Buchardt A500, KEF LS50 Wireless, etc. What are your top 3 downsides?

So, either of you guys -- no major downsides except nothing to tinker with?

@twoleftears That's true for the KEF but the question is about the kind of speaker, not the specific instances.

And so if someone likes tubes, they won't go this way?

@mfgillia Good luck with the speakers. The software issues and lifespan of support is a real concern to me. On the other hand, I look at my home theater system and see AR 48 3 way speakers which I bought in 1982 and have worked with every receiver, AVR, and amp I've purchased ever since. There is nothing fancy about the, but they sound great and remain usable. Something to be said for that.

So, that's another option. This thread has become a  mere "shootout" between active speakers. ok.

Good company. We'll see how long they last, but the issue has more to do with a complex array of internal and specifically matched components not becoming outdated. 

At the end of the day, everyone makes their own best judgement  about whether they worry or care about spending money on a speaker with internal parts likely to become outdated. The sound, convenience of these speakers are hard to deny, and there's nothing inherently better about getting something that lasts (or can last) a long time. Some people just don't care about that aspect -- and after all, we throw out computers, phones, TV's, air conditioners, etc. so often that the idea that one would hang on to speakers is quaint. (And environmental, of course.)

Perhaps the two points of greatest friction for me are (a) the ability of other components (such as DAC, streamer) to become outdated *so fast* that the combo unit (the speaker+) doesn't even make it out of infancy. One solution for that would be similar to the the Schiit approach, where modules can be swapped out down the road without trading in the whole unit. Don't know if that could work on a speaker. The other possible point of friction would be price point. Perhaps people are willing to have a speaker become outdated at $1.5k-$2k. But what about $5k? Or $10k? Now, it's not sounding like it's worth the risk.