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Loudspeakers have we really made that much progress since the 1930s?

Since I have a slight grasp on the history or loudspeaker design. And what is possible with modern. I do wonder if we have really made that much progress. I have access to some of the most modern transducers and design equipment. I also have  large collection of vintage.  I tend to spend the most time listening to my 1930 Shearer horns. For they do most things a good bit better than even the most advanced loudspeakers available. And I am not the only one to think so I have had a good num of designers retailers etc give them a listen. Sure weak points of the past are audible. These designs were meant to cover frequency ranges at the time. So adding a tweeter moves them up to modern performance. To me the tweeter has shown the most advancement in transducers but not so much the rest. Sure things are smaller but they really do not sound close to the Shearer.  http://www.audioheritage.org/html/profiles/lmco/shearer.htm
128x128johnk

Showing 12 responses by mapman

mapman's avatar
mapman
21,835 posts
 
More sound out of smaller boxes. But only with more power. Also many new transducer technologies and innovations since then.  Probably also way more really good ones to choose from  with unique strengths and weaknesses. 

Are they better?     Not sure there is a ton of difference between the best then or now.   Lots of advance in the source devices and amplifiers feeding them though. 
mapman's avatar
mapman
21,835 posts
 
I assume we're talking about home audio speakers.   

Sound overall all at large outdoor concert venues has increased greatly.   So better things seem possible at the largest scale.   


Most home home listening rooms aren't any larger today than years ago so not as great a challenge to max out what can be done there.  
mapman's avatar
mapman
21,835 posts
 
Walsh drivers were conceived and realized in the 1960s.   
mapman's avatar
mapman
21,835 posts
 
http://www.cnet.com/news/forty-years-ago-the-ohm-f-speaker-was-a-game-changer-it-still-is/

The modern day descendants of these continue to improve regularly as well.  

Definite game changers for me. 
mapman's avatar
mapman
21,835 posts
 

I think the bottom line is loudspeaker technology has improved considerably over the years as is the case with most any active technology over time and that there is more possible today than ever before and many more choices for top notch performance case by case than ever before as well.

Has the best possible end result sound in most home audio cases improved?

Probably somewhat but the technology to solve the problem effectively has been around for many years in one form or another.

I am convinced also that source gear and amplifier technology has improved vastly in all regards over the same timeframe meaning the speaker technology applied, old or new, sounds better than ever.

mapman's avatar
mapman
21,835 posts
 

Innovation in any field addresses the changing needs or wants of the times.

I like quality old stuff as much as the next guy but there are good reasons why things are the way they are.   Lack of innovation is not one of them.

mapman's avatar
mapman
21,835 posts
 
John what exactly has been forgotten?
mapman's avatar
mapman
21,835 posts
 

john,

We’ll have to agree to disagree on that, much of which is very subjective.

I experience all those things regularly on both my own and other systems I hear with modern speaker technology.

Doing it with low power these days is perhaps the biggest challenge because most people do not want or have room for very large highly efficient full range speakers. But still I have heard some like that at shows.

Again changing times and different needs.

But I understand and share the nostalgia for quality innovative products of the past. A Victrola is one of the things on my bucket list and I do have a soft spot for tube gear still and an interest at least in high efficiency speakers.

mapman's avatar
mapman
21,835 posts
 
Creating a quality speaker for home use is a problem that has been solved thousands of different ways by many over the years.

Which solutions solves it best is more a matter of opinion than fact.   There are many viable candidates for that using various technologies applied.

So clearly there have been many innovations and different designs and approaches to the problem since the 1930s.   There are more choices than ever not to mention continuous refinements to quality over the years.

So other than there being more larger homes and rooms these days than in the 1930s,   the problem has not gotten much harder to solve, in fact improvements in amplifier technology make some speaker design problems, like size and bulk, easier to solve.

Needless to say it is possible to build a much higher output  high quality speaker today than in 1930.     But who needs that?   Professional applications in large venues do but cost will likely be the barrier there, not the technology availble to build the best and highest output speaker possible.



mapman's avatar
mapman
21,835 posts
 
Johnk,

Are your 1930 Shearer horns all original parts and design? If so and still in good operating condition that would be something. If not, then what has been done to "restore" them? Also if restored how can you know what these sounded like originally and that that was equivalent to restored versions?

Is it possible the speakers benefit from anything new or different not incorporated into their original design?

Just wondering.


Thanks.
mapman's avatar
mapman
21,835 posts
 
Many advancements since then have been pointed out.   Whether one thinks those of significance or not is a matter of opinion.   But the advancements themselves are not.
mapman's avatar
mapman
21,835 posts
 
Here's a subtle innovation not discussed yet:

http://ohmspeakers.com/news/nasa-technology-comes-to-speakers-ferrofluid/


Also of relevance:

http://ohmspeakers.com/news/ten/

John Strohbeen's posting on his companies website is one of the best places to go to learn a lot of practical things about good sound IMHO.  He does a good job of talking about things that matter in a reasonably unbiased manner.
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