Best Speakers that you've heard

**07-29-08, 08:18 PM**

Loaded question.

If its for Audio, it matters. If its for digital domain video, not so much.

Experience with live instruments being played (not necessarily amplified instruments) helps a little. May be a little easier with video (what DOES a train running into a bus sound like?). Most entertaining works there.

I guess it comes down to your taste and what you like - or have come to believe is most acceptable.

Best extremes I've heard and liked for obviously VERY different reasons are Quad Electrostatics on one end and Khorns on the other (Audio).

Most of all the rest fall towards the middle if made before MP3 algorithms.

Best compromise I have heard between the Quads and Khorns are VMPS IIa/r circa 1987 (like a Border Collie / Mastiff mix kinda). Got the VMPS's now but am thinking of going back to horns, maybe.

Older stuff IS better for Audio. I remain hopeful.

Video - anything that is dynamic, images, and has a KA sub.

Then again thats just my opinion and I could be wrong

KIA

**pwrjam** · **08-03-08, 01:22 AM**

McIntosh XRT2K
hooked up to McIntosh's very BEST amps 2x MC2KW (one per channel)
sorry, but I forgot exatly what model preamp and CD player was there but rest assured it was alll high quality mcintosh. NEVER have I heard sound come at me so effortlessly with such dynamics and life to it. I believe they were also some of the tallest speakers I've ever seen in person standing at ~7 ft tall. Too bad the whole setup costs as much or more then the avrage super car. I think it was something in the range of $300-400k

Recently I heard a set of bookshelves made by B&W that sounded stunning. The model on that was 685. Listening to dave matthew's band live through those speakers was very nice to hear. Their small size was also pretty deciving since they really didn't NEED a sub to get your feet tapping. Much more in the avrage stereophile's impulse buy range of $650

I'd really like to find a good local paradigm dealer so I can audition them.

**pwrjam** · **08-07-08, 11:19 AM**

Quote:

pwrjam wrote:

McIntosh XRT2K
hooked up to McIntosh's very BEST amps 2x MC2KW (one per channel)
sorry, but I forgot exatly what model preamp and CD player was there but rest assured it was alll high quality mcintosh. NEVER have I heard sound come at me so effortlessly with such dynamics and life to it. I believe they were also some of the tallest speakers I've ever seen in person standing at ~7 ft tall. Too bad the whole setup costs as much or more then the avrage super car. I think it was something in the range of $300-400k

Recently I heard a set of bookshelves made by B&W that sounded stunning. The model on that was 685. Listening to dave matthew's band live through those speakers was very nice to hear. Their small size was also pretty deciving since they really didn't NEED a sub to get your feet tapping. Much more in the avrage stereophile's impulse buy range of $650

I'd really like to find a good local paradigm dealer so I can audition them.

I think I heard speaks to rival the mcitoshs...
Quad ESL-2905... Absolutly amazing speaker Granted they don't go sub sonic, but the sounds that they reproduce is so fast and accuate! all that for **only** $11.5k. still way more then I can personally afford but at the same time much better bang for the buck then the mcintoshes.

**09-11-08, 08:20 PM**

Hi,

I noticed you mentioned you had the Klispch Jubilee speakers.....

I'm new to this sight, but not to Klipsch speakers. I own the Heritage KG series.

The advice I'm looking for is I just bought 3- Klispch Jubilee speakers, but I found out unfortunately that they do not have the K402 horns.....They are just the bottoms.

It was a quick auction, so I didn't have a lot of time to get answers.

How hard is it to find the tops? I paid $800 for all 3, was that a good deal or did I make a mistake?

Thanks for taking the time to answer me

Tony

**OccamsChainsaw** · **11-27-08, 01:33 PM**

Forty years ago today (thanks for making me feel old) my family was invited to my mom's employers (a husband/wife lawyer team) for Thanksgiving dinner. I walked into their living room and saw things I never knew existed: a pair of giant triangular speakers snugly wedged into each front corner and a huge amp with two big, blue meters on the front. Mr. Anderson turned it on and I've been an audiophile ever since. While technology has advanced, and even the newer Klipschhorns have been improved, I've never been so impressed with a sound system as I was that day.

Happy Thanksgiving to all the Shackers, and don't forget to play Alice's Restaurant.

**rcarlton** · **11-27-08, 03:51 PM**

Quote:

OccamsChainsaw wrote:

Forty years ago today (thanks for making me feel old) my family was invited to my mom's employers (a husband/wife lawyer team) for Thanksgiving dinner. I walked into their living room and saw things I never knew existed: a pair of giant triangular speakers snugly wedged into each front corner and a huge amp with two big, blue meters on the front. Mr. Anderson turned it on and I've been an audiophile ever since. While technology has advanced, and even the newer Klipschhorns have been improved, I've never been so impressed with a sound system as I was that day.

Happy Thanksgiving to all the Shackers, and don't forget to play Alice's Restaurant.

The magic of Klipschorns! Awesome. Sounds like he was running them with McIntosh MC2505 or 2105. Sweet!

**Sonnie** · **11-27-08, 04:34 PM**

I wonder... I really wonder... just how many Klipsch speakers have been paired with McIntosh amps? That number has got to be on up there.

**Nuance** · **11-28-08, 04:18 PM**

Vandersteen 5A's.

**John S** · **11-28-08, 10:15 PM**

Quote:

OccamsChainsaw wrote:

Forty years ago today (thanks for making me feel old) my family was invited to my mom's employers (a husband/wife lawyer team) for Thanksgiving dinner. I walked into their living room and saw things I never knew existed: a pair of giant triangular speakers snugly wedged into each front corner and a huge amp with two big, blue meters on the front. Mr. Anderson turned it on and I've been an audiophile ever since. While technology has advanced, and even the newer Klipschhorns have been improved, I've never been so impressed with a sound system as I was that day.

Happy Thanksgiving to all the Shackers, and don't forget to play Alice's Restaurant.

Same thing happened to me when, forty years ago, I heard some decent high end musical content on some KLH speakers bookshelves at a friend's house. I was hooked on audio forever.

Happy Thanksgiving.

**Warpdrv** · **11-29-08, 05:33 PM**

Quote:

Nuance wrote:

Vandersteen 5A's.

Saw that coming....

Mine so far to date would be the Paradigm Signature S8 .v2.....

Very nice looking and sound spectacular to me....

**Nuance** · **11-29-08, 10:11 PM**

Quote:

Warpdrv wrote:

Saw that coming....

Mine so far to date would be the Paradigm Signature S8 .v2.....

Very nice looking and sound spectacular to me....

haha! I saw yours coming too.

I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving bud.

**sha-zam** · **11-30-08, 12:02 AM**

Hey guys. The absolute best set of speakers I have ever heard for music is a pair of modded/rebuilt Acoustic Research AR-28bxi speakers done by Bill LeGal at Millersound. The articulation is to die for! These speakers are so clear and transparent that I can hear depths of the music that I have not heard on any other system, period. I originally took these speakers to him to have new surrounds, but I realized quickly the master craftsman that he is and gave him carte blanche to rebuild the speakers as he saw fit. I figured they would sound good, but....wow, they knocked my socks off! The imaging, the clarity, the balance; everything is spot on. Bill is not only a master technician, but an artist at his craft as well. He replaced the original cones with custom balanced cones that he made, replaced the suspension and surrounds, he rebuilt the crossovers, replaced the tweeters, re-tuned the cabinets, he even polished up the exteriors! He also redesigned the cap with a proprietary design of his that reduces heat buildup and improves the efficiency of the driver, and replaced the binding posts, and I'm sure did other things I'm not even aware of. I've had friends listen to these that say they easily rival any $10,000 pair on the market. And on top of that, Bill is an honest guy. He and his wife Loretta were both very warm and friendly and sincerely interested in getting to know me, I've come to find they treat all their clients like family. They are sweet people, and strive to do good in the world, and the speakers that he builds and rebuilds are nothing short of astonishing.

**WADIZ** · **12-01-08, 11:23 PM**

I have BOSE speakers, I think there the best out there, could be wrong... im very happy with them.......

**thewong** · **12-08-08, 02:22 PM**

I had the pleasure to hear this weekend

living room : stereo setup

Dynaudio Consequence

Home theater setup

front and center : Dynaudio acoustics M2
surround : Dynaudio I forgot the model

10x bryston amp ( 4B and 3B ) all configure mono

It was fantatic to hear !!!!

Best sound ever

**Ronm1** · **12-09-08, 10:11 AM**

Thiel 6's
Revel 10b

**a1161979** · **12-09-08, 10:24 PM**

Just this morning i heard the Linn Akurate and all i could say was wow... My jaw hit the floor, maybe not HT speakers but for Stereo systems simply amazing

**Quartermaster** · **12-09-08, 11:48 PM**

Man I really love my Definitive 7002’s

**SQCherokee** · **12-14-08, 12:27 PM**

Best that I have heard...

Wilson audio...The big ones that you can individualy aim the mid and tweeter pods.

But as for something that I will someday be able to afford...
I was very impressed with the Definitive 7001's or 2's which ever are current top of the line.
Blu ray...uncompressed audio...integra pre/pro/amp combo...with the matching surrounds and center channel.

The crane chase scene of casino royale really stuck with me. Those speakers made it sound like some one was actualy firing a gun in the room.

This was demoed with a 50something" Runco plasma T.V...and this was the first time that I thought the sound was to big for the picture.

Absolutly amazing.

**SVO** · **12-14-08, 02:16 PM**

I have been to quite a few shows over the years and heard many.

Price absolutely no object- Wilson X-1 Grand Slam. Astonishing. Needs a HUGE room. And a fortune. Literally.

Price nearly no object- Genesis 6 Series. If you ever get a chance to hear these, even if a major road trip is involved, do it. Planar-magnetic like transparency in a dynamic speaker that can actually work well in something smaller than a castle. Still, you could buy a really good car for this money. And the business side of the company is a disaster.

For Non-trust-funded: NHT Evolution T6 all around. I have a love/hate relationship with Stereophile. On the one hand, they give product manufacturers advanced copies of the reviews (including "good value" $1k+ cables) BEFORE the deadline to buy ads for the same issue. And, who wudda guessed, strong reviews=lots of revenue! On the other hand they really do complete reviews and their staff's consensus is usually pretty on.

The Evolution sat as far and away their least expensive Class A speaker system for a long time, and it deserved it. Gives up merely a bit of detail and imaging to the above speakers. Astounding dynamic capability. Complex set-up, with lots of outboard electronics and powered woofer sections, but can be tuned well to most rooms, even average sized.

The fact it was never a huge hit and is discontinued is great evidence that most a/v buyers are really looking for rosewood, power meters, exotic materials and anything else to make their buddies ooh and ahh, rather than actual performance. In fact, that could be said of nearly all NHT products, which have had a better performance/price ratio than just about any in-store brand, and yet they have struggled. Plain Jane looks probably has something to do with that.

JD

**RLA** · **12-15-08, 10:34 AM**

Hello All,
Everything pails in comparison to the best speakers I have ever heard in fact I have been trying to acquire a pair like them for the last 39 years but have failed in my quest. When I was a young lad my dad and I would often spend a Saturday afternoon at some of the now long gone Hi-Fi boutique shops in the State of Washington. As we listened to the various speakers looking up and seeing my dad smiling and whispering to me " did you hear that" I knew right then greatness had fallen upon me and in that moment I had just heard the best speaker I would ever hear.

**SQCherokee** · **12-15-08, 11:34 AM**

so what were they? maybe someone here can help you find some....course being almost 40yrs old they may sound like by now.

**RLA** · **12-15-08, 12:16 PM**

I seem to recall there were many if you get my drift, but some manufactures that come to mind were Dynaco, AR/Teledyne, Klipsch, Allison ect... ears minds and hearts do unusual things when listening to great music through great music reproduction devices.

**SVO** · **12-15-08, 05:16 PM**

Quote:

RLA wrote:

Hello All,
Everything pails in comparison to the best speakers I have ever heard in fact I have been trying to acquire a pair like them for the last 39 years but have failed in my quest. When I was a young lad my dad and I would often spend a Saturday afternoon at some of the now long gone Hi-Fi boutique shops in the State of Washington. As we listened to the various speakers looking up and seeing my dad smiling and whispering to me " did you hear that" I knew right then greatness had fallen upon me and in that moment I had just heard the best speaker I would ever hear.

Nice story. My dad and I were like oil and water on every subject, save one: audio. I caught the bug from him early (AR 2Ax, Dynaco amps, etc.). One day I had the Who cranked up in my room and he came in so I figured I was busted, but he wanted to know what I was listening to. He made a tape of sections of Quadrophenia and listened to it (with most of the vocals edited out) often. He lost most of his hearing in one ear as a child, so he under-appreciated stereo (yes, there was hi-end mono). I'm sure he would get quite a kick out of today's SOTA, with 7.1 etc. Cheers.

**onlinegadgeteer** · **01-11-09, 11:27 PM**

I have not listen too much speakers but i heard the Martin Logan Vantage and i think it is best!

**daniel** · **01-12-09, 12:45 AM**

They are the best that I have heard ( and still hear) in my listening room.

Advertisement