Same drivers, different speakers, and secret sauces.

[sfdoddsy]

I recently spent more loot than I've ever shelled before on a used pair of Davone Solos, basically because they look cool.

https://audio.com.pl/testy/stereo/kolumny-glosnikowe/3007-davone-solo

The manufacturer is coy almost to the point of deception but internet sleuthing reveals they have the same drivers (slightly smaller midrange aside), from the same manufacturer (SB Acoustics), the same crossover points, and the same slopes as the Revel F208 so admired here and most everywhere else.

I've been doing some measurements over the past few days and the results are very close to those I got from Revels I've measured in the recent past, and those done here and elsewhere. Audio memory is fragile of course, but they sound pretty much how I remember the Revels too.

Enough so that it makes me question (much like amp differences) the 'secret sauce' manufacturers claim to add value with and that we obsess about here.

I paid an unnecessary premium for speakers which sound and measure like Revels.

But it makes me wonder if we're doing the same for Revels (and their ilk) themselves.

 

[AnalogSteph]

I paid an unnecessary premium for speakers which sound and measure like Revels.

But they don't look like Revels, and I presume that fancy cabinet cost something extra to make, too. Speakers like these are made for people who appreciate the style and have the money. I presume they're not exactly selling in huge volumes either, so economies of scale are against them as well.

In an ideal world, putting proven technology into a fancy housing would do just fine - you're paying a premium for a fancy housing and that's that. In real life, things are sold with a narrative to justify the pricing - they have to be hand-cast by nude virgins on a moonlit night by all means. Welcome to the world of marketing. Reality tends to be a lot more sober.

But it makes me wonder if we're doing the same for Revels (and their ilk) themselves.

There's a limit to everything. In a more upscale home hi-fi speaker you'll always be paying for a nicer cabinet as well, as that's what people typically want in a domestic environment. The cabinet also takes up a substantial portion of the parts budget. In general, a speaker designer would try to find a decent compromise when it comes to driver and parts quality, so you'd see both better drivers and better cabinet quality in a more expensive model. (If you want a different balance, you can always look at the studio monitor realm.)

It certainly wouldn't hurt if you had a rough idea about parts cost for reference. If you want a half-decent 6.5" mid-woofer and 3/4" tweeter you'll be looking at $30-ish for the former and $20-ish for the latter. You could also be spending $200 on each, or even $500-800, but beyond that the air is getting pretty thin. So you can see that parts cost is a major consideration in a budget speaker (especially since it might be no more than ~20% of retail - it's not hard to guess why the SP-BS22LR woofer is no great shakes, aside from being a 4" where it's hard to find anything really good to begin with), but in stratospheric price regions you eventually run out of even better upgrade options. In all likelihood, a small-scale boutique speaker manufacturer would also be paying more per unit than another who buys large quantities at once.

Best value is usually provided where the parts budget is decently high yet sales volumes still are quite healthy.

 

[pozz]

I would bet the measurements are significantly different from the F208, looking at the limited data in the Polish review. Drivers are just one part of the equation.

 

[Zvu]

To me they look great. Davone Tulip being one of most stuning looking speakers (next to Blade 2, Pioneer TAD 2402, Vivid Audio Giya etc.).

 

[tomtoo]

"..I paid an unnecessary premium for speakers which sound and measure like Revels..."

No, if they are realy sounding and measure like the revels, you paid for a good speaker in a extravagant caseing. Whats absolutly correct. Special taste is always a little more expensive.

 

[mtmpenn]

There is nothing wrong with speakers as furniture or art, in my view.

This forum is obviously and for good reason focused on objective performance. But the truth is that appearance impacts subjective impressions. When we are making choices about what we put in our homes to listen to and look at on a daily basis, I think it makes perfect sense to treat appearance as a variable worth considering. All else being equal why would you not want a more attractive speaker?


Also, I think this is where DIY has significant potential for cost savings. The parts used in a lot of commercial speakers represent a relatively small portion of the cost, and commercial speakers with furniture grade finishes are typically very expensive (understandably given are low volume products).