Speakers The single most critical component


I know we've been over this Q hundreds of X's over the past 20 years here on audion, You can find dozen of topics dealing with this Q <which is the ,,,,most important component...>>
well time for yet 1 more topic dealing with this,, perhaps unanswered, un-resolved issue.
I'm bringing up the old hachet due to my recent experience acutally hearinga FR in my system. 
Let me tell you, there is not even 1 traditional/conventioanl/xover design <The Boxed Type>> in the world that could convince me  , there is something that will beat out FR (caveat, FR requires  some sort of high sens =sensitivity, tweeter)  in  the Boxy world of speakers.
That is to say, FR + Compression Horn is the future of 21st Century high fidelity. 
One lab has already brought us these ~~~SHF~~~ aka SuperHighFidelity  single drivers. 
The code word here is ~~SHF~~~ which can not never be employed when describing xover/trad/conventioanl style  aka The Box designs. db level under 91 are _<<IN-EFFICIENT>> , = dysfunctional, out dated, old school , = Dinasaurs. 
For amps, I only consider tube amps (PP and SET) as ~~SHF~~~ I can not include ss amps in this topic. 
IMHO all well made tube amps sound very close,
 a  kt88 in brand X will sound  close to brand Y. 
So amplification takes a  distant 2nd place in critical component.  No need to break the bank buying amp A vs  a  lower priced kt88 amp B
CD players, nearly all  tube DAC's , tube cdp-ers sound  close. No need to braek the bank over X vs Y.
My Jadis DAC is  only miniscule gain over the Shanling,
 the Shanling
only a  miniscule gain over the Cayin CD17. 
Now as for  best source  , phonograph is the ideal playback medium vs cds. 
I have some LP's now , but my main collection are classical cds, most not on LP version. Cables , I did note some gains employing silver/copper wiring throughout my entire system including inside the Defy.
Tweak worthy.
New Mundorf caps in all componets, tweak worthy. 
Yet the main central component remaisn the speakers.
Here is where  the entire audio resolution either rises to Nirvana or falls to <<distortion/muddy waters,/pollution/anti-fidelity  voicing  issues.
Your system's fidelity is ultimately dependent on what speaker  you have chosen to employ.
Forget all you've learned over the years, 
The new mantra is <,The speaker is key component>
All else is just extra tweaks/nuances. 
To sum up, a  ~~SHF~~ driver will match even the top of line Wilson weighing in at hundreds of lbs priced $$$$$$$ overa single FR driver. 
FR beats out any/all xover box design speakers. Mostly due to that key specification ~~db level~~~ which is everything in speaker design and thus in resolution/fidelity. 

mozartfan

Showing 3 responses by cd318

@coltrane1 

It’s truly not complicated. For me it’s ML Summits. Everyone has their own favorite. Personally, I don’t care for boxes. Even open baffles are good. So, there you go. 


Even the very best speakers have many times more distortion than ALL of the rest of the preceding audio chain.

For over a century when it comes to speakers, it's been a question of choosing which distortions you can live with the best. 

For many people open baffles, horns and electrostatic panels currently offer a good match to the majority of music that we listen to today - heavily compressed digital format Pop/Rock/Rap etc.

Dynamically challenged speakers are just not doing it in 2021 for many people.
@hubbman,

A nice summing up that could save someone an awful lot of time and money.

Whatever magic @mahgister has conjured up through optimum embedding of his system could only be more wondrous through better speakers than his Missions.

In my experience no other component offers a greater pound for pound range of performance than a pair of loudspeakers.

In fact the only one I found that came remotely close was turntables. Nowadays, I'm not even too sure of that. One good test would be to compare a Rega Planar 1 against the Planar 10.

On the other hand you cannot easily mistake a pair of Tannoy Westminster's for a pair of their entry level bookshelves.
@larryi ,

"But, I have personally not heard a high powered amp that I preferred over a good low-powered amp when driving efficient speakers."

Me neither. As I moved up the range of Naim amps I got a different sound, more muscular, controlled maybe, but not necessarily better.

All of the loudspeakers I have ever owned have been on the high efficiency/easy to drive side.

That's one of the key advantages of sticking to paper cones - Rega, Tannoy etc.