Best all around speakers


Just curious what people think around here for best all around speakers for wide variety of musical genres and amplifications needs (tubes and solid state). Not everybody listen exclusively to Diana Krall and Norah Jones and/or acoustical jazz or classical music. Some of us like to listen to a wide variety of music (from rock and roll to bluegrass to blues to you name it) and don't feel the need or want to have a differet speaker for each genre of music. Seems to me many speaker designers have a very narrow taste in music, which unfortunately doesn't reflect what most people listen to, which I think is one of the reasons why many speakers end up disappointing quite a number of listeners.
cleaneduphippy
Pubul57 said:

"Is compression much more common in pop/rock? It seems like it is."

I think you're right about that.

Dave
JohnK:

You are correct, I miss-spoke. The open baffel di-pole design allows the creation of a null at the sides of the speaker which cancels bass reflection from the side walls and thus removing the common placement issues associated with most other designs, that are able to generate bass to +/- 20 htz. It also removes cabinet resonance and propagation issues since there is no cabinet.

The only other design that does bass as well, that I have experienced, are horns. However, my listening room does not have enough room to accomodate two refridgerator sized bass units.

I did not state that the EP's are perfect. In fact, I said that "I don't know if they are the best." But to my ears, the combination of the open baffel, di-pole, and waveguide (horn for the treble), plays any type of music extremely well.

And I stand by my assertion that "I have not heard a more accurate, revealing, live-sounding, and dynamic pair of speakers."

For a more detailed explanation, and no doubt a better written one, see John Potis's new review of the EP's in Positive Feedback.

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue38/emerald_physics_2.htm
I own Hansen Prince speakers. They are the best speakers I've heard in my room or any other. They play everything from rock, jazz, female vocals (my favorite), classical, and country. They are so natural! Never bright or analytical, but highly detailed. Excellent micro and macro dynamics. An amazing sound stage. I can't really find fault with them other than they are a little expensive. Given I'll probably own them for 20 years, I don't mind.