[Bombadil]

Has anyone watched any of the Danny Ritchey, of GR Research, videos posted on YouTube? Where people have sent in many different speakers to have him evaluate their construction quality and potentially upgrade them.

It is fascinating, and shocking, to see how many well-regarded and expensive speakers are using extremely cheap parts. Especially in their crossover networks. Speakers costing $4000, $5000, $6000+ from companies like Harbeth and Paradigm. Using parts that one might find in a common parts bin. Cheap iron-core inductor coils, bottom of the line resistors, low-grade capacitors, and common hardware store variety wiring.

It is actually rare when he finds good quality parts.

Sometimes he finds low quality speaker drivers too, and lots of speaker design issues, such as edge defraction and poor grill designs.

Makes me appreciate my Von Schweikert speakers, which were upgraded many years ago at the factory with Hovland capacitors, Solen air-core inductors, Eagle metal-film resistors, and Analysis Plus 9AWG internal wiring. They also have three-layer cabinets with an internal thick layer of putty to deaden them. This makes them weigh 155 pounds each, but it is very good for the sound quality. Some of the speakers he takes apart are made of half-inch cheap particle board, the low grade stuff from Home Depot.

I'm not surprised he finds low quality parts in $200-$300 speakers, but sometimes he finds those same parts buried inside of $5000 speakers.