2017 ‘Keeper’ speakers under - $25K


Heading towards the second half of 2017, I thought to ask here what other’s feel based on their experiences, wants or desires, exactly which recent production speakers under $25K, would be the ones you would want to marry.

Or be in a very long term fundamentally though not totally committed, relationship.

One wherein if they promise to satisfy on demand, you promise to keep them clean and sufficiently supplied with power and the purest of signals, not to leave dirty clothes on the floor, and to take the trash out daily, er, uh, regularly.

Actually, those last two items are predominately conscience driven and do not command perfect adherence.

Which speakers hands down just flat out captivated your attention, fancy, or were so compelling they made a significant impact.

In short, Speakers that have taken your breath away .

As speakers are merely one part of the ching let’s qualify things somewhat.

1. Speakers which can run very well in medium sized rooms. EX. 14 to 18ft wide, and 17 to 25ft long or deep, with ceilings from 8.5ft to 10ft H, or so.

2. If a sub was or should have been added, please, mention that as well.

3. If an Ultra high end setup, massive SS power amps, Tubes, or flea watt amps, were feeding and or driving them noting it would be appropriate.

4. Recent production since 2015. New or used.

Although it seems prudent to list only current production speakers, I know adding on the facet of pre-owned adds a lot more choices for the ‘desert island’ I got mine, you get your’s, scenario, but what the hey. It beats that 250 to 500 plus hours of run in new units usually insist upon.

If links to accounts or info on them is available, please include it.

As this is about options anyhow, let no design be excluded.

blindjim

Inna > … JM Labs Grand Utopia… Perhaps on a smaller scale you would like that sound as well.

Blindjim > Inna you’re a tremendous aid in expanding my horizons on various themes and gear. THX!! The Focal Sofras are on a list of sorts. Having heard only a few of Focal’s entry line spkrs, and never really been a fan, it is a big ? still. It also seems to imply stronger amps are needed than low power tube amps. So, it’s a different tact on the same prospect for achieving great sound. …and no, they’re not atop the list. VA ‘the Music’ are.


gsm18439 > … should be able to audition any pair of speakers in your own room

blindjim > I do agree, however, there are more than a few obstacles to that end.
Listening in a similarly sized room should be good enough. Especially if the session is in a distant venue. If I can find something local that appeals to me, its gonna be a far more doable thing.


Keithr > …. prefer the more "modern" sound of the Gibbon Xs

Blindjim > many thanks!!
I can’t find one article, decent or otherwise on the Gibbon ten. Anywhere.

It has always been my exp if the amp’s damping factor is high, or the wpc is, the bass reacts to it with better speed and harmonic response, or tunefulness. The room does play a part though.

I get it the O’s are just two drivers and the X’s have another cone.

What kind of amp and how large was the room when you heard both speakers? Do you recall? Similar amps and rooms?


rx7onmymind > Not sure I could have only one set of lifetime speakers.

Blidnjim > agreed. If we are all honest, a pretty big section of us will say exactly that. Some wil obviously opt their second wish for HT. or for tubes. Or for S.E.T. & high eff spkrs as you mentioned.

I feel we need all three. On some level, to some extent. I simply enjoy music. Some genres IMO work best in one amp & spkr arrangement, and some genres work best in another.

As good as past rigs of mine were very satisfying across all genres, there’s something about hearing a torch singer and small jazz combo. Or solo folk artist and all on triode power that SS just can’t get with, let alone, surpass..

I’m sort of hoping somewhere along the way I’ll hear a rig that really sends me, and its one I can afford, or even mostly afford, and that will be it for the main system. Hopefully, it will be or sound like, tube amps. Albeit, if not, its not a deal breaker if the sound is a ‘killer’ sounding rig.

Maggie 20s were the very first hi end speaker I ever heard. Driven by Levinson power and Sony – Phillips SCDP 1 playing CSNY. Their imaging was immediate and tangible. I had to look twice to see no actual musicians were standing between the panels. Amazing.

Although, the very next room had a huge Krell amp pushing a pair of BW nautilus speakers and the astonishment continued.

If only electrostats, panels, and the like had more mid bass and up jump factor… I’d be right there!


I think the reason I appreciate the Vandersteen speakers is because stats as well as Maggies have some issues in the bass and are nearly impossible to integrate with any sub.  I know many claim that they use subs and they are just as fast as the panels, but for MY ear, I have never heard any of them integrated properly. That was my biggest problem with the Apogee's back in the day.  they had a couple of more affordable ones that had cone subs and they weren't coherent like a Vandersteen is.  Richard has just figured it out and it's not easy to do.  On certain music though the Maggie's are really special.  I just listen to a lot of different types and need a true full range, coherent, point source sounding speaker that is full range and tonally balanced from top to bottom.  Very few speakers actually can do this and then also disappear in the room and can be put up against a wall.  The tunable bass on the Quatro's (my new ones for those who don't read the whole thread) on up let's you even adjust the bass to your room and smooth it out.

Great article a bit over a year ago in Stereophile.  They interviewed a friend of mine, Billy Drummond.  Billy is a Jazz drummer and teaches music at Juliard I think it is.  He personally owns both Maggies and Vandersteen's.  Neither one are expensive. He goes into a bit of why he has both.  I know that he would kill to own my Quatro's, lol.  And I'm sure the 20's as well.  I'm sure if you Google it you will find it.