I think that is not the reason. There must be some who think it is important, even in this messy world of speaker design.
Rite, it is important regardless what people think about it. I think everything will change in less than 10 years to come.
I have over time come to pay less attention to harmonic distortion figures when it comes to loudspeakers. As long as I don't try to use a drive unit outside it's intended area of use, most of them usually have low enough distortion at the levels I use them. There are in my view so many other areas to pay attention to before thd becomes a significant factor in loudspeakers. If the design is sound, thd will usually be low enough 
We must also remember that our hearing starts to compress etc over 90dB so we get less sensetive to distortion when the levels go up.
BR,
Anders
We must also remember that our hearing starts to compress etc over 90dB so we get less sensetive to distortion when the levels go up.
BR,
Anders
Elias taking the situation to an absurd extreme does nothing for the discussion.
Anders - our hearing masks at all SPLs, which is why we don't hear nonlinearities. I don't think that you mean "compression". Its not about compression, its about masking. There is actually more LF compression at lower SPLs.
Anders - our hearing masks at all SPLs, which is why we don't hear nonlinearities. I don't think that you mean "compression". Its not about compression, its about masking. There is actually more LF compression at lower SPLs.
The way our hearing reacts to loud sounds is a key part of making systems sound convincing - most audio is not run loud enough, or if it is then it starts to lapse into PA quality - the distortion components become too evident and subjectively one starts to shut down on what the musical content is - it starts to become a noise and pressure experience instead ...
If the listening room is large enough, with a low reverb balance, then the sound will tend to retain the original venue spatial qualities. But this is a very personal subjective thing, especially with the different reverb at different freuencies. Any excess in the reverb at a given frequency or range of frequency will mask detail at and above these frequencies losing important detail. It would be almost impossible to get a reverb standard that works for all music. So we apply some basic rules and the rest must be by audition to get a considered best compromise. If you can start with an anechoic chamber and then look at the venue and adjust with the anechoic in mind it may be the best way but very laborious.
Correct Earl, that is what I ment. And yes, we can thank Munson for the LF compression at low levels
/Anders
I think that mother nature had more to do with our hearing attributes than Munson.
Yes, THD can tell you when a speaker is broken, but anything more than that is a stretch.
IMO if any nonlinearity is audible then the device is broken since it is always possible to NOT have audible nonlinearities.
That's actually why a standard is needed. To know how far a speaker is being outside of its "intended" (that's subjective!) use. What do you mean with "usually low enough". Amplifier distortion is already in sub ppm level!
There are in my view so many other areas to pay attention to before thd becomes a significant factor in loudspeakers. If the design is sound, thd will usually be low enough
And im not refering to cheap speakers, or subjectively "low enough" distortion. In cheap speakers it is usually obvious which one is good or bad. In better speakers?? Look at those 5 digit dollar speakers.
Don't forget that human sensitivity differs from one to each other, and some ignore it more than others.
Nice speaker, Vuki! Lots of classic Altec character while retaining a smooth overall response (unlike the Altec originals). The JMLC horn profile seems to work especially well with Altec/GPA drivers.
Pano, thank you for expelling the notorious troll Mike Bates, also known as POOH, also known as Magnetar. (Google "mike bates magnetar" for his history.)
The unexpected passing of the kind and generous Jean-Michel put the whole business of thread-trolling in perspective. Some people, for reasons known only to them, disrupt a friendly group to entertain themselves; others donate their time, knowledge, and wisdom because they love what they do, and want to share what they've discovered.
Thank you again, JMLC, for all that you shared with us.
Why would distortion be important in amplifiers and not in speakers? It does not seems to make sense. Distortion importance should be a term independent of where it occurs.