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Whats the deal?

Why do people, myself included, place so much emphasis on build quality and appearance over sound?  It’s so strange that I’ll do just about anything to make my system sound better apart from using tone controls or buying / enjoying speakers that don’t use high quality drivers, cabs and crossovers.  It’s like I have an audiophile checklist of dos and don’ts

A good example would be the fact that I have bought and listened to many different models of Paradigm speakers and the only ones that I loved were the Signature 2 V.2.  I have loved the way  many other Paradigm speakers that I owned looked or were built but when it comes to sound they were all too bright.  Sure they image well and have good dynamics but I see so many posts about paradigm that have a similar tones (no pun intended).

Why oh why do we spend all kinds of $ trying to make speakers that we don’t like sound like speakers that we do like.
Wouldn’t it just be easier to buy new speakers as opposed to new amp, source, wires, room acoustic treatments trying to put band aids on speakers that we don’t like?

Kind of reminds me of marriages where the Wife is a total jerk yet the Husband will stay with her forever because she’s beautiful.  
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Showing 4 responses by n80

n80
1,227 posts
 
I don't know many hobbies in which the appearance of the gear/object is a non-issue. Cars. Trucks. Guns. Cameras. Computers. Wrist watches. Boats. Horses (and the gear you put on them). Heck, even tractors.

I also don't know why there is any reason that beauty and function can't coexist. And when they do, its a win-win. And sometimes sublime.

And as mentioned, stereo equipment goes in our homes. Some people care what their homes look like.

Beauty and function are not mutually exclusive; my wife is pretty and a wonderful person. (I'm the troll she stays with....who knows why.)
n80
1,227 posts
 
gasbose and glupson....I’m a sucker, I think most tractors are beautiful. I have a Kubota L4400 4wd. It is not a shiny anymore as in the picture below but I still think it is a fine looking machine:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/guide/upload/review_photos/302/photo1/_DSC0475.jpg

As far as ugly speakers that perform well......I don’t mean to step on any toes but there are some ugly speakers out there. Almost everything Wilson makes is hideous to me. Particularly the Alexandria model. The top end Vandersteens seem pretty ugly to me. I’m sure their well heeled owners don’t think they are ugly and I’m assuming they sound good enough (for that kind of money) that they don’t care about how they look.

I had a pair of B&W towers that I thought were ugly (I don’t like the tweeter wart on top) and they did not sound to good either....but they had been abused.
n80
1,227 posts
 
For any speaker larger than a bookshelf model I also see them as furniture. They are large. They sit in our homes often in plain view. They have a function. Why not be attractive? Most of want our furniture to be attractive.

I have Aerial 7B Speakers. I got them for free (which, in many things trumps beauty and function). They are finished in black ash. They look nice, they exude quality and they are exceptionally well made but they are monolithic.

You could see monkeys smashing bones in front of them with 2001 Space Odyssey blaring.

If I were buying them or something similar today I'd pay extra for a natural wood finish.

I have a Madrigal Proceed HPA2 amp. It it all business. Dull gray. One big silver button, two tiny lights. It exudes power and seriousness but looks like something from a factory.

My Audio Research LS-16 has a face and reminds me of what people thought robots would look like in 1950.

Get a load of this CDP. Not my cup or tea but it certainly has a design aesthetic:

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/p-IAAOSwBRlcbyIq/s-l1600.jpg
n80
1,227 posts
 
I said this in another thread once and I still think it is true and someone should make it happen:

Some of these fine high end cables and power cords are beautifully made and beautiful to look at (including some that I own) regardless of what you think about their actual benefit. But then we stick them in some rack, closet or cabinet coming out of the backs of our components.

Someone needs to make equally beautiful components in which these gorgeous cables come out the front where they can be seen and admired.....as well as heard.
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