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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
inna
7,296 posts
 
Right. 
mikewerner
119 posts
 
The physics has not changed. Speakers can now be optimized in ways that no one even dreamed about 70 years ago. Active designs have the ability to control variables way beyond what passive speakers and an amplifier (or two) can do. Amplifiers, active crossovers, the cabinet, and the drivers designed together solve a myriad of complicated interactions usually beyond our control. A speaker can now be designed with, say, a perfect step response as the goal, or to balance other parameters.
I have been listening to a passive 70 year old compression design and an active speaker just recently developed and it is like night and day. No more than a blink is necessary to hear the difference. These active speakers will play a piano D1 at realistic level and timbre. Virtually no distortion.
They will take your breath away.
ozarktom
12 posts
 
Zellatons from 1939 and Acoustat X from 1978 makes a good argument here.
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.


fossda
112 posts
 
no question, much better today particularly state of the art. Much more accurate, better materials and construction techniques. One downside is they can shine a light on weaknesses in other parts of your system and also less forgiving of poor recordings. 
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