Speaker brands known to use first class internal components


I've been watching some YouTube videos lately that explore speakers from different companies including checking what internal components they are using. I've been alarmed to see that some high-end (and very expensive) speakers have nice cabinets and drivers but really use dime store crossovers and wiring. Some where so flagrant that if I would have purchased those speakers I wouldn't just be disappointed, I'd be angry. One of the speakers I would consider buying are the Kef Reference 1 stand mounts (it's a little big to be called a bookshelf) but I would hate to pay $7,000 or more for a pair only to find out the internal components are sub par. Are there brands that can be purchased with "confidence"  (pun intended) that are sure to use top notch crossovers, wiring and speaker cable terminals? Thanks in advance
milkdudd
I understand your point. But most speakers over $5K are heavily reviewed and hopefully you have been able to audition them as well. If they sound great to you and have been professionally reviewed then does it matter? I am not trying to dismiss your concern, I completely get it. As ones learns, you might not be one hundred percent on top of the sound you should get for the money. That is why I throw in the professional reviews. The speaker business is highly competitive and companies can be expected to be judged on sound quality. They can put lots of cost into R&D for good sound and identify where they need to invest to make them sound good. But everything adds cost, so they put money into what they deem necessary. 

Lower end audio is largely based on advertising and using lowest cost components without discretion.


I'd rather have a loudspeaker that's well designed with run of the mill components than a less well designed loudspeaker with state of the art components.
I’d rather have a loudspeaker that’s well designed with run of the mill components than a less well designed loudspeaker with state of the art components.
I definitely agree with this. As much as I’m concerned about internals, it would be even worse to get something with a poorly designed and constructed cabinet. The way I see it (and I could be wrong) if you’re starting with a well-designed and solidly build cabinet the sky is the limit as to how great a speaker can be if a person is willing to do some mods on their own. I do agree with you guys that sound quality is more important than internal components. And I understand that manufacturers have to carefully select components to ensure that there is still a profit at the end. I’m just concerned about extreme cases where crossovers and wiring of a $10,000 or more speaker are the same as those in a$200 to $400 speaker. To me that seems like sticking it to the customer even if they sound good. As for the Tidals and Rockports and such, I’ll have to check to see how many gold bars I have in the vault
Wow. I see no one mentioned JBL! Look inside their boxes! They were damned sure premium back in the seventies. I'm sure their better speakers still are today.
I have the new JBL100 Classic speakers.  Just a few cheap parts in the crossover but they sound spectacular. 
I really love Sonus Fabre speakers (over $10K), I have owned 3 separate pair. In each case the incredible workmanship and sound has made them seem like a good deal. Especially my current pair at $32K.
I placed $$$$$$$$$$$$ cap in mY  Seas Thors,,  Only resulted in minimal gains = waste of money. The issues are with the drivers  themselves,, see my new topic
A number of years ago I had my B&W 801 speakers re-wired with Kimber cable and had the protective circuit modified. I asked my technician to replace any components on the cross-overs. He said he could not buy anything better than what was already being used.
Vandersteen for sure and drivers are precision matched and crossover tuned to a reference standard w drivers in Anechoic chamber. since 1977.

"I would hate to buy a pair of speakers that I absolutely love and are totally worth the money to me based on their sound and look, but I'd be devastated if I found out the internal parts weren't high quality."

Ugh.
Energy (rip)

 klipsch ruined a great company. It’s a shame!

great parts,cabinets, drivers, a once great company.

never had a chance to buy the veritas 2.?
What are you talking about arcticdeth, and why do you end a statement with a question mark?
joenies138 posts09-10-2021 5:19pmA number of years ago I had my B&W 801 speakers re-wired with Kimber cable and had the protective circuit modified. I asked my technician to replace any components on the cross-overs. He said he could not buy anything better than what was already being used.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I believe your tech geek, Not EVEN the very finest crossover components can help out the B&W **House Sound**. 
Again proof the midwoofer/tweeter thingy is a failure.
Wilson's suffer same house sound issues as B& W, Vandersteen's. 
"I would hate to buy a pair of speakers that I absolutely love and are totally worth the money to me based on their sound and look, but I'd be devastated if I found out the internal parts weren't high quality."

Ugh.
I didn't see this quote anywhere and I know it's not anything close to what I said. But in a way I agree with you. If I bought a 2 million dollar Bugatti and found out it had Bangladeshi built electronics, fuel injection and stability control, as long as it went real fast the day I bought it I would still feel like I got my money's worth

Ugh
Many years ago I recall seeing a picture of Kef's Reference 5 speaker that was cut open, and the crossover was gigantic and expensive looking.  This made me feel better about the Reference 1 speakers that I purchased.
After buying brand new Millenium Tweeters/Seas, as suggested by Tech geek, as 1 tweet had lost 1/2 a  ohm vs  the other = $750 + all brand new highest quality Mundorf Caps, = $$$$$$$
Both together over $1500++
Thought the Seas Thors would be transformed into a  Super Thor...
hahahaa.
absolute waste of money,,, so I trashed that experiement,, started experienting with wide bands.. 
And Bingo
Super Midrange, =cost $550.
There is no Seas/Scaspeak driver that can touch the Wide Band's in my system. 
Seems no one is listening to my mantra. 
You guys are really stuck on a  speaker merry-go-round.
The midwoofer/tweeter thing is not going to match a  high quality wide band. 
Us wide banders know what we have and we could never go back to midwoofer/tweeter as midrange.
For bass, midwoofers are great, For highs, tweets are OK, but not midrange. 
~~~Only as  supports~~~I have excellent bass and highs in the WBer, I use midwoofers and tweets only as ~~emblishments, nothing more. 
On their own they are crippled.The midrange suffers terrible lack of musicality. 
No matter how high priced xover caps you invest. 



hardly a merry go round, you have bought more speakers in the past month than i have in 4 years…..

Gear changer…..

Stick to Mozart
Being obsessive usually ruins the pleasures of life.

Build your own seems the only solution to me in your case. 

Being obsessive usually ruins the pleasures of life.
I do get your point but I'm glad nobody convinced Louis Pasteur of of this when he was developing a cure for rabies which up till then was always fatal. Or convinced Thomas Edison to quit obsessing over that light bulb thing. "Tom, what's wrong with candles they work fine" 
None of this is meant to be mean spirited. Some of us are just tinkerers and try to improve a lot of things we have in one way or another. Back in the 80's and 90's Mustang GT's and Cobras came with wimpy 2.73 or 3.08 gear ratios to please the regulators with higher CAFE mileage ratings. For a measly $400 or so putting in a 3.73 ratio would have you think you had an entirely different car. No comparison. I think a lot of us just try to channel the 1% we have of what Henry Ford had in spades. I know he was an SOB but that's an entirely different story
Maybe a better question would be "well known brands known to use junk parts off the five and dime shelf". There are quite a few ’high end’ companies that do fall into this category, many that would surprise us!
Whether these folks should be ’outted’ is also another good question?
+1 mozartfan - The drivers are the most important as they do the work. Caps are only a small part, but cabinets are also important.