Best Speakers that you've heard

[Danny]

What are the best speakers that you have had a chance to listen to?

[Sonnie]

My own of course! ... I don't get out much.

[Exocer]

I don't get out much either...In fact this is how I stay satisfied with my setup The answer to that question would be the NHT SB-3's. Hopefully I can build something substantially better this summer

Hey Exocer, the SB-3s are great! I use NHT's ST-4s at home.

I might get the new Classic line shipped to me for review soon. I'll be sure and post thoughts on the differences from NHTs older stuff. I'm curious if the improvements are as significant as they're saying.

I don't have a lot of experience in speaker listening, but from the few I had a chance to hear, I have three that stand out:

(in no particular order)

* Quad 22L
* Martin Logan Vantage
* Totem Forrest

The Totem really had a major impact on me, to the point that I'm serioulsy considering buying a pair in the not too distant future for my own 2channel listening. They are really nice sounding with a bass extension that is very impressive for such small towers.

[JCD]

I had the fortune/misfortune of listening to these:


The store where I bought my speakers had four rooms.

• Good -- Small tv, plastic chair, and I remember it had Paradigm monitors among others
• Better -- Bigger TV, cushy chair, and had Paradigm Studio speakers among others
• Even Better -- I skipped this one at the time, it had Martin Logans though..
• Best -- Front Projection TV with home theater seating that showcased their best speaker, Aerial Accoustics Model 10T (or 20T, can't remember) with the matching center and dual subs. It was pretty awesome and something I'll NEVER be able to afford. Oh, and the electronics, which I don't recall what they were, were similarly expensive. All told, I think the price tag for speakers and electronics was something like $100,000 to $150,000.

JCD

[russ.will]

The best speakers I have heard in a real front room, without exception were my old boss's ATC SCM150As. Old school, massively over engineered, active standmounts. The 3" soft dome midrange had 5Kg of magnet ferchisakes. 50W to the tweeter, 100W to the midrange and 200W to the 15" bass unit. 115db continuous rated, kick drums sounded and FELT real and coupled it with a transparency that could destroy the average studio mix. Dave Gilmour uses them in his own studio. Have look here and marvel at the construction of the drivers on the 'drive units' page. The cut away is of the 75/150mm driver used in the SCM20 range. It's basically the 75mm mid unit coupled to a 150mm cone. It has nearly an inch of travel - plenty for a bass driver never mind a mid unit. The magnet is unchanged!!!

Most impressive speaker in any room may have been the Cabasse Atlantis of c. 1990 something. Can't really explain the sound apart from the fact it seemed to start somewhere beneath you. Have a look here and read the specs carefully. The lasting impression may be as much about the visual statement, but I have yet to forget them. The Cabasse website is well worth a quick surf. I've always liked products that beat to a different drum, especially when it works.

Russell

[nova]

I'd have to go with a pr of RBH T-3P mains, T-1 center, and 66-SE surrounds. Something you have to hear to believe,.... too bad most of us do not have the cash or the room for these things. Don't even know how to begin to describe the sound,.... the bass extension,.... soundstage,... effortless,... incredible,.... wow,.... or maybe WOW!!! If you ever run across this set up make sure you give it a listen.

[Thomas Funke]

I've been listening to the Klipsch Referenz RF/ 5.1 Set las week and it was amazing how powerful, and fast theste speakers played all kind of Music and Film.

If I will have to buy new Speakers in the the Future these will be one of the first choices for me.

[Ayreonaut]

The Martin Logans so far, but I'm going speaker shopping soon and while I'm at it I'm going to try to have a listen to the best speakers at each store just for kicks. I'll let ya know.

[GregBe]

When I was auditioning some Paradigm speakers, I had an opportunity to listen to some Krell Resolution I speakers coupled with obviously high end Krell electronics in a dedicated room. In general, I don't really like bright gear, but the dealer played the Bruce the Shark scene from Finding Nemo. When Bruce rubs his belly on the sandy bottom, the wooshing sound of the sand kicking up is something I never even knew existed. Ever since then, when I watch that scene, I can hear this sound, but with nowhere near the detail that those speakers had. Very impressive.

Greg

[rcarlton]

K-horns without question. Of course you need good corners (or willing to make false corners). 60 year old design that still works. Secondly would be LaScala...but I am biased. See my sig.

so far for me would be the good old epicure 3.0's still stand out among the best today


http://www.humanspeakers.com/e/epicure-3.0.htm

these are pretty rare out of the epicure line im glad i have a chance to still have a original set with foam grills and everything

[Phil M]

Definetly BOSE - just kidding!
I stopped listening, I'm too dangerous.
But the first time I heard a really great pair of speakers was about 30 years ago, KEF 104's, still remains in my memory.

[GregBe]

Phil M wrote:

I stopped listening, I'm too dangerous.

I hear you on that. This hobby can get out of control, wondering what else is out there. I have gotten into the habit of every time I want to go out and demo new speakers, I go out and purchase some music or a movie instead. I also am a danger to myself.

[alan monro]

Danny, The best speakers I have heard are the Klipsch, even the cheaper models in the range sound good. I have the reference series. I swear by them. Have a listen to them and I bet you buy them.
Kind regards, Alan

I try not to listen to great speakers when I am shopping for good speakers. I was auditioning speakers one day and was looking at B&W well before we looked at the ones I was interested in we went into a theater room and the mains were 802Ds. Oh my they made the speakers that I wanted to hear sound poor. They had other high end speakers but since I was shopping and the wife was with me thought I better not listen to any others. THe B&W 802Ds were very nice.

[GregBe]

jhixson wrote:

I try not to listen to great speakers when I am shopping for good speakers. I was auditioning speakers one day and was looking at B&W well before we looked at the ones I was interested in we went into a theater room and the mains were 802Ds. Oh my they made the speakers that I wanted to hear sound poor. They had other high end speakers but since I was shopping and the wife was with me thought I better not listen to any others. THe B&W 802Ds were very nice.

That is always a tough one for me. I get myself in trouble always wanting the better speakers, but the big advantage is you get a chance to hear what good quality sounds like, and can best emulate that within your price range.

jhixson wrote:

THe B&W 802Ds were very nice.

Very nice?
I wish I could get them, they are just a bit out of my budget

Be caution! There isn't the best speaker in your search if you are already hook on to the hobby! You are always on the upgrading path to find for something better than what you already owned. Find the speaker that shall match what you already owned.

As for watching movies, the sound effect and the pictures quality count the most. I am not really particular about this and hence can't give you good advise here.

But if you are music lover, pick one pair of main speakers that are very natural and real. Go to live performance such as classical and vocal (not heavy metal and pop and rock) to hear for yourself. No one best system is able to reproduce the live performance.

[mmoeller]

I had the pleasure of getting a demo of Revel Performa surround setup. Including the F52 fronts and C52 center along with 2 of the 15" subs. They had a Lexicon receiver, but it wasn't hooked up. They used a Denon 4800 series. Absolutly amazing. I actually saw sound from the subwoofers. A scene from attack of the clones when obi-wan is chasing jango fet through the asteroid field. Fet drops mines and the shock waves explode outward. I swear I saw the wave in the room and it passed through me. Probably the coolest thing I have experienced. We listend to alot of stereo and dolby music settin to compair soundstage. The F52's did a phenominal job on there own, but the dolby music /w with center and sub was great. Every little sound was apparent even at refernece volumes. Mind you this was in an office building room w/ only the room correction routine from the Denon receiver. In a dedicated room I'd imagine the experience to be even better. But at about 20k for speakers that was a little out of my league. So now, being an electrical engineer have begun a fanatical research and learning process to create my own. Some day.... some day...

[khellandros66]

Best for the money is Definitive BP7001sc towers perfect full range sound and more...

Triad Platinum LCR great HT piece.

Far the best I have heard is either the MBL Reference speakers or Wilson's Watt/Puppy 8.

~Bob

[Wayde]

I don't generally put a lot of stock in the super exotic stuff but I got a chance to do an in store demo of some very nice speakers called Royal Viruoso from Reference 3a.

Really nice sound on vynil, super high end turntable - the works. Everything you've heard about analogue sound being at least as good as digital when done right is true.

I hesitate to say it's clearly the best but it's certainly among the best sound I've ever heard. Nothing digital in this setup, no subwoofer and I didn't miss it at all. Had a great time picking out the instruments and their position on this two channel setup.

[laserman]

Best I have heard are the ones I own...of course!

Others:

Stacked Quads with dual subs

Magnepan 3.6R, Tymphany

Snell A's


All were due to proper room treatment and set-up. I have heard expensive speakers reviewers have raved about sound and inexpensive speakers reviewers were luke warm about sound absolutely marvelous. It takes a great ear and many hours of patience to dial a system in. However, if the speaker is of poor design then it would take major DIY tweaking to clean them up.

For home theater only, no music I'd have to say BIC Acoustech Cinema Series 5.1 set. The sub is an HSU created sub and it shakes the house. My father still uses a pair of Type E's that I gave him several years ago.

[Sonnie]

Hey laserman... I had some Snell B-Minors once. I never could get any bass out of them but the mid and upper end was sweet. My dad still has a pair of Type E's that I gave him several years ago.