so many speakers

I think the "find a decent sounding room" solution is great. The room right off the bar at the Paris Opera House is perfect. Unfortunately, I don't live anywhere near France and somehow I doubt they'd let me hang out there with my hifi. I settle for my book, CD, and art lined listening/great room...it sounds great (hence the name), and instead of room treatment I just wear puffy clothes and mess up my hair. The specific answer is: There are so many speakers because it's a LARGE WORLD OUT THERE with many people making things. I'm firmly in the camp that my rig should reproduce whatever I want to listen to regardless of the content...it's reasonably full range (I use a good sub), clear, accurate, and can go loud enough. Plus it has plenty of little lights and tubes and stuff so it's hip. Very important.

The Sonus Fabers I have heard are SUBLIME with Acoustic Music of ALL types,yet on most rock/modern blues recordings the drum kits seem so recessed they almost can't be heard.
Dynaudio speakers are the only ones I have ever heard that seem to work with every musical genre...

If there is some factor in recorded drums that causes them to hide in specific speakers that produce "acoustic music" well, I'm not getting it. Drums are acoustic instruments. The nature of reproduced music is essentially the same...a bazouki or a Telecaster through a system is the same electronic pulse through the speakers...it just is. Some speakers are bright, some have less bass extension, but if your speakers are discriminating against drummers they are making arbitrary decisions and need a stern talking to.

"but if your speakers are discriminating against drummers they are making arbitrary decisions and need a stern talking to."

They are also in violation of the 1964 civil rights act which bans discrimination against signals based on it's frequency.

Wolf, love your take on drums. They are acoustic in the fullest sense and if hidden in playback, pray that it is due to the recording and not your speakers.

My Tonians "only" go down to 40Hz and drop off rapidly after that and yet drums come across most convincingly when recorded properly. The effect can be rather shocking at times.

Rok2id, love the analogy.

All the best,
Nonoise