What is great sounding speaker? Sound depends on many factors and people have different preferences. Do you prefer speaker with underhung motors (less distortion and less dynamic) or overhung motors(more distortion and more dynamics) . Do you listen soft or loud. Do you listen to Jazz or Organ music? Do you crave for pinpoint imaging or heavy metal punch. Do you care how large sweet spot is. How does it perform in small or large room etc. How easy it is to drive.
Frequency response test is pretty much useless. Bad speakers with horrible phase errors might show with excellent flat frequency response.
I would agree with Shadorne on transducers. If pair of speaker costs for instance $1k then manufacturer sells it to stores for about $500. Components cannot cost more than 1/3 of it (to cover labor, expenses etc). Now we are left with $170. Both cabinets will cost $50 both and we're left with 120$ for let say 6 transducers and crossover components. That's why my speaker had originally $25 Vifa tweeter and Mylar + electrolytic caps in crossover. Good tweeter is 10x this and good cap is $100 (I just replaced $15 caps wit $100 caps of the same value and sound + imaging improved a lot).
There is no universal answer but you won't get very far with cheap transducers (especially tweeters). I don't design speakers but after concept design I would start with the best tweeter I can afford and worked down from it.
Frequency response test is pretty much useless. Bad speakers with horrible phase errors might show with excellent flat frequency response.
I would agree with Shadorne on transducers. If pair of speaker costs for instance $1k then manufacturer sells it to stores for about $500. Components cannot cost more than 1/3 of it (to cover labor, expenses etc). Now we are left with $170. Both cabinets will cost $50 both and we're left with 120$ for let say 6 transducers and crossover components. That's why my speaker had originally $25 Vifa tweeter and Mylar + electrolytic caps in crossover. Good tweeter is 10x this and good cap is $100 (I just replaced $15 caps wit $100 caps of the same value and sound + imaging improved a lot).
There is no universal answer but you won't get very far with cheap transducers (especially tweeters). I don't design speakers but after concept design I would start with the best tweeter I can afford and worked down from it.