Speaker model consistency

dragon1952
dragon1952 Posts: 4,894
Just wondering what your thoughts are on this. Given, say, 10 different pairs of the same model speaker, do you think that one or more could sound or perform better than the others or would you say that consistency is pretty solid these days?
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Comments

  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,548
    Well you do usually have +/- 10% on some caps and inductors so it's a possibility.
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,019
    speakers "these days" are very consistent, IMO.
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  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,367
    Most manufacturers, especially mass market ones, don't go to the expense to build speakers in matched pairs but I would agree that individual speakers are made to consistent standards. There may be some tiny amounts of variability but not enough to be audible unless something went wrong in production.

    I recall Spendor used to say they built speakers in pairs matched as closely as they could in performance and appearance. That costs money to do.
  • jbreezy5
    jbreezy5 Posts: 1,141
    Emlyn wrote: »
    Most manufacturers, especially mass market ones, don't go to the expense to build speakers in matched pairs but I would agree that individual speakers are made to consistent standards. There may be some tiny amounts of variability but not enough to be audible unless something went wrong in production.

    I recall Spendor used to say they built speakers in pairs matched as closely as they could in performance and appearance. That costs money to do.

    Hence the name SPENDor. 😉
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  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,367
    True. A current model like the Spendor S3/1, roughly equivalent in size to a Polk Reserve R200, costs more than five times as much. They market them as "Calibrated and matched to broadcast reference standard."

    Nice speakers that are pretty much hand built to a high standard but overpriced to me if they're purchased new.
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,020
    Emlyn wrote: »
    True. A current model like the Spendor S3/1, roughly equivalent in size to a Polk Reserve R200, costs more than five times as much. They market them as "Calibrated and matched to broadcast reference standard."

    Nice speakers that are pretty much hand built to a high standard but overpriced to me if they're purchased new.

    Of course, the irony is that Polk, starting out, was compared to Spendor in its sound quality... and contrasted to Spendor in terms of value. ;)

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