High End Audio Systems

  A pair of speakers can have different costs. So what are the big spenders getting from their speakers that you may be missing? High-end speakers tend to incorporate improvements in design and materials and make a big difference in the sound. Once you raise your budget, you would start to hear more of the details in the recording: the subtle taps of a drumstick on a cymbal, a guitarist’s fingers sliding along the fingerboard, or a singer sneaking in a breath to gain the power needed for their next note.  The sound wraps around you more and creates what audiophiles call the soundstage—a feel of the ambience of a recording studio or a live concert venue. The best speakers reduce resonances through the use of dense (and usually expensive) materials such as aluminum and Corian or laminated panels of medium- or high-density fiberboard. They also are featured with stiffer enclosures with more internal bracing; a cheap speaker may be empty but for the drivers and sound-absorbent st...