[lord dubious]

Hi All
I have been following the progress of most happenings on AudioCircle since it began and I have a couple of thoughts to share.
1. Just when I think I know something, I realize I know nothing.
2. There are some individuals in our presence who inhabit the outer realm of audio technology.
So, here is what I am thinking.  Danny is doing open baffle and line arrays.  Dr Geddes is doing waveguides.  Is this the pointy end?  Is there about to be a technological revolution?  Remember, some technologies run into a dead end and some run wild.  Any thoughts/insight?
Cheers

[Big Red Machine]

So are you saying that perhaps some folks have it figured out and the masses haven't "seen the light"?  Your observations are astute so far IMO.

But then there's the whole; "not my cup of tea", and "boxed speakers can still be magical".

Regardless, we have many choices.  Isn't that wonderful?!

[cloudbaseracer]

I know nothing about Audio/Speaker Design/Etc except that I love to listen to music so my comments are worth what you pay for them.  I read reviews of the Emerald Physics CS2's as well and words like "brilliant" and "revolutionary" spring forth.  Maybe the integration of open baffle-waveguide-DSP is the new cutting edge.  I don't understand it but I do know that it sounds amazing!

James

[miklorsmith]

There are lots of folks doing lots of very cool things with speakers.  Raal is building ribbon tweeters that are getting gooey praise, Harbeth's 40.1, the plainest looking box speaker in the world, makes great music.  Lots of folks love the SP tech waveguide thing while others go for design variations in high efficiency and single watt amps.  Open baffle is certainly undergoing resurgence.  The technology pushes on in all aspects but there is no evidence of a "pointy end" design convergence.

I think once an audiophile finds their optimal speaker type they begin to wonder why all the manufacturers don't gravitate in that direction, for its "obvious superiority".

[Brown]

from what I'm reading it appears GR Research has some great speakers. The open baffle designs make sense and with the DIY aspect , why not.
   Recently heard a pair of Omega single driver speakers. Now they did not image like my line arrays but the seamless the signal was hypnotizing. Quite addictive sound.
    While the G&R approach includes a sub and larger driver, the fact that most of the music comes from a single large driver is quite something. I need to audition these speakers.

[*Scotty*]

I don't think we are there yet. Drivers still have coloration and their distortion levels do not approach that of our electronics. Loudspeakers are still the weakest link in the chain.
They are closely followed by our recording technology. Ideally I think we should be able turn on our systems and be transported to a virtual recreation of the performance that sounds as real as being present at the original performance. When this happens then we can take the time to stop and pat ourselves on the back. I think the cutting edge of loudspeaker design is somewhere we can't see and probably does not involve conventional technology applied in a conventional manner.
Scotty

[lord dubious]

I think once an audiophile finds their optimal speaker type they begin to wonder why all the manufacturers don't gravitate in that direction, for its "obvious superiority".

miklorsmith, that is a great way to put words to something I have been thinking.  Yet, as you say

The technology pushes on in all aspects but there is no evidence of a "pointy end" design convergence.

Thanks everyone for the different perspectives; much better than trying to reconcile things without help.  I was hoping there would be a natural end point for some things, just so that life is less complicated.  I like the idea that there is an ultimate expression of a particular product, even if it exists in a limited field.

[jimdgoulding]

I'm wondering if the ultimate expression of dynamic monitor speakers doesn't lie right here:  http://www.genelecusa.com/products/2-way-monitors/8240a (from Finland).

[BrianP]

Just look at the variety of design approaches being pursued by the speaker manufacturers represented on these boards! Dipole, bipole, monopole, omnidirectional, cones 'n' domes, ribbons, planars, wave guides, single drivers, line arrays, shallow crossovers, steep crossovers, active vs. passive crossovers . . . you name it.

And every one of these talented designers is employing the combination of technologies he sincerely believes will yield the "best" sound. From the testimony of their satisfied customers, one must conclude that every one of them is "right."

There are many ways to achieve excellent sound reproduction. All involve tradeoffs and compromises, yet all--when properly implemented--are capable of producing highly satisfactory results. No single one of them stands out as the ultimate.

[konut]

"Many roads lead to Rome". No, we're not there yet.

[timind]

There are too many different applications requiring different specifications for accurate reproduction for one design to get us there. Too many variables such as room size, volume required, low frequency extension and many more make the quest very difficult. From a personal standpoint, which is the only one I care to speak to, my small listening room won't accommodate many of the over-sized elaborate designs I see. While the speakers I am most comfortable with in this room would not adequately fill my living or family room.
So are we there yet? I feel very close as I listen to Jeff Beck, "Wired" right now.

[richidoo]

There is no "There" there...    

Lots of bleeding edges though. It's a  great time to be in this hobby!

[lord dubious]

There is no "There" there...    

Now, that is way too deep.  I was confused before.

[funkmonkey]

someone mentioned convergence, and "pointy end"...  made me think of the shape of a bullet (not sure why, but it provides a nice springboard for the next thoughts).  I think speaker tech is more like a shot-gun blast with one point of origin and the further along they travel the wider apart they get, some bits hitting dead ends and ceasing to progress. While other bits of tech hit an obstacle and split each half of the original continuing on in a new direction.  And some cary on their original trajectory.

New materials, and new applications of existing materials continue to expand the field. 

Personally, I think we will get to the point where "there is no spoon" er... speaker.  I recently heard about some nano tech fabric that can be stretched to transparent that will emit sound, or could be applied as wall paper.  Beyond that there are always brain implants   

[Bob in St. Louis]

The definition of "there" is a personal one.
But one thing's for sure, this hobby like many others has no end.
Put another way: There is no "there", there is no end, there is no destination. Only a journey.


The best wish I can give to a friend is to;
Enjoy the journey.

Bob

[TheChairGuy]

Front ends still are holding up the chain of progress.

Vinyl really shouldn't be the highest resolution source still out there ....seriously, something by now shoulda' beat it for sound quality and yet, DVD-A while being close, has not as yet.

I've yet to hear hi-resolution 176/24 or 192/24 computer audio yet - that may be the bee's knee's....but, everything else heard is still short of the naturalness of good vinyl.  Vinyl is plagued by so many issues.....but once you tame the majority of them, it's still the superior format.  But, it really shouldn't be at this point I feel.

Speakers seem to me fantastic now....inert frames, lightweight drivers, good efficiency, fair pricing (labor intensive they may be, but when made in lower wage countries, they are affordable for most).  I think changes in speakers from hereon out are incremental and it's the choices in front ends the real issue holding back an accurate portrayal of the live event.

John