Let the debates begin! This post has the potential of generating some heated debate as this is a topic where strongly held beliefs are the norm. I don't wish to take sides, but I thought it might be of some value to explain our philosophy since I don't recall posting on the topic in the past.
As a custom builder, our job is to build the speakers of the owner's dreams, not ours. So we offer the option of using any wire, caps, resistors and inductors you might desire.
In our standard crossovers, we use quality polypropylene caps, air core inductors and non-inductive resistors. These components are laid out properly and wired point-to-point. While you could certainly lower the cost by using solid core inductors, sand cast resistors and inexpensive caps, we don't feel it is appropriate to skimp on components in a high quality speaker. Just the same, we don't feel we should over-spec components and force customers to pay higher costs than necessary. At the same time, we do provide the option to upgrade for those who feel more expensive components are worth the added cost.
As far as that cost is concerned, the upgrade path is fairly open ended. We had one customer request a quote on a specific brand of cap. The quote came to $17,000, which substantially exceeded the cost of the speaker itself (in the end he decided to go with a lower cost "boutique" cap). So when going down the upgrade path, it can be somewhat difficult to determine where to draw the line.
Often, when we complete a speaker with "upgraded" components, we have the opportunity to do an A/B comparison, side-by-side, with the same speaker using our standard crossover components and wiring. This is something few owners have the chance to do.
In many cases, I sense I hear an increase in clarity and transparency with the higher cost components. But when I close my eyes and have someone randomly switch back and forth, I find I cannot determine which speaker is playing with any degree of accuracy. If I know which is playing, I am fairly certain I can hear a difference. But if I don't know which is playing, I find that I rarely identify the upgraded speaker significantly more than 50% of the time - not much better than a simple guess.
Based on those experiences, I can't in all honesty tell an owner that upgrading makes a significant difference. Just the same, I can't say it doesn't. All I can say for certain is that the difference, if any, is somewhat subtle. And from a price/performance point of view, it can cost quite a bit to obtain any performance gains.
When asked for my advice, I often respond with this thought: If you are the type of person who, six months after purchasing a speaker, would question whether you made the right decision and would wonder how much better the speaker would have sounded with upgraded components, then go for it. Look at it like insurance. If you go the extra mile in the beginning, you will never have to question yourself down the line.
On the other hand, if you are the type of person who would just sit back and enjoy the music, there is no need to spend the extra money. We are very confident our standard crossover produces great sound. In fact, I should point out that we never upgrade components in speakers we furnish to reviewers. So any reviews you may have read are based on our standard crossovers.
This post has the potential of creating a heated debate. I hope we can keep it civil.
There are competent speaker designers who feel that as long as the values are correct, components make almost no difference. Others feel very strongly that crossover components can make a huge difference. In that regard, it is almost a "religious" issue. If you ask audiophiles for opinions, you will likely get responses that cover the spectrum. So how do you decide whose opinion to follow?
In the end, you will have to make up your own mind as comments a thread like this will generate will tend be all over the board. The nice thing is, regardless of what you decide, the sound will be very good indeed.
- Jim
