Speakers: Thunderbolt Display Vs 27" iMac VS 21' iMac

[yangchewren]

I had read a previous thread concerning general speaker quality and most users have highlighted that the iMacs sounded better than the 2.1 speaker system in thunderbolt displays.

But that was in late 2012/early 13, where the new flat mac design was all the hype. Does anyone own or uses a combination of any two of these machines eg:
21"/27" imac
21" imac/ TB display
27"imac/ TB display

What are your comments on the sound quality of one compared to the other?

Loudness: max output, max output without distortion
Clarity
Bass/Treble response

Also, maybe something as to whether the 15" rmbp sounds anywhere near these.

 

[thedeske]

Very subjective, but the late 12 to current 27 sounds a little better than the prev models (not louder, but range is better) and the TB monitor sounds much better than both (LF is easily better from the added driver) Apples and Oranges really. None will do very well when you crank them up.

At one point I had the 09, late2012 (27s) and TB in one setting, so it was easy to hear the difference. A second TB at a different location didn't sound quite the same, but the room/desk was different, so very subjective.

Real speakers are the ticket

 

[yangchewren]

Very subjective, but the late 12 to current 27 sounds a little better than the prev models (not louder, but range is better) and the TB monitor sounds much better than both (LF is easily better from the added driver) Apples and Oranges really. None will do very well when you crank them up.

At one point I had the 09, late2012 (27s) and TB in one setting, so it was easy to hear the difference. A second TB at a different location didn't sound quite the same, but the room/desk was different, so very subjective.

Real speakers are the ticket

Thanks for the reply! I've got a few pc speaker systems lying around, but sometimes curiousity needs to be satisfied... and nobody has done a youtube video on this either, hardly any youtube videos with sound reviews.