I’m sure there were high-end speakers made ingeniously and with exacting standards that warranted high prices and reverence by the community back then, but to look at tear downs of many of the speakers shown in here, I find it difficult to believe that there was really all that much justification for very high prices.
Particle board, paper cones, magnets, simple circuits. Or improved materials and gold plated contracts. Solid wood with nice wood grain stained and chrome or flat black fasteners.
Sure, R&D, scarcity of some materials, labor costs for hand made components. There’s some justification there. Some. But not all that much compared to how products are made in any industry.
Worth $300? $3000? $30,000 a pair?
Hmmm.
What era of speakers? Many American/European made speakers in the 60’s were well built with quality materials and the best audio science (in terms of box designs) they had available to them. Alnico magnets welded to cast frames. High sensitive speakers. Plywood box sides (often particle board backs). Nuts and bolts holding things together. Veneer thick enough you can re-sand and stain. Seals made from wool or felt that still seal, etc.
English designs (especially bookshelf size) from the 90’s were often quite good, too.