Best Speakers that you've heard

**John S** · **06-25-06, 07:36 PM**

Many years ago I went to a friend's to listen to the Quad ESL 57s. My first real fi and I have never forgotten it. Since then I have always loved the sound of electrostatics. If I had the means, I would have a roomful of MartinLogans and a stack of power to run them.

Another memorable listening experience was Dr. Alan Hill's Plasmatronics. Surely, these speakers were one of the most bizarre audio products ever made. I listened to them for long periods at high volume with no fatigue. The best loud loudspeaker I ever heard. That plasma tweeter (powered by helium) was mesmerizing to look at and it was difficult to believe all that sound was coming out of it. But then maybe the speaker's ozone output had something to do with it.

**Phil M** · **06-25-06, 08:06 PM**

Maybe not the best - but the nicest, and best value for money.
Big Lou has a pair of Paradox 3's from GR Research, wonderful open soundstage (even better with Harvesters

) great bass and just relaxing to listen too. They beat any commercial speaker at 3x the price hands down.
Their replacement, the AV3's are in the RAD HT site.

**Exocer** · **07-09-06, 10:53 PM**

My Natalie P :-)

**rolyasm** · **07-17-06, 11:03 AM**

For HT I recently listened to M&K's s-150's. Holy Shnikes. My HT will be done in a few months to years depending on the funds, and I think I will be buying these for the HT. Very clear,very detailed and very intense.
For in-ceilings, I really like the Triad series. Unsure of model. Priced at $1,600 pair, the gave great surround and imaging. Very nice.

**bsheldon** · **07-25-06, 12:19 PM**

I have had the pleasure of hearing both the B&W 802's and the awe inspiring 801's. I have heard the 801's and 802's powered by all classe equipment and at another location, I heard the 802's powered by levinson with a rotel player. All three of those listening expereinces are firmly etched into my brain--especially the very first time I heard the 802's. I checked back regularly to see when the 801's would take their place. Not a night and day difference, but there was more authority on the real low stuff on a couple of real demanding recordings. I would have to rank that as the best I have heard. With that being said those weren't the most expensive I have heard and actually maybe not the best "sounding" that I have heard, but I didn't get to spend much time with the Dynaudio evidence Masters--truly a sight to behold--I forget what they were powered by,(probably either Rega or dynavector, may have been Krell, but I doubt it) but it had to be 100k worth of seperates complete with the $30,000 transparent speaker cables. I only got to listen to 2 jazz songs in a rather undersized room for those monsters. It was amazing just hear what about $200,000 worth of audio equipment can produce. As I stated I wasn't just absolutely floored like I was when I listened to the B&W's. I obviously was totally ignorant as to what "high-end" sound was supposed to sound like before I heard the b&W's--that played a huge role in it as it truly was an epiphany. i was hearing things on my test CD that I had never heard before. My cd of choice is the city of angles soundtrack--it has a little of everything: classical, blues, rock, pop, ranging from the haunting vocals of sarah Mclaughlin's Angel to Jimi Hendrix, to my favorite Peter Gabriel's "I Greive"--this song has some serious transitions and really tests a speakers ability to articulate between background and up front imaging, also it has a thunderous bass lines and some "hidden" low notes that will test even the greatest subs on earth--really low stuff, a couple different layers one around 20 hz and another that really doesn't make any sound at probably around 10hz. I told the sales guy when it was going to happen in the 8+ minute song and told him to watch the 4 10" drivers on the pair of 801's. I saw them start to flex and then looked at his face--I am sure that was the most excursion they had ever gone through in their existence. They didn't even flinch and kept on going without a hitch. Even those mighty speakers couldn't fully produce the depth and power that is on that recording. I don't know if they mixed it in as a curiosity or what, but it is definately there. I had heard the song dozens of times before I ever discovered that those notes were even there. I have a 10" sub in my truck and played it all the time and it only hints at some of it--handling the bulk of the powerful bass line nicely though. It hinted at some passages and got me curious. My old HT sub couldn't touch it either, but it did let me know somehting was down there. I really never discovered what really lies beneath that sound until I got my svs pb12+/2 and tuned it to 16hz. It gets the one layer fully and it really, really shakes things up, but the other is out of even its mighty reach into the nether regions. I would love to hear this song on the Evidence masters--as they are supposed to be able to produce over 125db's all the way down to a full 20hz, but that is for another day and it will never be in my home as $90,000 for a pair of speakers is only about $88,000 over my budget. Perhaps someone with a monstrous IB set ups that have response down into the single digits can chime in about this song. I still have 2 friends that both have the archaic "flagship" Bose 901's and they both swear by them. The one has fully changed his opinion and I almost feel bad for opening his eyes or should I say ears. After just hearing my modest system with my "temporary" speakers he began to hear things his bose could never deliver. He now hates his old speakers. The other has yet to come to my new house to hear for himself. Like everything else in the audio realm--to each his own.

**OvalNut** · **07-25-06, 12:38 PM**

DCM TimeWindows. Oh my gosh, like Hi-Def for audio. A friend of mine had some several years ago. I've never heard anything quite like them before or since.

Tim

**jmb8792** · **07-25-06, 04:36 PM**

Martin Logan "Statements". At ML's factory in their dedicated listening room. In a true home environment, a set of ML SL3. The first time I heard these speakers I nearly crapped my pants. They were being powered by a Conrad Johnson tube preamp matched with a CJ solid state amplifier, and the CJ transport and DAC. Truly an ear opener.

**MrPorterhouse** · **07-29-06, 03:54 PM**

The "Mozart Grands" made by Vienna Acoustics were the most jaw-droppingly impressive speakers I've ever heard. Listening to Classical through these is an experience to behold. Its as if the music were composed just to be played through these speakers.

**Pupton** · **07-30-06, 06:57 PM**

For me probably either Wilson X-1 Grand SLAMM Series II or Alexandria X- 2 both with a totally vinyl rig... I couldn't believe the detail of the soundstage.

For a more realistic price range, I've always loved the NHT 3.3s.

Mike

**07-30-06, 09:26 PM**

Aerial 7B's all-around with one CC5. (The Krell amp didn't hurt!) The day I first heard them it was like falling in love...all over again. And my wife was there, too.

**JRace** · **08-25-06, 01:05 AM**

The best I have heard in my home:
Raw Acoustics HT3
[http://quicksitebuilder.cnet.com/wrn...0h459.jpg/img]

Almost too much detail!

**Ayreonaut** · **08-25-06, 08:48 AM**

Quote:

JRace wrote:

The best I have heard in my home: Raw Acoustics HT3

Is that your review on Secrets?

**RSH** · **08-25-06, 09:09 AM**

For my taste, if price is not an issue:

Joseph Audio Perl and RM33si - best sounded free standing speakers
James Loudspeaker Concertos - best In-wall sounded speakers

**eddthompson** · **08-25-06, 01:58 PM**

best of personal faves, hard to tell the difference.

I loved a set of kef reference 105s, totaly 70s but luurvely.

adore quad esl57s

never liked a lot of "high end gear" ie wilson audio, detestested some shahinians, so im a bit odd.

current set up realy isnt for music, just liquidation of internal organs during movies.
(if only i lived state side and had access to all of those wonderfulll speakers you have)

edd

**JRace** · **08-25-06, 05:45 PM**

Quote:

Ayreonaut wrote:

Is that your review on Secrets?

My covers blown!!!!

**azjimmy** · **08-26-06, 06:00 PM**

The pair of B&W 803D's I saw yesterday. They were ran through 2 500W (1000W @ 4 Ohms) Classe Monoblocks. Wow. Don't ask me how much they were...
Jim

**caser85** · **08-26-06, 11:08 PM**

I think the best speakers I've heard were some Martin Logans at a store in Orlando last week. Although those should sound good considering how much they cost!

**zetabass** · **12-31-06, 09:42 AM**

I'm kind of in the "Speakers I own" favorites club...
I think it's partially emotional attachment and mostly having lived with these speakers for a considerable length of time... I've gotten past the awe when first hearing speaker different from our own, and down to the "can I listen to this for hours at a time"

My Allison Acoustic CD7 Towers, rock for everything I've played through them.
I walked into a salvation army store one day, as I often do looking for the deal of a lifetime on some great old gear the sales rep thinks is just old junk

From across this huge warehouse I hear some radio station playing so clearly and well defined I'm drawn to the sound like a rat to the piper..
Just as I get there, the sales guy disconnects a beautifull top firing tower speaker I had never seen before... I start to oogle it as he connects the second speaker.. (These had JUST come in and were being tested before being put out for sale!) blughbluhglbuhglbluhg the second speaker sounded totally shot.. I asked what they were intending to charge seeing as the 2nd speaker was obviously shot.. $50usd for the pair. I took them, replaced the foam rubber rings. and presto brand new!

Though I will have to say if your listening at high levels for too long the high end crispness, starts to feel crispy. But I'm rarely if ever able to push them that hard that long.. The full range tone is clear and deep without ever getting muddy. The stereo image is amazing just about anywhere in my listening area...

Now don't get me started on the Klipsch KG2wo's like butter on a warm biscuit...

**daniel** · **12-31-06, 11:27 AM**

this one easy: Martin Logan statement e2 driving by 6 krell monoblock and pierre lurné audiomeca J1turntable as front end. There's was also a big screen with faroudja projector for home theater with the same system.

**mdrums** · **01-10-07, 09:31 PM**

I'd have to say Eggelston, Wilson are my most rememberable but the rooms they were in were pretty perfect too. I've listened to a lot of Tanoy in recording studio'd that are very realistic. Best bang for the buck are the Klipsch Ref 7 system. I've heard these speakers with Rotel, McIntosh (which I own), Pioneer Elite and Krell and they blew away some very highly priced speakers. My McIntosh dealer did a nice demo in a great acoustically controlled room of McIntosh amps and mcintosh speakers...McIntosh speakers are quite nice too.

**Dewboy3** · **01-15-07, 02:44 PM**

I like Meridian model's DSP5200 and DSP8000, Magnepan 3.6, M&K 150P (p=powered), Aerial 10
it's all subjective to the room setup .... some sound great other sound flat. Get the room setup correct and WOW

Dewboy

**Chrisbee** · **01-16-07, 07:22 AM**

Watts/ Puppies for sheer slam on bass/drums at suitably high levels.

M&K speakers seem to exhibit similar properties.

Best reproduced piano sound I've ever heard was an early Quad valve/ESL 57 system in a small room.

Best organ reproduction quality (ever): My IB.

**Ayreonaut** · **01-17-07, 05:01 PM**

A few weeks ago I went back to the Tweeter where I first heard the mid-level Martin Logans that I raved about. It had been a few years, and I have have heard a lot of speakers in the meantime. I wasn't nearly as impressed with them as I was years ago.

I haven't auditioned any high end speakers yet, as I don't want to spoil my ignorance. But of all the mid-level speakers I've listened to (under $2000) my DALI Ikons were the best. That's why I bought them!

**Chrisbee** · **01-17-07, 05:18 PM**

Quote:

Ayreonaut wrote:

A few weeks ago I went back to the Tweeter where I first heard the mid-level Martin Logans that I raved about. It had been a few years, and I have have heard a lot of speakers in the meantime. I wasn't nearly as impressed with them as I was years ago.

I haven't auditioned any high end speakers yet, as I don't want to spoil my ignorance. But of all the mid-level speakers I've listened to (under $2000) my DALI Ikons were the best. That's why I bought them!

I rather liked the little Dali Grand Coupé. The first time I heard them I thought they sounded like liquid silk. The Dali 750s made the popular B&W 603s sound very tame.

The only MLs I have heard (at a show) had a distinctive and irritating resonance.

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