What are the best speakers you have ever heard? (1 Viewer)

[Bhagi Katbamna]

Dahlquist DQ-10s driven by Ampzilla amp.

 

[terence]

150 big ones for a 2ch system, we all know this is an expensive hobby we have. When do you say enough is enough, after a price point where you start to get diminishing returns on your investment. (i.e)How much better will a $150,000 system from a $50,000 system? Will you hear that much of a difference (like night & day)that will make you say hmmmm...I'm going to pull the trigger and go with the $150,000 system over the $50,000. I just believe sure you get what you pay for on certain things, but with hi-fi it seems like there is no limit to what you can spend and if you do will you truly be happy?

 

[Geo]

For my ears (and eyes) it's the
Dynaudio Evidence Temptations
I've heard them several times with Spectron amps.
Twice with Krell & McIntosh
Once with Pass Labs
All were outrageously great but surprisingly I preferred the Spectron amps.

Regards,

geo

 

[alan halvorson]

Wow, Bhagi, you go back a ways also!

 

[ChrisArmour]

My favorites for 2ch were the VMPS RM40's driven with Ayre components.
For HT, A Quintet of M&K S-150's and a MX5000MKII sub driven by B&K Components.

 

[Kevin T]

i like my gershman acoustics avant garde rx-20. next would be a pair of thiel cs2.3, i never got a chance to listen to the cs2.4 unfortunately. i could have demoed a pair of thiel cs7.2 powered by pass labs gear with some ultra expensive kimber kables but since it was all way out of my price range, i passed. ignorance is bliss when it comes to the ultra high end.

kevin t

 

[Doug Brewster]

Window hanging speakers at the drive-in movie...Come to think of it, I don't remember listening to them...

 

[Alex F.]

The Infinity IRS system (about 1979?). Auditioned at Lyric HiFi in Manhattan if I recall correctly. The enclosure of each line-source array of ribbon drivers was about 7-feet tall. Each channel also had a separate enclosure for the line-source bass section, which was also about 7-feet tall. The dynamic range, clarity, and sheer musicality of the system was extraordinary. Price was about $30,000 at the time.

Other memorable products that impressed me and were great fun to listen to: Infinity's Servo-Static I electrostat (when it wasn't self-destructing; circa 1972); Acoustic Research's AR-9 (which I still have, albeit in storage); Quad's original electrostatic speaker (limited dynamics, but what a midrange!); Sonus Faber's recent Electa Amator II; the KLH 9 panels (late 1960s?); and the Wilson X-1 Grand Slamm.

Merry Christmas!

 

[DavidLW]

The best speakers I heard that I couldn't afford-

Apogee Grand, bi-amped with Krells mono-blocks (these already comes with built in Krell amps for the woofers and tweeters), at (I believe) Chris Hanson's in L.A., CA. This was 10 or so years ago.
120 grand plus. Not including the Krell pre-amp and Krell CD Drive, D to A processer and cables.

Next in line -

Martin Logan Statements driven with (I believe) bridged Machintosh Amps on the main panel and built in (I think)amps for the woofer arrays. These were the original Statements. The main panel were about 48 inches wide and the woofer array was in housed in a separate box. Maybe 40 grands for amps and speakers.

Follow by

Wilson WAMM, Infinity IRS's and Wilson's WATTS with Puppies

The best speakers I heard that I could afford (and bought about 9 years ago)

Martin Logan CLS2

 

[Mat_M]

VMPS RM40's using Sonic Frontiers tube gear, with a PS Audio 2 ch. amp.

 

[Dave Dahl]

Martin Logan Statements E2.

Wow!


-Dave

 

[MikeH1]

I heard some Maggies hooked up to all Meridean gear. Was excellent.

I also listened to my favorite disc in 2 channel on the Linn flagship series. Now THAT was a treat.(approx $150,000 Cdn)

 

[Robert Cowan]

the best ive heard was the meridian DSP8000's paired with all meridian's finest gear. jaw-dropping.

 

[Lee-c]

The best speakers I have heard are VMPS Ribbon Monitor 2's with FST tweeter upgrade. Voices, instruments
and all other sounds are super life-like and *highly* detailed. The sound is smooth as silk, non-fatiguing
and yet also very powerful, clean, unstrained and authoritative when you turn the volume up high. And
the bass, in both quality and sheer power, is superb.

 

[Stelios]

My speakers SONY Pascal SAVE-835 because if I don't say this, the next time I listen they will blow up...

Happy New Year
Stelios

 

[Victor Chan]

The best setup I've ever expreienced was only a couple of weeks ago at a local hi-fi shop and, thinking about it, I might go listen to it again before components start getting sold off!

Never one to be in the more expensive = better sound camp, I must admit that a pair of Dynaudio Evidence Temptations ($30,000/pr) in an acoustically treated room powered with a Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista kWP preamp ($12,000) and Tri-Vista kW 1000W monoblocks ($24,000/pr) setup and an SACD signal coming from a dcs Verdi SACD transport, Purcell upconverter, and Elgar Plus D/A converter ($34,000) sounded unbelievable! Soundstage, clarity, and most importantly, the reality of the sound is unmatched by anything I have heard before or since. Then again, a $100K better sound pretty damn good!

Victor