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.
I have to say, one of the few types of equipment for audio reproduction which has actually improved over the years has been with speakers. Newer, lighter materials for cones and panels, in the case of electrostatic types and a more science-based approach have helped immensely I think.
I’ve not sampled all vintage speakers though, and I’m sure there were some truly great ones.