(It was late yesterday, I failed to be clear at the end of my post.
So
I fully re-written the Appendice over convergence. I hope it is more explicit now)
(copy/paste hereafter - it should be read replaced in its context - the original post is
here)
-Appendice-
Convergence?
It shouldn't necessarily be seen as a convergent sequence (like in maths), which converges towards one value. But rather to a de Cauchy sequence, which converges in a specific way: into a range (and, kind of, "drifts" inside the boundaries of that range). And that range could be seen, metaphorically, as a space for consensus, for a certain diversity of "good products" (otherwise, all good systems would sound the same), or "opinions" over those products. A space, or range, into which extremely good horns (the ones that do not shout, please) could slip into, alongside with "the best" cones, and "the best" ribbons, etc.
But "what are
the best in their kind then?", you could argue. Imho, this is far more easy to sort out: my feeling is that there is, more or less, a kind of invisible hierarchy into each kind of loudspeakers:
- ribbons? Magnepans vs Analysis -> I take the Analysis (I owned Magnepans too, love them)
- ribbons (bis)? Analysis vs Alsyvox -> I take the Alsyvox (though much more expensive).
- ribbons (ter)? Some implementation vs Raal ribbon tweeter -> I take the Raal
- beryllium tweeters? Focal vs TAD -> I take the TADs
- full-range drivers and speakers? Lowther vs Cube Audio Nenuphar -> I take the Nenuphar (that Peter Breuninger considered as a potential base for a stellar system).
- cones? BBC monitors? Graham vs Harbeth -> I take the Harbeths
- cones (bis)? my Harbeth M30.2 Anniversary (2nd system) vs Stenheim Alumine Two -> I take the Stenheims (budget and setup required are very different though).
Even amongst various genres and technologies, is it really a coincidence that, at the edge of the high-end, a ribbon panels for instance like the Alsyvox Botticelli X, one of its kind, reminds me a little bit of horns (Aries Cerat Symhonia, to be explicit) thanks to, amongst all, its amazing expressivity ? (92dB sensitivity, 22Hz -
short feedback over the Alsyvox Botticelli X, that I could once listened to very attentively - see §7).
Some may roll their eyes. But I contend there may be more in common between a pair of Symphonias horns and Alsyvox ribbon Botticelli X ribbon panels, though they use quite different techniques, than say, between TAD or YG cones, and B&W 800s for instance.
