[Uncle Erik]

Speakers tend to last a very long time. The oldest pair we have are KLH 23s. They work fine, though I'm going to replace the caps - each crossover has a 4.0uf cap. Great quality new ones will run about $10 and take 15 minutes to replace.

Foam rot is common with old drivers. However, replacement kits run around $20 a pair and modern materials will hold up for at least 20 years.

Absent physical damage, speakers are long-term stable products and can usually be repaired.

As for the AMTs, replacement diaphragms are still available for around $100. Though my pair still has the originals which are pushing 40. No, they don't need subwoofers. They have 10" woofers, but ones that are from 1972 and not terribly good by today's standards. The good news is that you can buy modern 10" woofers and replace the old ones. I have a pair of replacements, but haven't put them in yet. Mom'n'Dad use them all the time and don't want them taken out of service. I might trade them for the ProAc clones; we'll see.

The only speakers that are really touchy with age are electrostats. The high voltage is tough on them and they deteriorate. But if you buy old electrostats, you know what you're getting into.

Placement really depends on the speakers. Each pair is different. I have the ProAc clones about 8' apart, 1' from the wall and toed in at my shoulders around 6' away. That would be different if I were running other speakers. The ribbons are really particular about placement. It took me several days of fine adjustments to get them where I liked them. Don't worry about it too much. Just keep moving them around until they sound right. A few inches or a little rotation can yield surprising results. And it doesn't cost anything to experiment.

 

[ph0rk]

Damn I miss my old man's 70's KEFs
 
I always thought headphones were a niche item - good for privacy and/or late night listening with neighbors or significant others, and generally cheaper than decent speaker setups.
 
I haven't re-assessed and adjusted for inflation since 2003, but my old mark was $2k for towers, $1k for bookshelves. This was an upper limit, not a target. In and around that range, headphones from $150-$300 or so seem to do adequately, and if you've gotten a decent receiver you don't need a separate amplifier.

 

[Lobuh]

Agree. Mostly because of the "visceral impact" I can't just seem to ever find in headphones. It is a luxury though, you need your own space where you won't bother other people.

 

[vrln]

The whole "room treatment required" -hypothesis is completely wrong if you ask me. There are several speakers that are designed to work in challenging conditions (for example Amphions). Another common misconception is that you need to play them loud: many speakers are famous for their low volume detail and authority as well. In a normal flat you can easily listen at low levels during the evening, and higher levels for an hour or two after work without disturbing that much.
 
My speakers work superbly in a completely non-treated room. DIY is always the best value (used gear too), but even at normal prices I'd say speakers walk over headphones  in the higher end (1000$ +) sector. I'll most likely have a small headphone system later, but I just can't escape the (for me) fact that speakers is where the real magic is at. If you're "on the fence" as I was for a long time, my recommendation is to go out to your local hifi stores and listen to some bookshelf systems.

 

[liamstrain]

I do like my speaker system - even with a mid 90's set of polk sub sats (driven by the McIntosh SS integrated), the little subwoofer adds a really nice layer (and chest thump). 
 
Not as much detail as the headphones, but a very enjoyable experience... that said. My infant son goes to bed at 7:30pm... which doesn't give me much time to enjoy the system at all during the week. So headphones have been a boon. 
 
Plus, working in a cube farm - a nice set of phones, with a dac/amp at my workstation means I have have great sound all day and not unduly bother the whole floor. 
 
Eventually - when we sell the condo (for a place with a better listening room), and the boy is older, I'll swap out the Polk's for a set of mid-tier Thiel's. I love their sound signature.

 

[FinBenton]

Speakers are wayyy too expensive for me, firstly I would need to buy a house for 500k€ to not bother other people :|

 

[Maverickmonk]

I enjoy my setup based on a set of free 1980's technics floorstanding speakers more than I enjoy my headphones. Can't fit the floorstanding system with 30lb vintage receiver and vintage turntable in a dorm though

 

[bcasey25raptor]

I agree. Even cheap speakers sound better to me then headphones. Unfortunately i live in an apartment so i have to use headphones.

 

[treal512]

I dunno, if you know how to sit, sitting listening to a nice little rig is great 

 
 
Grats on the speakers though. I'm on the hunt for a nice set, but apartments are apartments.