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 3 responses by unsound

Time aligned speakers a niche'? Perhaps, but I'm not so sure. While not many manufacturers apply the principles, most of the few that do or did, achieved lasting high end critical acclaim, and significant high end market success. Sadly a couple of the most successful proponents passed away, leaving voids that have yet to find replacements with the necessary skills.
 Eric, first let me say that despite what might appear to be a pattern of antagonistic responses from me to your posts, I really do look forward to your contributions and respect your opinions, whether I fully agree with them or not. :-)
 As hwy61 had already mentioned in this thread; can one dismiss a product like Vandersteens venerable model 2 as niche' product? I suspect that speakers like Dunlavy, Thiel and Vandersteen ( include Quad 63's ?)  have had sizable high end market shares for a considerable length of time.
^Given proper spacing and ergo time delays, the ear/brain can discriminate between original and delayed reflected sound. As few in options as they might be, most of the better known speakers with this capability are designed with rather wide such dispersion characteristics.