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Loudspeakers have we really made that much progress since the 1930s?

Since I have a slight grasp on the history or loudspeaker design. And what is possible with modern. I do wonder if we have really made that much progress. I have access to some of the most modern transducers and design equipment. I also have  large collection of vintage.  I tend to spend the most time listening to my 1930 Shearer horns. For they do most things a good bit better than even the most advanced loudspeakers available. And I am not the only one to think so I have had a good num of designers retailers etc give them a listen. Sure weak points of the past are audible. These designs were meant to cover frequency ranges at the time. So adding a tweeter moves them up to modern performance. To me the tweeter has shown the most advancement in transducers but not so much the rest. Sure things are smaller but they really do not sound close to the Shearer.  http://www.audioheritage.org/html/profiles/lmco/shearer.htm
128x128johnk

Showing 4 responses by 213runnin

213runnin
914 posts
 
Comparing speakers from the 1930's and today is like comparing fighter planes from the 1930's and today.  I really don't understand the comparison.  
213runnin
914 posts
 
Taste comes into play here, certainly, as does vintage bias and the "they-don't-make-'em-like-they-used-to" bias, or the "China sucks" bias.  

Technology has advanced to such an extent that the '30's can realistically be seen as the cave man days, in many respects.  Certainly with computer testing and engineering, what can be purchased today for say a week's wages versus the 1930's would be worlds apart.  The modern cabinet, drivers, and crossover all benefit greatly from new discoveries, techniques and a body of knowledge WRT making a good speaker that the 1930's can only dream of.

Now one may prefer a speaker from the 1930's era, but that doesn't really prove anything except that there is no accounting for taste.
213runnin
914 posts
 
Well, space travel is irrelevant, but since it was brought up…

There's nothing on the moon worth going back for, but many probes out to Mars, etc., use technology that would have been impossible in the 60's.  The data gathered from those probes and the Hubble telescope the 60's wouldn't even know what to do with.


213runnin
914 posts
 
Good points, Mike, modern speaker designs are way beyond what was tinkered with back in the 30s, 40s or 50s.  

And of course the speaker cabinet's material depends on the price point.  Soundsreal seems to think that every speaker being made today is employing MDF, which could not be further from the truth.


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