Frequency response for high end speakers at every price level is usually relatively flat. The differences in audible sound quality reported by audiophiles is disproportionate to the differences in frequency response between different speakers therefore frequency response cannot be a very significant factor in what we’re hearing.
I completely disagree. If you are going by specmanship, yes, this is true. You cannot look at a speaker’s numbers.
However, I have found repeatedly that the details of the FR matter a great deal. A lot of speakers which are purported to give details, or incredible imaging have tweaks in the FR and if you know what to look for you’ll see it. The tell is a reviewer making a claim like this:
I found myself going through my old record collection and I heard things I've never heard before!
That's usually a pretty good indicator of this.
It disturbs me greatly when I see audio critics calling these speakers transparent or neutral when their own measurements show otherwise. JA does this to the pint when he finds a neutral speaker he calls it deliberately altered. The point is, these critics set the bar as to what the community calls neutral.
Besides FR and distortion, dispersion and stored energy matter a great deal. Dispersion affects how well a speaker will sound in a particular room and where imaging will be best. Stored energy will affect the ability of a speaker to sound natural, transparent.
Another overlooked item which matters (more with some amps than others) is the impedance curve, and I know for a fact some manufacturers deliberately tweak their speakers to be more "discerning" of amplifiers.
I reiterate my position: Buy what yo like to listen to. You have that unqualified right. These are my technical observations.
E
