When choosing new Speakers, what matters most to you?

nitrobob, I've bought ONE new car in my life. I see 3 homes vs cars and PUs in your list. I've know several mechanics that spent the same amount on tool truck purchases until the day they died. 100-500K in tools. Kinda like people that are addicted to Gambling and traveling. Not one bit of difference. My tools are so old the nickel plating on my old Snap On is wore to the copper. Many were my fathers. Of course there is a pick up load or two more, I'd give away to some NUT that wants to be a mechanic.. Good luck with that BAD idea..

Hardest job on the GD planet, being a heavy duty mechanic at 185-210lb. I had to live in a Gem for 40 of the 50 years just to keep from getting hurt.. I seen many a man bite the big one behind being a HD mechanic.. They all should go on strike and get paid right.. WAY under paid. Like a brain surgeon salary is about 1/2 of what I should have been paid.

There are 5 oldhvymecs somewhere out there in skin I left behind, alone and 5 big swimming pools of sweat. No it was not worth it.. I feel like Mike Tyson after Buster KOed him. "What Happened"?  A drip of Thorazine please, about 1/2 throttle will work. :-)

Regards

Think about that stupid robot in the original "Lost in Space", I ain't THAT robot.

Small planars and ribbons. I made a choice 40+ years ago. I've never changed my preference. 70-80s I really liked Stratherans ribbons. I made 3 set of speakers to fund mine. I picked the drivers up from Brian Cheney at VMPS. 20 24" ribbons.

I haven't found a single speaker manufacture that makes a line of planars or ribbon speakers at a 1/2 way reasonable price. 

I liked the Infinity IRS Betas when they had rear chambers added to the monitor section too. One of the best bang for the buck speakers EVER made. The servo system and added rear chamber made them the right size for any room.

The size of the speaker in the room make very little difference if you design speaker cabinets to reduce resonance, and most of all not collect and deform the drivers face. WIDE baffles collecting distortion from all frequencies including the frequencies the drivers produce themselves is real good place to start.

Phase plugs on cone/voice coil drivers and servo controlled subs.

I don't mix BASS and vibration with my planar/ribbons just for the damage alone. I'm pretty sure most of the Ribbons will last as long as the magnets keep working and planars as long as the lamination holds up. 100+ years Then you can rebuild them..

BTW the Strathearns I built in the 70s were still going strong in 2010 when they were passed on to the son or grandson. They bought spare drivers from Magic Markey.

Bottom line they don't make what I like any more. SO I'll stick with what I got. Nothing better so far. Same wife for 49 years too.. :-)

Regards

The only thing I don't understand is the type of speaker people listen to. Why on earth would a speaker that sounded great when I was 30, sound worse at 67? That's just it for me, they don't. They still sound great, why keep looking. I know what certain drivers sound like. Even if something is wrong, usually I know how to fix certain kinds of drivers to sound right for me. 

I also know there are cone and voice coil drivers that sound good, but there is always something missing unless I use at least a ring driver/ dome or better yet small push/pull planars or ribbons.. It's the speed that I'm use to and like so much.
I like soft domes in a LS or a single too. A good A/B valve amp don't hurt either. :-)

Regards