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What matters most in speaker design?

So...What matters most in speaker design?

A. The Drivers
B. The Cabinet / Enclosure
C. Crossover / Internal Wiring
D. Cost / Quality of Raw Materials (Drivers, Cabinet, Crossovers, etc.)

Yes, I realize the "right" answer is "all of the above" or better yet "the design that optimizes the trade-offs of the given variables / parameters that achieves the goals set forth by the creator." However, indulge me...

Can a great sounding speaker get away with focus on only 2 of the 4 above choices? Can a high cost of raw materials trump a sound design that focuses on inexpensive (but great sounding) drivers, a well engineered cabinet, and a decent crossover?

I was thinking about speakers that use relativly cheap drivers, but are executed in a genius enclosure with a good (but not exotic) crossover - and they sound absolutely amazing. This made me wonder...

What matters most in speaker design?
128x128nrenter
muralman1
1,527 posts
 
A, C, and D

No enclosure is best.
macrojack
1,292 posts
 
Price point, veneer, review, ad campaign, scuttlebutt, endorsements, gimmicky technological storyline, designer's pedigree, country of origin, power handling capability, and envy factor. Not everyone will agree on the order of importance among these essential elements.
rwwear
2,692 posts
 
The sound.
mechans
2,999 posts
 
Weight.
The weight of all audio components relative to their function i.e only compare an amp to amp. The heaviest or most massive is always the better one.
Note I think the amount of wood in a wood or wood composite speaker can only be compared with another fundamentally wood speaker. Those granite thud rock slab speakers are cheating they get disqualified. Same with the lead lined cheaters thats not game.
So think about it which is better a thick highly braced enclosure or a thin non reinforced speaker enclosure. My JM Lab Focal Electra 938s are made with the same drivers (per JM) as the Utopias of that vintage. The Utopias weigh 3X as much.
Consider the drivers . Do you want that skinny excuse for a magnet always ferrite BTW compared to Alnicos magnets that weigh 10 pounds for a 1 inch tweeter and 30 or more pounds for a 10 -12inch woofer. Which is better. The bigger magnet. It makes for a more powerful motor in the driver it's true.
Finally crossover Skimpy three wind inductor a few small caps or....
So in sum, size or mass counts. Sorry fellow man, most woman are kind and reassuring but when they are alone...the size of your.... bank account really does matter.
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