Comefedboy explain "vaunted 'budget' speaker REQUIRES 100k in electronics." you are on to something but explain further please.'... ' most for the money' i guess thats important. i've heard the BIG wilson LOUD..speaker(retail for i think like 15k) for about 15 seconds that was enough. one room over were the martin logan AEON($3000) could have sat there all day, box sound is just that BOXED, electrostats even the smallest martin logan and the little isis from sound lab is a superior overall sound to vanderstein b&w and the rest of the LOUDspeakers. theory: you can take a sound lab isis and hook up a introductory NAD receiver(terrible sound!!!) and a rotel cdp(ok nothing more, and have a pleasant enjoyable experience. now take the audio aeros capitole cdp ($6000)(one audiophile says VERY close to his accuphase75v($11000 sound )and pathos mono blocks($6500) hook them up to your favorite box LOUDspeaker(upto $10k please) and yea you probably have good sound ,BUT! look at what it took to get you "pretty good sound"... point being electrostats (yea that need alot of juice) make almost electronics shine yet box speakers limit even the best of electronics... this and 50 cents won't get you a cup of coffee.
Under rated speakers due to price....?
AND the resulting associated equipment?
I have a theory and am interested what others think about it. Is it possible that we underrate some speakers because they sell for a reasonable price and therefor listen to them with similar equipment?
I have a decent system consisting of the Rowland integrated amp, SCD-777ES and normally Aerial Model 6 speakers with a Storm III. I have frequently purchased many "cheap" speakers for second systems and I always try them in the good system just for kicks. Some sound OK, but some sound great. I recently tried a pair of less than $300 (Circuit City price) Polk RT35i speakers in the good system and could not believe how awesome they sounded for 1/10 the price of the Aerials. I could easily see some new high end company selling a similar sounding product for 5 times the price and getting it with happy customers.
I then thought about it - - how often do you hear about 2-500 dollar speakers being paired with a 10k system? Has anyone ever checked the associated equipment in Stereophile's class A speakers against the class B or C's? I didn't have the patience. But I bet as a rule that exotic speakers like Grand Utopias or Pipe Dreams are NOT listened to with low hi-end equipment like the lesser speakers are. If you pair some Vandersteen 2c's or B&W CDM-1's with Boulder amps, (and list the speakers at 10 grand) might people call them "some of the best?"
I have a theory and am interested what others think about it. Is it possible that we underrate some speakers because they sell for a reasonable price and therefor listen to them with similar equipment?
I have a decent system consisting of the Rowland integrated amp, SCD-777ES and normally Aerial Model 6 speakers with a Storm III. I have frequently purchased many "cheap" speakers for second systems and I always try them in the good system just for kicks. Some sound OK, but some sound great. I recently tried a pair of less than $300 (Circuit City price) Polk RT35i speakers in the good system and could not believe how awesome they sounded for 1/10 the price of the Aerials. I could easily see some new high end company selling a similar sounding product for 5 times the price and getting it with happy customers.
I then thought about it - - how often do you hear about 2-500 dollar speakers being paired with a 10k system? Has anyone ever checked the associated equipment in Stereophile's class A speakers against the class B or C's? I didn't have the patience. But I bet as a rule that exotic speakers like Grand Utopias or Pipe Dreams are NOT listened to with low hi-end equipment like the lesser speakers are. If you pair some Vandersteen 2c's or B&W CDM-1's with Boulder amps, (and list the speakers at 10 grand) might people call them "some of the best?"