YG Acoustics add in Stereophile

John, regardless of whether or not you feel a $1000 cap is overpriced has nothing to do with the actual cost of the parts. I was only pointing out that they may well have the same amount of money into crossovers as they do drivers. In addition they *could* have substatial time into rebuilding stock drivers to their specifications. (This is all speculation, I do not know if they use off the shelf drivers or not) If you design and manufacture loudspeakers, you know as well as anyone that which drivers are used only play a small role in how the system actually sounds. Crossover implementation, cabinet construction, and damping *can* play a larger role than drivers, depending on the system.

I'm not convinced that sound quality is related to retail price. Someone could use lesser drivers than Seas and still make the claim that their system is the best on earth. It is nothing more than a claim, and it is subjective. Because of that, there is no such thing as the "best" speaker. Even if you had a speaker that perfectly reproduced recordings, some may not care for the sound of it.

Atmasphere, you like I, are speculating about the crossover design, and correct me if I'm wrong, you don't actually know if there is a capacitor in the midrange circuit or not.

S7horton, you are quite right, but having done this a few years, there are certain things that show up from time to time that you get to recognize. If there *was* a capacitor in the midrange circuit, it was very large and very transparent. Those two qualities, as many speaker designers know, do not go hand in hand. But there could have been one- if so it would have been an expensive part!

Occam's Razor suggests that it was not there at all.

Atmosphere,you had intrigued me(a few days ago) by mentioning Classic Audio Reproductions.First oof,the prices seem quite reasonable for the cabinetry alone.

Can you possibly mention how these speakers come off,in sound,to you?Are they full range?

I've heard similar "looking" speakers(of course this has no meaning) at the Lamm exhibit(HE 2006),where they were very rolled in freq extremes.

We have a good enough audio vocabulary these days to understand your thoughts,should you be so inclined to state them.

THanks,as always

Me too!!!!

Atmasphere, as an owner of these speakers I think your analysis of the design path of the crossover is probably correct.

And I have heard the midrange driver bottom out as you did. But it only occurred once when my former Wilson dealer was testing the system at his request. I have never caused it playing any of my music at all levels at any time.

I agree that the single advantage of this design is clearer mids and highs.
Much clearer IMHO.
So much clearer that resolution is largely independent of volume.

But the speakers do not function well with tube amps.
Even your superb designs, I suspect.