Tech That Flopped!


Every few months someone releases technology that seems to be revolutionary, but goes nowhere a couple of years later. Some tech gets acceptance and even imitation. Some goes wildly successful.

Ideas that are a huge success:
  • Acoustic suspension
  • Bass Reflex
  • Soft dome tweeters
Some ideas, well, it's not so clear:
  • Perfectly time aligned speakers ilke Thiel/Vandersteen
  • ESL
  • Line Arrays
  • Plasma tweeters
  • Transmission line
What tech have you seen come and go, was it worthwhile?

Best,

E
erik_squires

Showing 1 response by trelja

Good suggestion on the Transmission Line.

Some of the best bass one will encounter, though not in the way most would expect and incredibly difficult to put into words.  But actually far more important on the midrange, and also far simpler to get right.

Speaking of technology Bud Fried espoused, series crossovers.  More important and impactful than transmission line.  Imparts a coherence / seamlessness and naturalness that the parallel network 99+% of crossovers never can.  Yet obviously, a technology that flopped...