@OP Regarding your query about the longevity of the speakers, generally if the speakers have no audible defects then they could work happily for a good number of years. One caveat, I don't know the particular model of speaker but around that time Focal did produce a number of speakers/drive units with foam rubber surrounds rather than the usual nitrile rubber. Those speakers can be prone to the surrounds breaking down over time. But if yours are, you will see it as well as hear it. I'm a little surprised a frequency response problem being in the 40-050Hz region given the speakers specs say its -3db point is 38Hz. Before giving you could try blocking the ports with foam and or moving the speakers closer to the rear wall. Stating the obvious, but just to be comprehensive, all placement experimentation should be done with the sub out of circuit.
Time, Wear, and Technological Evolution
Hi, all. I only recently got into high fidelity audio more seriously, and have gotten my system to a place where I am fairly happy with it. The configuration:
SMSL DO100 DAC, balanced XLR to
PS Audio GCC-100 integrated, "control," amp output to
SVS SB-3000 subwoofer from the sub outs and
80Hz in-line high-pass filters and then JM Lab Electra 926 floorstanding loudspeakers
Long story short the high-pass filters and subwoofer are a room compensation configuration because I do not have a dedicated listening space, just have everything set up in the family room/home office, and the Electra 926s produce a massive room gain between 40-50Hz which I was able to overcome by filtering everything out in that range from the floorstanders and using my EQ'd sub to fill in the bottom end in their place. If I adjust the loudspeakers' placement at all, I will be giving up something in the uppers and mids, both in terms of tonality and imaging.
Anyhow, the speakers are house-warming hand-downs from my dad (who, in turn, had purchased them second hand from a friend of his many years ago) from when we bought this house back in 2012. They were not used extensively until very recently when my dad handed down his control amp to me, and concurrently I had begun to dabble with portable high fidelity audio (a separate topic all together). All that being said, the point is that the speakers are almost two decades old, as well as the amp.
So here's my question: do I just leave well enough alone because I am happy with the sound now, or do I consider replacing the aging loudspeakers with something more modern like, say, KEF's LS50 Metas (and continue to use them in conjunction with my subwoofer)? How far has speaker technology come in the nearly two decades between those speakers' releases? My primary concern being longevity of my current loudspeakers (will they wear out in short order due to materials aging?) or are loudspeakers fairly durable?
What would you do, if you were in my listening seat, so to speak?
-Ed