Do Physicists Or Musicians Design Better Speakers?

Would anyone buy a musical instrument from an instrument builder who wasn't also a musician?

The original question assumes that the skill sets are incompatible or mutually exclusive. I really don't believe that to be the case. Skilled engineers can be wonderful musicians and great musicians can have advanced degrees in engineering.

Name me one design under $3K that matches Thors
Other than The Tylers?

Eton 11.2 (it)

Dynaudio Twynn---long gone but a very good one (kit)

North Creek---many

Accuton, Skaaning, Scanspeak, Vifa, morel, Visaton, Focal
all make comparable drivers.

Name me one design under $3K that matches Thors
Other than The Tylers?

Now you're talking yourself into a corner, Paul. I'm sure your speakers are excellent, but this has nada to do with the topic at hand. First, you say the SEAS are the best drivers out there. Then, you claim they are "the best drivers for the $". Now, your challenge is for anyone to find a better speaker in the $3K range? Sorry, but "best anywhere" and "best speaker kit for the money" have no correlation with one another OR with this topic.

There is ALWAYS a "better" out there, no matter what you now have. If you're satisfied, great. If you're not--and it appears by your need to vehemently defend your choice that you're not--then listen to other options. Your attempts to discredit components that you have never heard does not negate their performance, nor does it make them disappear.

Paul,

Chill out bro :), the Seas Excel drivers are very good no doubt, but your passive Crossovered THORS are a serious step down compared to the sealed active pair I just built so don't get so far out in front of yourself. Joe D'App is a great designer no doubt and the Thors are very good but some moderation in your tone should be used as your understanding of driver geniology seems to be a bit new and slightly confused.

Its all application specific, a driver is a tool a mechanism to reach a result so every driver has its strengths and weakness', the Mag drivers has their breakup modes which can limit their application....the skaanings have their limited production price...etc

BTW, stop dreaming of tubes for your speakers, why would you ruin a perfectly great speaker with some 1955 distortion machine like the Jadis or the Cayin? Good lord!

you have a great deal to learn still, and atleast you're trying.

Onhwy61, for example, Borodin, great composer and eminent chemist (contributed to the periodical table of elements, I believe). On the other hand you haven't heard me play the French Horn. Good engineer-fair horn player, which proves your point, I guess!
Bob P.