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

I have no strong convictions either way in this discussion. But regarding the comment about modern jet fighters being superior to military aircraft from the 1930s, and other comments citing the superiority of modern technology, while that is certainly true I can say unequivocally as an antique radio collector that with perhaps a few exceptions the best performing and best sounding AM radios ever made were produced during the 1930s. (FM broadcasting didn’t exist at that time). Why would that be? Because in those days the centerpiece of home entertainment was AM radio, so there was incentive for manufacturers to implement that capability to high standards.

And by far the best sounding AM and shortwave radio I have ever heard, modern or vintage, is the 1936 McMurdo Silver Masterpiece V that is in my collection. Although "radio" is arguably a misnomer, as it is perhaps best considered to be a precursor of modern hifi systems. Its 18 inch speaker, btw, while labelled as a McMurdo Silver, I’m pretty certain was OEM’d by Jensen, and is very similar to the Jensen field coil drivers Larryi referred to in an earlier post.

Finally, I’ll mention that during the 1990s I owned two different pairs of very large 1960s Tannoy speakers, which incorporated 15 inch Tannoy "Red" dual concentric drivers that I believe would sell for something like $7K/pair today, or more. While I found their sonics to be somewhat disappointing, my impression was that the main reason for that was the design of the cabinets, and perhaps also the condition of the crossover components, not the drivers themselves.

Just my $0.02. Regards,
-- Al

Pick something to measure about a speaker and then do it.
MEASURE the response to the step function and improve it.
The voicing is a deviation from this.
Just think of it - the process of engineering!
A violin is way different.

As I mentioned earlier in the thread I have no strong convictions either way about the subject that is primarily under discussion here. But as an electrical engineer I feel compelled to respond to this comment.

It always surprises me how non-engineers often and perhaps usually seem to view the process of engineering as being based primarily on measurements. While I can’t address speaker design specifically (my background is in the design of electronic circuits), in general the process of designing and developing an engineered product involves A LOT more than measurements. First there is the design process, done on paper and/or with computer-based software tools. That is often the most major part of the entire effort. Then extensive ANALYSIS is performed, on paper and/or with computer-based software tools. Computer-based simulations may also be performed. That is followed by fabrication and test of a prototype. Testing of the prototype, in the case of an audio component, will include both measurements AND LISTENING. Inevitably changes will be made to the design during those phases of the project, followed by further measurements and listening, and often additional iterations of the design, analysis, and simulation phases of the project.

In other words when it comes to development of an audio product, at least one that is properly done and is intended for audiophile (as opposed to mass market) applications, "voicing" is one of several integral and important parts of the overall engineering process. Not a deviation from the engineering process.

Regards,
-- Al

Thanks, Tim.  Your insights into speaker design are always constructive and informative.

Best regards,
-- Al
 

What is meant by ’the best vintage speakers’? old Quads? Hartsfields? AR-1s?

The article is somewhat general in its references, but emphasizes field coil drivers in particular. It also states:

The people who designed the classic products sold by Western Electric, RCA, Siemens, Tannoy, and other golden-age companies weren’t just reshuffling the audio-technology deck in an effort to get last year’s consumers to buy next year’s models; they were using all of their engineering know-how and the best materials at their disposal to achieve a breathtaking level of realism in music and speech reproduction. The companies they inspired -- including Altec, Acoustical Quad, Leak, Neumann, Ortofon, Garrard, EMT, Klipsch, Jensen and Marantz -- strove to do pretty much the same.

The result is that, **in certain aspects of their performance,** [emphasis added by me, Al] many audio products made in the 1930s through the 1960s outperform virtually everything made since that time, often by generous margins.

A well done and thought-provoking article IMO, regardless of which side of the issue one may be on. And as Phusis alluded to, it concludes with an intriguing reference to a "currently manufactured loudspeaker that has one foot planted firmly in the world of vintage audio and the other in the realm of modern design and manufacturing. It’s a remarkable product ... [to be] described in detail next month."

One clarification to what Mr. Dudley had to say, as quoted above in the post by Phusis: I’m pretty certain that all of the Western Electric and Altec 755 variants were 8 inch drivers, not 6 inch. 6 inches was probably the diameter of the cone, less surround.

Best regards,
-- Al