What if a high end speaker measures really badly?

Hmmm, let me take a guess.... He a) bought the drivers from someone else b) threw it in a box in an exotic garage and c) wants to charge 20k for something that measures like this...meh

No thanks...I’d probably send this speaker back to its daddy.

(In general, put some high caliber electronics on any pig and it could start to sound pleasing at some point. But, the pig is still a pig that’s getting carried.)

 

If a speaker costs 5k and above, my core requirements are:

a) All drivers need to designed/developed in-house from scratch!

b) Everything about the speaker should be designed from the ground up!

c) Measurements should indicate engineering competence, even if it is not pristine

 

Here are the measurements close to my 30k speaker (everything developed in-house from scratch by the manufacturer)

Here’s the measurement on my 15k speaker (everything developed in-house from scratch by the manufacturer)

 

Here’s the measurement on my 5k speaker (everything developed in-house from scratch by the manufacturer)

 

If it is under 5k, i am forgiving of the drivers coming from someone else. I’ll forgive you!! But, now, it better measure like a pristine cat, because the manufacturer’s doing way less work now!!

So, here’s my 3k speaker (~1500 if ya DIY’d the kit) with drivers from someone else.

 

 

 

 

@deep_333  illustrates the deep, deep chasm between DIY builders and kit makers, modders vs. the high end industry writ large. 

"How can a speaker maker offer such poor performance for so much money" they ask, and sometimes I have trouble defending some models.

@erik_squires 

As you may know, many guys on the diy forums (i have seen your name there as well) can do something better with the same parts than the guy asking 20k for this (facepalm)... This guy trying to make the easy cash did not deserve 20k in my books (no thanks).

Every speaker i own above a certain price point is something i can't cook up on my own. It immediately disqualifies manufacturers purchasing 3rd party drivers and throwing them in a box for me. I tend to pay for things i can't do on my own.. Unless if it becomes too much of a time investment/hassle/screwups/etc at a low enough price, it begins to reek "Just buy the damn thing and get it over with!".

 

Here is the freq. response of the Thiel CS2.4 done by Stereophile. It doesn’t look very good, but the speakers are very neutral and sound quite good.

This is not "neutral and sound quite good". Perceptively, this is another episode of V curve-ish crap that will have appeal to some guy who’s forged in the flames of cheap Klipsch or other lousy focals.

I have ignored the Thiel thread until now (let y’all fan boys rejoice in your own lil pond gleefully), but, you decided to bring it to another different kind of thread...where the truth may get spoken. Sorry to burst your bubble.