Is that why manufacturers of high quality drivers have gone back to paper (or paper like composites)? I remember in the late 80's that aluminum and plastic composites became very popular and paper was blasted has being flimsy, not suitable for bass (I hung up my "audiophile" hat after high school only to recently put it back on). But is seems that more recently pulp based composites are the newest "fad".

There are a few paper examples for the best of the bleeding edge of ultra high end as well. There are so many ways to acomplish all these things. A great designer could make a nice speaker with diamonds or cardboard. Paper will always have a place though. Right now we have Scan Speak slit paper mids re-defining high technology midrange, Alon used an old school paper & alnico approach from Vifa in a hip dipole midrange application, and Iconic is keeping the Altec thing alive quite nicely. I do see the other materials ratcheting up a notch too. Seas magnesium 7" that can work in a two way for a small room! Scan Speak is doing metal cone woofs now, so I think tings are getting pretty cool all over. Seem weird, since Home Theater and Best Buy has all but cleared my town of anything more exotic that entry level monitor audio. Then again, that may be why the hi-fi big dogs are trying so hard to please. It's hard to figure sometimes.

Thomas