[byang]

I am curious why there seems to be no interest in Westlake Audio speakers, something wrong with the company? I have heard a few of their speakers in the lc and BBSM series and think they are very good, anything I should be aware of?

[Russell Dawkins]

Not enough bang, too many bucks?

My impression is that their designs were never particularly innovative and recently have stagnated. They always were an up-market supplier to the well - heeled professional studio.
Many of those have disappeared under the onslaught of the proliferation of the project studio, this in turn made possible by the extremely reduced prices on equipment over the last 15 years, due mostly to China, other Asian countries and, to a small extent, Russia coming online and also to the increased efficiency in surviving businesses as a result.

Mackie is a separate and significant case, in so far as they are selling at made-in-China prices but are made in the USA. At least I think they still are ...

[byang]

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I found a local dealer and was quoted highly ridiculous prices on their new speakers. I discovered online the 2nd-hand used speakers are relatively inexpensive, how come there is such a huge price difference now? Or is it simply because there is no demand for them in the 2nd hand market?

[Imperial]

Used Westlake tower 12's are great bargains, and the ones to look for I think.

I think that the heyday of Westlake was from 96 to 99, as that is when they were shall we say on top.
The lc series does contain a lot of great speakers these days, and the lc vf's are quite good as well.

As Russel D says, when the big studios are gone, and all that is left is the high-end market, Westlake is going to have to change to survive, 'coz their market is slowly getting smaller...

A company such as B&W has managed to revitalize itself many times, the new D series really hitting home with BOTH the pro and the home market. The Nautilus series from B&W that came in 1998 really changed everything for speaker makers all over the place.
It changed speakbuilding from a craft, to a science... for the sort of mainstream sector. Or that is my own opinion.
A part of this was the use of Hornslet cabinets...

If Westlake can do the same it would be great for them.

Personally I think Westlakes really are worth the asking price, but one has to also look at what the speakers will be used for, and
the offerings from other companies are really abound these days, and are they as good, for less cash? A good question indeed.

Tannoy has also made the transition to be both home and pro speakers, they also are popular in say Japan and the far east with their massive speakers the Kingdom and handbuilt Reference and Heritage series.

China is a market I could imagine will be great for Westlake, as there will always be audiophiles that want the big pricey speakers..
It's really up to each company out there to find a path that leads to survival.
Westlake's motto is "engineering driven, not market driven" ... it could maybe be changing, who knows.

Some times it can work wonders to somehow re-invent yourself, unless of course, you've got a winning formula, that you don't wanna change.

Imperial

[joc3721]

I owned BBSM 10 VNF's for 4 years ('96 - 2000).  Back then you could get them for 5-6K.  Sorry I sold them.  They were the best dynamic system I ever heard (and I've heard a lot, and owned many others since).  High resolution, low distortion, fast, neutral and musical.  Especially good with power music, and they play extremely loud and clean.  To me, they were far superior to the audiophile speakers at the time.  I suspect they still are.  I think the Westlake stuff has gotten very expensive, not sure it has a value edge any more.  Still, I think their designs put to shame a lot of what's out there.  I still own a pair of LC 6.75 two way monitors, not using them now, but they're also exellent.
Julian

[Dan Driscoll]

The LC 8.1 is probably the finest 2-way speaker monitor/bookshelf sized I've ever heard. But as several people have already pointed out, they are pretty expensive in comparison to the competition. Depending on your tastes, you can get pretty close to or even better performance for a lot less money.

[byang]

I just bought a pair of 2nd-hand BBSM-6VNF in mint condition from a user after home auditioning them. These are one of the best speakers (within my budget that my amplifier can drive) I have heard. I did extensive listening at numerous dealers, and considered buying a pair of new Dynaudio C2, but the cost is 4 times as much! I paid just a bit more than what I would for a new Harbeth Super HL-5, which I thought had poor imaging or perhaps because the dealer didn't position them well enough. To my ears, the bass and mid-range of the SHL5 cannot compare to the BBSM-6VNF. The best way to describe the bass with BBSM-6VNF is how my legs/feet feel the vibration and hear no boominess. I really hope this company can continue to innovate or market their products better, because their speakers are truely phenomenal.