Sound quality of Newer versus Older speakers

It is a very big question.
Vintage speakers are very different, from electrostatics to horn.
There are also different time periods.
For example speakers from 50x-60x are different from speakers form 70x.
What I don’t like in the speakers evolution, it went to direction of small and low sensitive designs. That makes sound more compressed, tiresome and unmusical.
The second think I don’t like, many modern speakers designer try to emphases high frequencies and it makes speakers sound unnatural.
I also don’t like the fact the new speakers are designed to play modern POP music that makes them sound worse for classical, vocal and jazz music.
I also want to add the "new" materials like beryllium are not really new and have been used in speakers industry since 80x.
Here is an opinion of Peter Qvortrup about it:
https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2018/01/25/peter-qvortrup-high-fidelity-the-decline-of-the-decades/
For people why think that vintage speakers are garbage can listen this video of Jensen D4 field coil speaker 9" from 1920's. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTRcg7DCuMQ

Regards,
Alex.

In modern speakers, in general, tweeters are getting better. But mid and bass drivers are getting worse.
But there are number of exceptions. JBL produced excellent tweeters from end of 60x.
Dick Sequerra vintage ribbon tweeters (Pyramid T1, T9) are very good.
Modern full-range drivers like AER, Voxative, Fostex are very good.

But in general modern bass-midrange drivers trend is cost reduction! They can tell you about "state of the art" but it is lie!
All these low sensitive tower speakers with small, dull, reinforced concrete drivers don’t have any definition from mid-bass to upper midrange compared, for example, to these Jensen from 1920’s.
They also sound compressive and tiresome even is your power amp have a power of nuclear power plant.

The good new we can mix old and new technologies today. We can use best old and new drivers and modern crossover parts.

Hi @tennisdoc56 

Cheap watts leaded us to wrong direction - low sensitive speakers.
low sensitive = compression!
You can do nothing with low of physics. Hight power heats voice coil and cause thermal distortion including compression.
You can use nuclear plant power for amplification it wouldn't fix compression of low sensitive speakers.

Hi @cd318 ,

I always can hear difference in speakers in term of compression dynamics.
Many year ago I had Dynaudio Audience 60. I always felt these spikers have very heavy sound reproduction, the sound presses on the listener and tires.
When I bought Spendor 2/3 I felt a difference. Much more easy sound reproduction, especially on low and mid volume.
I have been using Altec 604E since 2005. They are very high sensitive.
So when I go to friends or audio show I always hear compression from most of low sensitive speakers. Even big speakers like Wilson Audio. I feel it like a heavy, strained sound reproduction, unnatural, tiresome. Sound presses and it cause me a discomfort.

I can easily listen the difference between similar designed speakers. For example, JBL L200, L300 and 4430.
L200 have better midrange texture and easy sound reproduction. 4430 are the worst heavy sound reproduction and muddy midrange.

Regards,
Alex

Newer, by far. Cone materials are far superior, even more so at the lower end of the spectrum. Ditto techniques for reducing varying inductance effects. Better capacitors. Far less cabinet resonances. More consistent dispersion.

Most of "new materials" are cost reduction and marketing.

Best cones are paper cones.
Best magnets are field coil follow by alnico.

Especially it is true for people who listen classical and jazz music.
Even rock music and  sounds much better on 15 inch paper cone speakers like 70x JBL.
If you listen modern POP music that was mastered for boombox, why do you need Hi-End system at all?

Hi @dletch2 ,

I didn't say all new speakers are bad. There are some good modern speakers.
About colored sound it is not true. I'm am not old, just 47.
People who go to classical concerts, play or listen acoustic instruments at home try to make their system sound as natural as possible.
People who listen electronic music have not idea what is natural or colored sound, because nobody know how does it should sound.
 

Yes you are right - human voice is coming first for tuning system.