakers for my HT/Audio system (PSB, Definitve Tech, Paradigm, B&W). Once I was introduced to Dynaudio Audience (their entry line back then) I was absolutely blown away by their sound. I had no idea music could ever sound that good. I was done my journey was finally over (ironically the Dynaudio's replaced my B&W CDM NT's which at that time were the best I had heard). After long periods of listening, I found the B&W's to be a bit too bright for my liking. That's when a fellow enthusiast suggested Dynaudio. As soon as I heard that sweet, warm Dynaudio sound I was instantly hooked!

Well after a divorce forced me to sell my house and my rig I was out of the hobby for a very long time. A few years ago, I was back in a situation that allowed me to build a new system and get back in the "game" if you will. So, no auditioning right to Dynaudio Excite (their second level up). Got my new system up and running and expecting to pick up right where I left off 20 years ago. Except my hopes were even higher with the advanced technologies, the next level up in their line, my expectations were extremely high. Now although the sound was amazing, it wasn't quite what I remembered. I found the Excites to be a bit on the brighter side. What the hell happened to that warm sound of Dynaudio? I was a bit let down. Something was missing, something was different when did Dynaudio become more bright leaning than warm? Maybe it was my ears (and maybe it is as I am a lot older now and I've put some hard miles on my ears😬) but I just could not escape that this wasn't what I remembered. So once the Evoke line came out I had heard such great things and went and auditioned. Found they were definitely closer to that Dynaudio sound I remembered back in the day. I also listened to some others this time like Sonus Faber, B&W, Focal. Still found the Danes to be more to my liking. I sold the Excite's and went with Evoke. Though it's definitely closer to what I remember nothing to date has been able to match the magic of the Audience line. I'm very happy and content don't get me wrong, but to date I have not been able to find anything that reaches that very high bar that Audience set...

Point is newer, bigger, more expensive, more advanced, does not mean better. I'd trade what I have now for those Audience 82's, 122C, and 52's in a second...I have not found anything that makes me feel like I did when listening to my Dynaudio Audience. You know the old saying "They just don't make things like they used to"? I'm thinking you can certainly apply that to audio...

Hope this helps my friend....

I probably missed it above since this is a really long string, but the open baffle speaker is a technology that’s now getting a lot of focus from a few really good designers.  Steve Guttenberg, New Record Day and Thomas and Stereo on YouTube have reviewed some notable ones.

 I switched to open baffle for both my tower speakers and subwoofer about a year ago and it’s stunningly good.  Both GR-Research kits.

The theory is that the lack of back pressure in the cabinet allows the drivers to react faster without overshooting.

Everyone who has heard mine want them.

My Lotus Alon (2004) are open baffle tweeter and midrange with enclosed woofer and my Decware/ Caintuck Lii 15 in. open baffle speakers are "different sounding" ...I wouldn't say the sound better that my Tecktons or Klipsch Heresy IV's....just different....Which speakers are hooked up most of the time....Not the open baffle speakers.....they just lack something in the "Heft" department.

I had an older set of BMW 804s, my ex stereo shop repaired them with not matching or original parts. Hopefully not because they didn't care but due to age had to use what was available. Shop for new speakers that give your ears what they need

Difficult question.

They probably are better generally all things being equal, but the difference might not be as much as you're being told.

My Tannoy Berkeley's were built in 1978 and I'd say they still outperform 90% of speakers built today. But they were a fairly high end design back in the 1970s.

On the other I had a pair of Heybrook HB1s back in the late 1980s and I doubt whether the £170 cost back then would amount to more than £500 today.

What I don't doubt is that the HB1s would hold their own against anything this side of £500 today.

Of course both those speakers were pretty special for their time and no doubt there was a lot of crud back then too.

So perhaps it's fairer to say, mainly because of advances in measurements and testing, that there's just a lot less rubbish out there today?

If I was you, I wouldn't bother with any supposedly incremental upgrade.

When the time comes you might want to look at something that promises a serious undeniable improvement. Depending upon what you have already it could be something from B&Ws own speaker lineup or a different brand.

@jnovak 

The next time you're at a hi fi show walk past a pair of $100.000.00 speakers and have yourself a little chuckle.

Quite true.

But preferably not in front of its designer if you can help it.

When you think of technological advancements within the realm of dynamic speakers I don't think much has happened of consequence. Yes, drivers and crossover components have undergone technological transformation over the past several decades but these do not necessarily mean that speakers employing such refinements will automatically outperform those without them. For example, there are lots of speakers with fairly old school paper cone woofers and mids coupled with traditional soft dome tweeters that will give those with exotic drivers a run for their money (I know, I own a pair). The place where technological improvements are best realized is with planer, electrostatic, or omni-directional designs that employ different materials and approaches to playback of recorded sound. Speakers that employ approaches different from a bunch of dynamic drivers in a box are where one best sees significant sonic gains from new or novel technologies. Just MHO.

Love this thread, talk that makes sense. No endless dribble about cables and bye Products that really mean nothing. The meat and potatoes of a system…speakers. I’ve a late model IRS system that’s been refurbished to spec and beyond, still a very big player. If you’ve the space for big go big, age means nothing IMO. A lot of trinkets and junk out there filling in the void of real technology, and sadly systematically filling manufacturers pockets with the Gullible‘s money. 

Cheers 

Yes speaker cabinets made out of High-Graphite Cast Iron ! 

All New JERN 35 Monitors that has a bass output down to 30 Hz from a very small speaker !  

http://www.jernspeakers.com/

@kingbr 

I can relate, I have had the Evoke 20s for a year and a half and I couldn't be happier! Pure magic.

@grislybutter you know what's funny? I posted about my experience on Excite vs Evoke and someone replied "maybe the name of the lines is even more appropriate than it would seem". BRILLIANT observation! I found that to be incredibly ironic and insightful! AND TRUE😁!

So maybe I can upgrade my B&w 802 d3 to d4.  Not sure they're all that much better but I may do it.  Hate getting rid of the d3 speakers, maybe I can put them in the back of the room as rare speakers.

@jurnia

look at it the other way: what will validate it for you that you DON'T need to upgrade? Get some fancy speakers from Crutchfield, try them out and maybe you will find out how madly in love you are with your B&Ws 

@kingbr  I am somewhat confused with the Dyna names but you may be right :)

Maybe I buy Magico speakers.  Always been curious about those. The really expensive ones are really big.