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nextlevelmp,Most here wouldn't shop by specifications, but rather by what sounds good. Most your source material preferences are "artificial". In other words, they are only heard via someone else's playback system, meaning that all you can do is compare their system to whatever you're listening through, so there can be no standard for sound quality. Live, unamplified music (like classical, some jazz/folk, etc.) is the gold standard. Once you become familar with how it really sounds you can begin the audiophile quest for sound quality.Note that deep, boomy bass and attention getting zingy highs can be initially impressive to the unedcated ear, but will cause listener fatigue (irritation, antsiness) and soon a loss of interest in audio only. Marketing hype has deluded most into believing that they need 20 - 20,000 Hz response at 120 dB. This goal translates into big, complicated, and expensive solutions that nearly always have compromises in providing basic lifelike sound quality. This is seen in elaborate crossovers, large arrays of (cheap) drivers, and various quality levels of cabinet construction. So consumers chase this ideal and are never satisfied. (What an ideal scheme to sell and sell and sell.)OTOH the audiophile seeks detail, tonal accuracy, and proper imaging/soundscape. The essence of 2 channel sound is, with the right recording and playback system, to be able to recreate a sonic hologram of the performance. Each instrument and vocalist is in the correct location (left/right, front/back, and up/down) and of the right size. This IME is the entry point for audiophilia. Coherency is more important than extending frequency response to the limits of human hearing (and beyond) or creating "brown sound".So most audiophile speaker systems have no subwoofer and in fact are often just two-way designs. Far better for the audiphile to have fewer high quality components than a room full of cheap parts used with an off the shelf design. If you look back 10 years or more at manufacturer advertisments you'll see the same reoccuring themes, touting one concept or another. The challenge for these big box vendors is not quality, innovative design, but to pick what buzz will sell equipment. For instance, typical $500 speakers use $25 worth of driver/crossover components in a cabinet that has more invested in veneers than the cabinet itself. Normal retail and distribution markups are around 75%. Here at AC most of the vendors sell direct and much of it is hand built in the U.S. You can't make a silk purse from a pig's ear.
