Are your speakers designed for your listening taste and hearing ability?

One of the posts above says, " So now there is no objective reality, only subjective preferences?"

Actually, there is an objective reality--it's called music performed in real space. And since no audio system, either high $$ audiophile type or mass-market type, can accurately convey all that information, yes, we're down to subjective preferences concerning the inevitable compromises made by each speaker designer.

It's depressing how quickly this thread degenerated into a variant of the very old & tired accuracy vs musicality debate. I may be an old dude now w/the inevitable hearing dings, but 35+ years ago, when I first got into high end audio, I ran into this debate like a very scary buzz-saw. Some dealers were pushing reviewer-praised & pricey gear that emphasized accuracy/detail (and razored my ears off). Others were pushing stuff that sounded way better to me: more natural, life-like, and yes, musical. Richard Vandersteen's stuff was in the latter camp. Clearly heard it from the 1st minute.

But it's a big audio universe and people can buy whatever designs sound best to them. But pls stop beating those of us who do that over the head with graphs & reviews to prove that your choice is the only rational choice.

Is "music performed in a real space" always acoustic? And if so, what are the acoustics? Tall feathered hats and corrugated steel walls? Outdoors with actual bird sounds (back when there were birds). Carnegie Hall? What seats? Can you sit under the Steinway? I'm a decades long (and 6' tall) successful musician and frequently over paid live concert sound producer/mixer (as well as a coconut margarita mixer), and I can say with confidence and a slight lisp that there is no bottom line regarding live anything. Or maybe there is. I've recorded an acoustic guitar on state of the art (maybe) recording gear and played it back on my hifi rig while sitting there playing the same thing on the same guitar as a demonstration for a friend or two. My hifi rig replicates the guitar tone very well, thus proving something I already knew that I don't care much about. If a recording sounds great to me, it just does...if it doesn't sound great it doesn't. How do I test that? I don't need to. Except where previously noted.

One big advantage of my DIY speakers is that I am not afraid to keep modifying them until they sound right.  Since I got my fully horn loaded, DEQX DSP'ed speakers to playing in 2004 I have changed woofer drivers, folded corner horn enclosures, midrange (actually wide range) drivers, all amplifiers, added supertweeters and upgraded the DEQX DSP. I have finally got the triamplified three way horns to sounding and measuring as good as I imagined them before I started sawing wood and machining metal.  I am very gratified to say that my audiophile friends all say that they sound very good.

20 years ago I was the ‘tube nut” making full range speakers that had a nasty shout....things change and I learned that a lo powered tube system has to do sound from more than just the parts....they work to bring out the best of it all....room included.....now people are amazed that they hear a really hi-dollar “sound” in 2-3 watts from nice horns well placed—-the ‘live in the room’ music.....from invisible speakers!!!!    2 ways of getting there I guess.......