One way to determine what the BEST speaker is!

[GreenJelly]

At a local dealer, I was supprised to see him look into a book that gave prices and resell values on all of the speakers (and maybe Audio Equipment) available. It was kinda like thoose old baseball card priceguides.

My idea is that it would be easy to find the best speakers currently made, by going into the book and finding out the ratio between New and Used price. In a free market, the highest quality speaker should resell for the most, assuming that the market is filled with semi-qualified individuals (which I expect are the $1500+ system price range buyers).

It would be great to find out these ratios.

 

[Audioholics]

That's not really true for audio, especially with the highly-marketed 'form over function' brands.

 

[KrisJ]

That's not really true for audio, especially with the highly-marketed 'form over function' brands.

blasphemy!

$$$$$$ = best!

 

[GreenJelly]

I dont think form over function brands will have high ratios. Just like cars, they dont sell well if they just look good. The high sellers are the ones that dont require maintenance and that perform to the buyers expectations.

BMW, Subaru, Hyundai, and Honda are great examples of this.

 

[Johnd]

Not remotely a fair analogy. Audio equipment is now technology driven, except for speakers. DVI, HDMI, Audessey, High-Definition etc. One could argue my 5803 was dated six months after I bought it. It does not have all the bells and whistles of the 5805, let alone the 5805CI. It's a keeper though, especially as paired up with my 'digms!

 

[KrisJ]

I dont think form over function brands will have high ratios. Just like cars, they dont sell well if they just look good.

little cubes, flat wall mount speakers, and coked-out super model thin floorstanders are all the rage these days and just about every major speaker maker has jumped on board. 99% of the time, the form over function speaker will cost more, yet offer performance far below that of a conventially designed loudspeaker from the same brand.

Also supply/demand has a lot to do with price, both new and used. A rare or not widely available or mass produced item often carries a hefty price tag. Brand image also plays a huge factor, look at BOSE.

 

[VicAjax]

My idea is that it would be easy to find the best speakers currently made, by going into the book and finding out the ratio between New and Used price. In a free market, the highest quality speaker should resell for the most, assuming that the market is filled with semi-qualified individuals (which I expect are the $1500+ system price range buyers).

a scientific hypothesis needs only one controverting datum to falsify it: BOSE.

 

[GreenJelly]

Yes, BOSE is like Rolex... it is a status symbol... but that is a criteria for some people as a claim to the best and as such would be reflexed in the resell value. If the ratio is low, then obvious the Rolex isnt respected any more.

And supply/demand is exactly why this method of speaker quality determination is valid. The only issue is that new speakers will be higher ratios (due to artifical low supply because of people wanting Used 1 month old speakers), so the manufacture date should also be included.

As far as type of speakers, be it satalites etc, that is also part of value. And though I hate them, and most people on this site totally oppose them, many people just wont budge on speaker size. So if your dead set on buying a satalite system, which ones should we recommend as the cream of the crop?

Well this model will help us make a determination, even though we can rant and rave and recommend and plead for a change in heart.

 

[Seth=L]

I have had stuff that ain't worth spit, but they sound good. I had a Fisher integrated amp, it was worth $20, it was a monster. It had a 700 watt input power and could create tremedous output.

 

[GreenJelly]

I have had stuff that ain't worth spit, but they sound good. I had a Fisher integrated amp, it was worth $20, it was a monster. It had a 700 watt input power and could create tremedous output.

I know nothing of this amp, but Im assuming you bought it used and that it was a very old model.

Mike

 

[markw]

In a free market, the highest quality speaker should resell for the most, assuming that the market is filled with semi-qualified individuals (which I expect are the $1500+ system price range buyers).

If you check around ebay and such, you will notice that Bose commands an amazingly high resale value. ...so much for that theory.

 

[Johnd]

The Final Word

The "best speaker" is that which sounds best to your ears, on your system, in your environment. Resale price has nothing to do with it.

 

[Seth=L]

Yes the amp is very old, but it does sound very good even without a high resale value. Most speakers don't have a very high resale value anyway, at least in contrast to their MSRP.

 

[Nuglets]

I think a Rolex is much more of a status symbol than Bose, unless "ignorant" is the status. At least Rolex is a watch and functions very well as one. Bose doesn't function very well as a Home Theater system. When somebody buys a Rolex at least they aren't under the impression that the watch does something that it doesn't.

 

[majorloser]

I would say Bang & Olufsen is more of a design and luxury status symbol like a Rolex watch.

Bose would be more like a Swatch

(or maybe a counterfeit Rolex)

 

[Sleestack]

I think a Rolex is much more of a status symbol than Bose, unless "ignorant" is the status. At least Rolex is a watch and functions very well as one. Bose doesn't function very well as a Home Theater system. When somebody buys a Rolex at least they aren't under the impression that the watch does something that it doesn't.

Actually, rolexes suck as watches as far as accuracy goes. a digital timex isbetter for that. I have several rolexes and wear a solid gold Rolex Daytona every day. It loses an average of 5 minutes a day. That being said, I love the way they look so that's what I wear. I don't think of it as a status symbol, but many do.

 

[Jack Hammer]

Actually, rolexes suck as watches as far as accuracy goes. a digital timex isbetter for that. I have several rolexes and wear a solid gold Rolex Daytona every day. It loses an average of 5 minutes a day. That being said, I love the way they look so that's what I wear. I don't think of it as a status symbol, but many do.

You sure you've got a Rolex, and not a Roiex? One of my friends bought one of those, and it never kept time either Then there's the RoLeX, and the Rolecs, not to mention the Rolek...

 

[Sleestack]

You sure you've got a Rolex, and not a Roiex? One of my friends bought one of those, and it never kept time either Then there's the RoLeX, and the Rolecs, not to mention the Rolek...

Trust me, it's a Rolex and came with the accompanying $20K price tag. Our family has 2 jewelers, both of whom are authorized Rolex dealers. We have multiple Rolexes in the house and they all stink at keeping accurate time. Anyone who knows watches knows that you do not buy a Rolex for accuracy.

 

[Johnd]

Talk about a hijack!

I thought this thread was about ways to determine "what the BEST speaker is!"

 

[gmichael]

If you hold a Rolex close to your ear, you can hear it say Bose between tics.