New Speakers up to $15k - The more I read the less I know!

Disappearing speakers have minimal audible cabinet resonances. They're still there but below threshold of hearing.

Harbeth M40.2 s or TDZ 712s are well worth considering. Like any loudspeaker in existence they'll have faults for sure, but cabinet colorations won't be one of them. Both spooky good on imagery too.

Planars are also noted for obvious low cabinet resonance but I've not heard one here in the UK I could recommend. Quads just don't sound right with Pop to me. Or maybe they are just too honest for their own good! 

http://www.harbeth.co.uk/hifi-speakers/monitor-40-2-domestic.php

http://www.eclipse-td.com/uk/products/td712zmk2/index.html

@soix You are correct in that the resonances are easily measurable.

However it’s Alan Shaw’s opinion (designer/Mr Harbeth) based on historic research carried out by the BBC that the best way of dealing with these inevitable resonances is to allow them to move below the threshold of hearing. Then it won’t matter how they measure as long as you can’t ever hear them.

Harbeth argue that brute force methods of resonance control only serve to move them upwards in frequency to where our hearing is most sensitive. Any coloration in the midband, even the mildest, can quickly destroy the illusion of reality.

Since loudspeakers cabinets will always resonate due to considerable internal pressures caused by the movement of the drive units and the harm they do as they try to force their way out of the box and back through the drive unit itself, something must be done to reduce this pressure. But what?

The Harbeth approach of lossy cabinet design is one method of dealing with these resonances. Doing away with the cabinet altogether as in Open Baffle designs is another, but that has its own issues.

Still, I prefer either of those approaches to the solid 2 inch thick, glued, screwed, reinforced cabinet wall approaches where something beautiful can so easily get lost.

Yes, the state of the art loudspeaker design still involves serious compromise.

I'll compromise on anything this side of a screechy treble to get a vivid midrange. Its the best way for me to forget that I'm listening to loudspeakers.

For some others the goal may be the imagery / disappearing act combination. Devore seem to be a modern take on the classic DC Tannoys from the past with their luxury bass.

 

heinrichmilw the review doesn't reveal much about construction or materials but the fact that they succeeded the D40R's and were designed by Stuart Tyler speaks volumes.

The review does suggest that they are a high resolution design and disappear well. It also suggests that they were not necessarily designed for comfort.

@fsonicsmith  Congratulations! Be they artistic or engineering approaches (ear/measurement) real advances in speaker design are slow. So slow in fact some say non-existent at the high end.

The best you can do is to find the compromises you can live with, fine tune, and then breathe a sigh of relief as you get off the dizzy upgrade roundabout.

I'm pretty sure the DeVore 0/93's will still be great speakers some 20 years down the line whatever upgrades may or may not appear between then and now. The same way the original Harbeth M40's are today.