True, there are many small speakers these days which can offer a satisfying experience in some environments. Domestic acceptability usually trumps sound quality.
The laws of physics have not changed, however. From 3 characteristics:
1- Real low bass performance
2- Small physical size
3- Good Efficiency (decent sound output without a huge amplifier)
... Choose any two. The third is mutually exclusive.
The attraction of these is an unobtrusive package, wireless connectivity, and a convenient user interface, it certainly isn't high fidelity. Unless you believe Bose-style marketing
I just had to add a quote from member Zvu, on the diyaudio board:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/multi-way/258487-why-crossover-1-4khz-range-26.htmlMessage #255 excerpt:
"The degradation of sound that happened in last 30 years was followed by promoting the loudspeakers that were chosen by interior designers - not taking into consideration the sound itself but looks only. Some of the manufacturers managed to survive by making their design everything but ordinary (Bang&Olufsen) but many of them didn't. That is why we have once a great company in HiFi like JBL that survives today mostly on car audio. The things are looking better for HiFi in last couple of years i think but i'm affraid that we wont be seeing some small loudspeakers that plays as nice and with such authority like large ones. At the moment profit is everything and very little money is invested for researching the area of acoustics that is interesting to 20 or 30 thousand enthusiasts. Others are ready to take the looks before sound and as long the speakers as we know them are selling - things will stay the same."
I couldn't have said it better. And unlike Zvu, my first language is English.
