circuit bored records Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Looking to get a new receiver/preamp, right now I have a crappy 2-channel sony receiver from the 2000s and numark mixer for the preamp but this thread isn't about that. I've always wondered if my speakers are considered anywhere near the realm of good floorstanding speakers or if I should look into upgrading them along with my receiver/preamp. They are Sony speakers from the 80s that belonged to my parents that I've had since I was 15 when I dug them out of storage. They've always sounded great to me but I've basically been hearing them since I was a kid so I feel I don't really know any better. I've tried to research the model number for a while but come up empty handed every time. Here's a pic with the front cover taken off: Model: SS-U620AV The big drivers are both 12" for size reference.. I also have a matching set of small sony bookshelf speakers (small driver and tweeter) that I rarely use because the 2.0 setup has always sounded superior to me. Although they are hooked up to the B channel on the receiver. I just thought one of you guys might know offhand if these are worth keeping around.. Thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajxd Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Asking if they are good is very subjective. You said they sound good, so to you, they are good. But in the grand scheme of audio, they are Sony speakers from the 80s. A speaker designed last year has ~30 years of advanced technology on them. mattalica17 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinch Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 A speaker designed last year has ~30 years of advanced technology on them. I hope you are being sarcastic, because there has been close to zero technological advancements in speakers in the past 50 years, especially in the budget segment. High-end manufacturers play with new driver materials and spend most of their funds on finding better solutions for cabinet design, but that's pretty much it. The only big difference is the amount of outsorcing in "mid-fi" segmen, with big brand names (with a vast amount of knowledge and r&d behind them) bringing china made products with big bang for buck to the consumer. The lates Sonus Faber Venere line shows just that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearchuck Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Shit, where is the popcorn emoticon when you need it? littlebistro 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isavedlatin54 Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Shit, where is the popcorn emoticon when you need it? i found something better...Only because I REALLY want to use this. littlebistro 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattalica17 Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 wtf is that? ^^^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isavedlatin54 Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 wtf is that? ^^^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit somethingvinyl, jase, littlebistro and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattalica17 Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 haha i didn't see giant ears i thought it was some chinchilla type thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattalica17 Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajxd Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 I hope you are being sarcastic, because there has been close to zero technological advancements in speakers in the past 50 years, especially in the budget segment. High-end manufacturers play with new driver materials and spend most of their funds on finding better solutions for cabinet design, but that's pretty much it. The only big difference is the amount of outsorcing in "mid-fi" segmen, with big brand names (with a vast amount of knowledge and r&d behind them) bringing china made products with big bang for buck to the consumer. The lates Sonus Faber Venere line shows just that. I strongly disagree. Especially in the last 50 years. Come on now, crossovers are different, capacitors are very different, etc. Even what you stated (bold) is especially true. Even budget speakers are getting better, because the R&D is being done for them by other better brands. Hell, look at B&W. You can get Chinese made speakers for dirt cheap now, compared to how that same speaker would have cost years ago. You're telling me speakers haven't gotten better in the last 30 years? mattalica17 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinch Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 How are crossover different? Same designs, same materials. Capacitors are different, only in size/capacity ratio. Sonically there's been no improvement, let alone a "technological advancement". Budget speakers are getting better for exactly the reason I stated - outsorcing. Which is what getting a "Chinese made speakers for dirt cheap now, compared to how that same speaker would have cost years ago" means. To answer your question, yes and no. No, speakers haven't gotten better, good speakers just got cheaper. The "best speaker" from the 80s is still just as good as the "best speaker" of today. I put this in quotes because there is no such thing, but just for the argument's sake, let's be hypothetical. Yes, top speakers are more common today. They cost a ton, just like they did decades ago. But the "technology" is exactly the same. A ceramic driver is not a new technology, it is just a new solution to the same old technology that existed decades ago. It's debatable whether it's even a marginal improvement, but you can hardly call that a technological advancement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajxd Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 We disagree on terminology. You say driver X which wasn't used before date XXXX is not a new "technology", but a new "solution". Merriam-Webster defines technology as "the practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area". So I say that an advancement towards a more practical and better sound speaker is a "technological advancement". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinch Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 But what I'm sayig is that there was no new advancement towards a more practical and better sound(ing?) speaker in decades. Only the first, but practicality's not what yanquiuxo was asking, and also not what your answer denotes. There is no new solution that makes a speaker better, everything I mentioned just makes it different, and is an effort to make it better, but so far there is nothing new that inherently does so, which is what this sentence implies: A speaker designed last year has ~30 years of advanced technology on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajxd Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 If you think there has been no progress in making a better sound speaker in 50 years you are crazy. Especially with the terms I posted. You state that the efforts made in the last 50 years are for nothing? That quality of sound has not improved in 50 years by speakers advancement? Really? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moodydan Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 What's really cool, is while you guys are stroking your egos and knowledge base, the OP is (hopefully) listening to his speakers and figuring out if they're "good" or not. Here you go, buddy: I've got a set of Klipsch KG-4s that everybody trashes every time I say I have them. Apparently, horns are not cool. Anyway, I almost talk my self into getting rid of them because of this, until I get home and listen to them again. Am I a Klipsch fan? Nope. Would I ever suggest them to somebody? Only if they listened to my stereo and said it rocked (it does). Then I would suggest it. On the other hand, I've got a set of BIC Venturi Formula 4s that people like to crap all over. But you know what? Once again, that system rocks. Anybody that says differently can sit on the porch while I listen to my music. My 2 cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinch Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 I might have answered differently only a year or so ago, when most of my experience with vintage gear was only the most common every-man speakers and monster classic-brands receivers. But today I fully agree with Bob Katz's sentiment: "There are two kinds of fools. One says-this is old and therefore good. The other says-this is new and therefore better." Last friday for example I was lucky enough to experience first hand that without looking at them, there is no discernible difference between good vintage and good "new". Altec Lansing Voice of the Theatre (1966) vs. Avandgarde Trio (plus Basshorn)(2003): vs. Both driven with Tom Evans Linear B. I trust my ears, just as many others who were there trust theirs. We were all in awe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajxd Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Moodydan ladies and gentlemen. He doesn't understand the purpose of message boards. Slinch- I too agree Bob Katz. But when there is quantifiable evidence, I agree with that. There is a lot of older equipment out there that is great and can produce better sound than new crap. No argument there. But I will argue through my teeth that there have been quantifiable improvements to speakers in the last 30 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moodydan Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 I'm sorry, what's your opinion on his speakers, ajxd? Because that would be the point of this thread, on this message board. But, then again, I'm sure you've got research to prove that I'm wrong on that topic. I should take a step back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebiglebowski Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 I'm sorry, what's your opinion on his speakers, ajxd? Because that would be the point of this thread, on this message board. But, then again, I'm sure you've got research to prove that I'm wrong on that topic. I should take a step back. Zip it. I'm enjoying this conversation. And if there was an easy answer to the question, it would have gotten an easy answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinch Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 moody, don't listen to ajxd, he uses live cats as stabilizers for his turntable rack, as you can clearly see. ajxd, I guess we're not gonna see eye to eye on this. Who knows, maybe a year from now one of us will completely change his opinion to mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajxd Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Read my first post. And again... Moodydan ladies and gentlemen. He doesn't understand the purpose of message boards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajxd Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Slinch don't give away my stabilization secrets! That was a Jäger Secret! And we shall agree to disagree sir. For now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannibal Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Agree to disagree? That's not interwebz! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steviex2shoes Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 anti-climatic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbrh2001 Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 moody, don't listen to ajxd, he uses live cats as stabilizers for his turntable rack, as you can clearly see. ajxd, I guess we're not gonna see eye to eye on this. Who knows, maybe a year from now one of us will completely change his opinion to mine Haha, that post was pretty clever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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