RMAF 2016................Boenicke W5

Too many products to listen to, there are better things to do.

The last time I checked, the law of physics was still alive and working. I have no doubt those little speakers would have sounded awesome in my college dorm room but I bet the guy who invented them was not even born back then. That aside, let's get real and compare apples with apples. Money no object, it is quite possible these may be best sounding speakers if someone is looking for speakers for a small room. I bet I would have been a lot more popular if I had these speakers in my bedroom back when I was single.

@gawdbless

Your observations are correct. Speakers with less bass extension get into trouble less frequently than larger speakers.

The further down you go, the more likely you are to excite a room mode and get outrageous or no apparent output.

This is why a good 2 way with extension to 40-ish Hz are the best compromise and easiest to live for most music lovers.

Now, for those who really will do whatever it takes, spend any amount, well, there’s ways, many ways << evil laugh >>

Unfortunately music lovers think the solution to all bass problems is just to add cone area, and that's where things go south. A 2-way speaker like I described is like the girl (or guy) next-door. Easy to get along with, always up for a trip, movie, or baseball game. Subwoofers are the schizophrenic neighbor who you wake up one day and see screaming at an oak tree and attacking it Don Quixote like with a rake. "Full range" speakers that go lower than 40ish Hz are  going to be somewhere in between. 

Erik,
I agree with your logic. All Gawbless said is these Boenickes were really quite good and impressed him more than some larger and more expensive speakers under show conditions. He never said they're the speakers he's ever heard.  Let's have perspective and appreciate the context. 
Charles, 

Charles,

Its a preconceived notion based on the laws of physics and having heard many speakers both large and small that have no choice but to always abide by those laws. Not just whimsy or speculation. Its how things work.  Whereas a reviewers review is merely an opinion based on whatever happens to be the reviewers motivation.

I’m sure they sound very good within their limitations. If those are the limitations one chooses to live with for that price along with the rest than so be it.