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Modern Speakers vs Vintage?

In the mid-sixties a new pair of AR-3a's would have cost approximately $540. With inflation, that would work out to be about $4075 today. I'm pretty sure I could find a pair of new speakers for $4075 today that would blow the AR's out of the water. Furthermore, I could find a pair of 10 year old used speakers for $4075 that would blow the new speakers out of the water.

You cannot have a fair discussion about new vs. vintage without considering original msrps and accounting for inflation. Otherwise you're comparing apples to oranges. The price/performance ratio will almost always work in favour of vintage. But, that's not what we are discussing here.
 
gkimeng said:
I'm not; just making a point that if you're going to make quality comparisons between old and new, you have to use old samples that are working the way they were designed to. And there are probably very few old speakers that are working today the same way they were when they were new, unless they've been restored back to their original state.
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I agree wholeheartedly - the same goes for amplifiers, which is why I always recommend thorough restorations of vintage amps before attempting to draw any conclusions regarding their sonic performance.

That said, with speakers, you're still dealing with the component which generates the greatest level of distortion in your hifi system (the vanishingly low distortion figures exhibited by most sources and amps pale in significance to most speakers). Well designed speakers with modern drivers exhibit lower distortion figures than the majority of vintage speakers, regardless of whether they are 100% original or fully refurbished. This is one area where technology has resulted in much improved performance.
 
The sum of old vs. new at Audiokarma.

People here will argue one way or the other. The answer you are simply looking for is not really complicated but, the general crowd here is into vintage audio so there is a strong bias in that direction. You need to find this information on your own through listening and research. Go visit a hi-fi store and listen for yourself what modern audio equipment sounds like. Opinions here will not do much good for you at all because of the bias and of course personal preference. Most people here who have heard modern speakers and attempt to compare them to their vintage speakers have not done proper A/B comparisons, with both sets of speakers in the same room running the same electronics, so unless there is some empirical data or more investigation done, opinions are simply just that and nothing more.

In other words, your mileage may vary. Get out there and do some listening, then report back to us your findings :thmbsp:
 
canuckaudiog said:
The sum of old vs. new at Audiokarma.

People here will argue one way or the other. The answer you are simply looking for is not really complicated but, the general crowd here is into vintage audio so there is a strong bias in that direction. You need to find this information on your own through listening and research. Go visit a hi-fi store and listen for yourself what modern audio equipment sounds like. Opinions here will not do much good for you at all because of the bias and of course personal preference. Most people here who have heard modern speakers and attempt to compare them to their vintage speakers have not done proper A/B comparisons, with both sets of speakers in the same room running the same electronics, so unless there is some empirical data or more investigation done, opinions are simply just that and nothing more.

In other words, your mileage may vary. Get out there and do some listening, then report back to us your findings :thmbsp:
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+1 and make sure it is a "Hi-Fi" store and not speakers at a big box store. Better yet, try to make it to a hi end show that happen across the country every year. eye opening is really the word
 
Kingshead said:
Here's a set of vintage speakers that only a handful of moderns have a chance of not being thoroughly embarassed by.

IRS10.jpg


Technology has come a long way, but the hype around modern small speakers being Sooooooo great is comical, great small speakers have been around for decades.

So, by vintage exactly where is the cutoff point, 10yrs, 20, 30, 50 or more? I say, bring someone who only knows modern to hear a set of Bozak Concert Grands and watch their jaws drop. Sure there are great moderns that will also astound the ears, but it's not because they're new, it's all in the design goal the price point allows.
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+1 there are some amazing vintage speakes.
You must have to be Very wealthy to afford these speakers new lol. This is clearly a huge Mansion right?like a average Rothchild home.
 
The lack of reading comprehension at AK knows no bounds.

For example, multiple times it's been stated here in this thread the pictured speakers were made by Infinity, yet some here are still labeling them Genisis. As I said, this is just one example of the multiple times in this thread alone where it's obvious the person didn't bother to actually read the post they commented about, or just plain didn't understand.
 
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Kingshead said:
The lack of reading comprehension at AK knows no bounds.

For example, multiple times it's been stated here in this thread the pictured speakers were made by Infinity, yet some here are still labeling them Genisis. As I said, this is just one example of the multiple times in this thread alone where it's obvious the person didn't bother to actually read the post they commented about, or just plain didn't understand.
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Yea I called it a Genesis and said "right?" As in I wasn't sure....so what?
Somebody else thought they were too because they look VERY MUCH like Genesis models, hell Google image Genesis speakers if you want proof. So not every member reads every thread....... So?
Why come off so pretentious?
 
Kingshead said:
The lack of reading comprehension at AK knows no bounds.

For example, multiple times it's been stated here in this thread the pictured speakers were made by Infinity, yet some here are still labeling them Genisis. As I said, this is just one example of the multiple times in this thread alone where it's obvious the person didn't bother to actually read the post they commented about, or just plain didn't understand.
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Don't forget writing comprehension, either.
 
chadnliz said:
Yea I called it a Genesis and said "right?" As in I wasn't sure....so what?
Somebody else thought they were too because they look VERY MUCH like Genesis models, hell Google image Genesis speakers if you want proof. So not every member reads every thread....... So?
Why come off so pretentious?
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You're not the only member in this thread to call them Genesis, and that was only one example as I said.

Not trying to be pretentious, it just baffles me why anyone would comment on a post without reading it first, or in its entirety.

If you read my posts again it should be clear I said modern cars are more reliable, modern speakers with today's tech have the ability to always win if the manufacturer uses the tech to do so.

But let's use VCRs as an example. The first generation decks were tanks but the picture wasn't as good as the later decks, they were only mono, etc. But as time went by and technology improved so did the decks with 4 heads, stereo output, etc, but the new decks weighed 2lbs where the old weighed 20. The new decks seemed better, but the build quality wasn't even close. This can be seen over and over again, DVD players are a prime example. Sure the newest might have better pictures, but when they become doorstops they won't.

And back to the automotive world. Engines aren't more reliable because of some new kind of magic, it's because the consumer demanded it. The most reliable engines ever built are now more the 50 yrs old, check out the Volvo P-1800. The last time I checked one had over 2 million miles on the original engine that had never been rebuilt.

Technology is great, if only the mainstream manufacturers used it more to our benefit and not just to fill their pockets with our doough.
 
I do 99% of my posts here on my Galaxy Note 4, my fingers hit wrong buttons, often top row of alpha keyboard gets number column bumped by my fat thumbs, sometimes I catch it and other times not so much.
 
chadnliz said:
Or just realize **** happens to us all:D
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Incorrect spelling is certainly not the same thing as commenting negatively to a post without reading it first.

And believe me when I say I realize shite happens to all of us, just read some of my posts concerning the loss of my bride of 32yrs, my brother's current battle with cancer, my sisters passing from ALS this year, her son's (my nephew) death by a hit and run driver 2 months ago. Shall I go on?
 
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I am of the opinion that there is actually more to a speaker than how they sound. I have heard some modern speakers that sound great but are built with low cost in mind.
When I begin my love affair with a "new to me" ( vintage of course) speaker, it is almost always because of the build quality. This means the cabinet, the frame, the surround, the binding posts, the crossover, etc.... Then I discriminately listen.

There has only been a few modern speakers that catch my eye before they catch my ear. These have all been far out of my price range. ... So for me, vintage speakers win over modern speakers. I like the materials that were used, the hand-built sweat-dripped craftsmanship, and the style. There isn't much about modernity that interests me and I am only in my 30s....
 
The day may come when I can't repair my Altecs, but the day has already passed many newer speakers which now can only be replaced.
 
Kingshead said:
Incorrect spelling is certainly not the same thing as commenting negatively to a post without reading it first.

And believe me when I say I realize shite happens to all of us, just read some of my posts concerning the loss of my bride of 32yrs, my brother's current battle with cancer, my sisters passing from ALS this year, her son's (my nephew) death by a hit and run driver 2 months ago. Shall I go on?
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Hey we all have issues, all the more reason to laugh it off...even in arguments here I'm having fun.
I've got Ankylosing Spondylitis, Liz has M.S., my best bud is losing a fight against Pancreatic Cancer and on it goes. As long as there is no dirt in our nose when we wake up, its all just livin' the dream!
 
biscuithead said:
I am of the opinion that there is actually more to a speaker than how they sound. I have heard some modern speakers that sound great but are built with low cost in mind.
When I begin my love affair with a "new to me" ( vintage of course) speaker, it is almost always because of the build quality. This means the cabinet, the frame, the surround, the binding posts, the crossover, etc.... Then I discriminately listen.

There has only been a few modern speakers that catch my eye before they catch my ear. These have all been far out of my price range. ... So for me, vintage speakers win over modern speakers. I like the materials that were used, the hand-built sweat-dripped craftsmanship, and the style. There isn't much about modernity that interests me and I am only in my 30s....
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I'm the opposite, fat squat boxes, beige grill clothes just bore me. I like the modern narrow tower models, Sonus Faber angular designs, piano gloss, exotic wood wraps.....we all have different takes on what's attractive. I feel modern offerings are tighter and more articulate in bass region and tweeters offer so much more air and detail.
 
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