Quote Originally Posted by RGA
Wow the clock has struck twelve twice in a day and here I agree with PatD (well almost ). When you're building a speaker to a price point and everything on the other side of the ultimate statement products are built ot a price point designers have to make compromises someplace to get something else they really want to make sure they retain. I am more familiar with the B&W DM 302 but that little speaker had quite a number of inventive little designs in order to make it the class leader -- (always arguable comment) but it was a one piece molded plastic speaker with some fake veneer on top and and an open back design with off the shelf drivers.

As many have pointed out to me you can't necessarily take parts in isolation. This has been hard for me because if I hear 40 speakers using metal tweeters and 36 of them sound tinny and dreadful 3 sound muted as if they're trying to gloss over it and the one that sounds good costs $25,000.00 and is the only one that is a unique use of the metal dome then it's hard not to generalize that maybe the problem is metal tweeters. When I audition unknown to me speakers I don't look to see what they're using as drivers because I don't want to be biased before I listen.

The problem is in what you're comparing things too and to a degree what prices. Stereophile and any magazine recommends speakers to OTHER people and they are guessing as to what other people might like -- if I hate horror movies and I'm a film reviewer I still need to attempt to TRY and evaluate a good horror movie from a bad one and then to stick my 4 star rating on Halloween because I can recognize that this film is superior to other slasher films. Though I personally may never want to watch the thing again to save my life.

For instance I really liked my B&W DM 302 and it was the cheapest speaker ever to get a Class C rating in Stereophile...and for the money it is very good blah blah -- and in some respects i wish I kept it for a bedroom system (especially hearing their new speakers whcih cost more and sound worse). But with all the raves it received in the press and my own raves -- it just isn't good enough FOR ME to front my system. Like a film you loved when you were 8 years old that you see now and think what a hopeless piece of junk.

When I see material arguements of the cabinet then i say you would have to listen to a speaker(THE SAME SPEAKER) built out of different materials. My speakers have been built out of several materials and combinations and it makes a BIG difference. But, some speakers may not benefit from no-void Ply.

And incidentally I have a friend who works in Plastics - there are many plastics that have higher melting points than steel are more rigid etc There is also total crapola and plenty in between.

Unfortunately many designers grasping at the speaker market are being forced to lower prices to beat the competition building the same KINDA cabinet and same kjinda design from China for 1/8th the price. And they will write endless streams of papers telling you how none of this has any negative effects and only very positive effects on the sound -- some people believe this and why not? When the other 7 brands beside it are in the same boat - I would try listening to them compared to ones that don't play that game and then see how far the cheap parts but lotsa hype gets you. I have spoken to two Stereophile writers now -- one claims the best sub 2k integrated amp is one that doesn;t get into their listening (distributorship numbers??) and one speaker company they have been touting for ten years he doesn't even like enough to consider owning.

I suggest listening to non-mass produced speakers from smaller outfits. Smaller outfits are forced to be better to survive - not always but often.
"Plastic" is a generic term and different plastics can have very different properties. There is no reason why some of them would not work well for speakers, and they have the advantage that they can be molded in any shape and thickness desired, whereas wood has to be cut and is less consistent.

Actually, I think one tends to get better values from some of the larger companies, ones that can take advantage of many economies of scale. Of course, if one doesn't like the sound, then the speaker is not a good value. But then, I understand there are computer programs available which can help design speakers. Speaker companies can use the excellent test facilities at the National Research Council in Ottawa. They have to pay for this, of course, but they don't have to put out the capital cost for an anechoic chamber, listening rooms, and all sorts of measuring equipment themselves. But generally speaking, speakers from small companies tend to be expensive--though some of them are excellent.