Best Holographic Speakers ~$7k per pair

Another vote for Magnepan 3.7i speakers.   I have owned more speakers than I care to admit and the Magnepan's are simply incredible in the imaging and soundstage department.   Avalon's are great as well.

@julesg13th 

Great job getting off your rear to demo speakers- the best way to determine what personally resonates with you.  Congratulations!  

Vandersteens can throw a holographic stage if properly set up. 

Some of the best in the business.

@oceanandmountains Devores can have an incredible amount of texture and beautiful tone. There is a certain wholeness to the presentation, much more than just frequencies blending together. You need the right room and amps.

So much better than Klipsch speakers and really hard to beat if you like them. The build quality is great and the company is out of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. 

The Klipsch speakers are dynamic and fun, but not nearly as refined or engaging IMO. The build of Klipsch is cheap. The packaging in one time, that’s why they sell less than 50% locally. Looks like what Tannoy is doing. Fyne is a little better but those guys that ran Tannoy know how to cut corners too. They aren't in it like Devore is, for the music. You really have to listen, especially when the designs are so different,

I loved the Mofi 888s and made me feeling something when listening to music, but not sure I’d call them holographic. I think Focal Sopra No2 (if you can used stretch your budget a little for a used pair) sounded the most holographic.  Fritz Carbon 7 Mk 2 speakers sounded holographic as well (correction: just read your comment that your ceilings are 17ft high, so for that I would not recommend these. They'll sound too thin and just not loud enough) I demoed them but think it was paired with a 300b tube amp.  I’m hoping to demo the Fyne Audio if I can find a dealer for them.  Another good speaker is the Focal Kanta No2. They'll fill a room with high ceilings.

Also consider 300b tube amp like a Brunoco or even an KT88/EL34 by Skunkie Designs. if you truly want a holographic sound.  But not sure about how this type of amp will do with high the ceilings

IMHO of course.

@karl_desch thank you for your input. I do realize that the speakers I listened to were all over the place. That is because I didn't know exactly what I wanted until I started demoing. As I did, I narrowed it down. The Vandersteen's look like a cool option,n but I don't know where I would demo them. I listened to the 502SPs early in my search and then returned to them after listening to everything else. They were the 2nd best I heard and were much cheaper than my first pick. I'll see how they sound when I set them up in my own space.

IMO, you will be pleased with the Fynes, as am I with my F-702s (not the newer SP model).  The imaging is simply superb, and I found further significant improvements in imaging and soundstage by adding two subs and switching to Silversmith Fidelium speaker cables.  In the end, it is really about the music.

I don’t mean to sound too dogmatic but that speaker list seems all over the map design wise.  
 

I think it would be worth your time to audition some Vandersteen speakers.  They image (holographic) better than most because they address baffle reflections and time and phase accuracy. This functionally means the signal from the drivers all meet your ear in the same phase and at the same time.  The difference is subtle but profound.  Some concentric driver or single source speakers come very close and sound great too. This is reflected in the impulse test that Stereophile includes in their speaker measurements. It is explained quite nicely in the Vandersteen website as well. You may be sensitive to this time/phase thing as you’ve noted how Klipsch image differently.  

To my ears, Vandersteens are so natural sounding that the brain never fatigues.  The flip side of the coin is that they are inefficient and not as dynamic as some single driver speakers so pairing with the right amplifier is important. Listening to them at a dealer who knows how to set them up is important.

have fun with the search.

Thank you all for your input. After demoing many speakers, including Cornwall IV, KEF R11, Devores, Harbeth SHL5 Plus, Tannoy Stirling GR, MoFi 888, Linkwitz 521.4. They were all great in their own regard, but I ended up going with the Fyne 502SP. They have everything I want and were within my budget. If my budget were a little larger, I would have gone for the Linkwitz 521.4. Those were incredible, and I will save up for a pair one day. 

In order of what I rank the enjoyment I got out of the speaker I heard..This takes everything into account, not just the holographic nature.

1. Linkwitz 521.4

2. Fyne 502SP

3. Tannoy Stirling GR

4. Harbeth SHL5 Plus

5. Klipsch Cornwall

6. Devore Fidelity

7. Kef R11 (this could be because they were at Best Buy and not ideal conditions)

8. MoFi 888

Check this out. Wavetouch Antero V2. Rare used pair for sale in LA area. Alex Wavetouch

https://youtu.be/6_Pd65RVCR4?si=8Q2RJYlBg2T3k4pD

You should give Philharmonic audio a call maybe someone near you has a pair they can set up an audition with. When I was shopping they set me up with someone about 30 miles away, this was 12 years ago and were still friends. The speakers are amazing, I love listening to them, top to bottom response. Due to the price difference I ended up with used Maggie 1.7  that came up at the time.

@bjesien I’m curious about the Devore Super Nines. Any chance you could compare them to the Fortes and Cornwalls? TIA.

@julesg13th , I own the Tannoy Legacy Arden if you have any specific questions I can answer.

Upscale’s blow out pricing on them is pretty good for what appears to be minor cosmetic blems. However, these are the later Chinese built units and i would probably pull the drivers to ensure everything inside is wired up properly.

in short, they image very well and provide excellent full range sound. They also remove a lot of the room from the equation being a point source design.

Still very happy with them, but I’ve also side eyed the newer Fyne Classic 12s and Mofi Sourcepoint V10.

@mike4597 Thank you for sharing the information in the DM Mike. I tried to write you back but the website won't let me for some reason. This is great information though. I am demoing some more speakers this weekend including the Linkwitz lx521, Tannoy Arden's, Mofi 888's and whatever Commonwave HiFi presents to me. I should hopefully make my decision next week.

@pinwa 

Panel speakers also have relatively narrow sweet spots

Well, that may be broadly true, but certainly does not apply to Quad's electrostatic panel speakers from the Quad ESL-63 and all subsequent models.

The reason is simple, but the execution is not!  Note that the ESL-63 was conceived in 1963 but took 18 years of development before it was released to the market.  So this type of panel speaker has been around for over 40 years but the way it works is still poorly understood.

The design principle is to emulate a single point source of sound, radiating spherical soundwaves from an imaginary point about a foot behind the centre of each panel.

Each imaginary wavefront reaches the centre of the panel first, as it travels at the speed of sound from the imaginary point source. Then it appears to expand on the panel in a growing ring.

The Quad design emulates this behavior by organising the stators as eight annular, concentric rings. The signal is progressively delayed from the innermost to the outermost ring.  The delay required depends only on the geometry and the speed of sound.  The net effect is all the benefits of an electrostatic panel plus the coherent benefits of a point source, giving amongst other things a huge sweet spot.

Quad did this with inductive analogue delay lines, but these days a digital solution would surely be easier.  You would need 8 DACs and 8 amplifier channels per speaker!

Holographic?
My omnis'....another pair or three you'll not likely get to hear....

....although I've a plot that's hot to trot....and, as is said too often...

Wait for it... ;)

Obviously you can’t tell from a video where the mic is set at one height and you are listening on ???.

But the video shows the speakers and how the placement of the drivers is very similar to that of what one experiences with a drum set.  Lower frequencies manifest closer to the floor while the sizzle is much higher, and actually at about the correct height for a drum kit.

In the room, you would think there is a drummer sitting there playing.  And he can play as loud, undistorted, as anyone could desire.

@toddalin that's a bunch of horse bull

@toddalin 

How was that video supposed to support your claim about soundstage height? 

"A consideration that none have mentioned is soundstage height.  A tall speaker like a planar magnetic or electrostat can convey (artificially) soundstage height.  For example, the high frequencies of the cymbals of a drum kit will be at a realistic height, while the bass drum will come from lower in the speaker."

Nothing else like quite it! 

https://youtu.be/iGa9259pz-I

@julesg13th 

I haven't heard the box speakers others have mentioned.

I have long been a fan of panel speakers, however.  I owned Magneplanar 3.xs and upgraded to the Apogee Duetta IIs that I still use.  A consideration that none have mentioned is soundstage height.  A tall speaker like a planar magnetic or electrostat can convey (artificially) soundstage height.  For example, the high frequencies of the cymbals of a drum kit will be at a realistic height, while the bass drum will come from lower in the speaker.  You could get this with a bookshelf speaker on a tall stand, coupled with subwoofers.  I suspect that panel speakers can more easily throw a deep soundstage, however. 

I think the less-pinpoint imaging of panel speakers is more like live music than the imaging of conventional drivers.

I would suggest you do your listening tests with well-recorded orchestral music, preferably recordings like the 2 or 3 microphone recordings done in the late 1950s or more recently by labels such as Telarc.  This will reveal authentic soundstaging as well as natural timbre better than electronic music genres.  You could include those other genres for judging other sonic aspects, though.

After listening at showrooms, if you can get speakers that you can return if they don't work in your room, that would be helpful.  That's one of the best reasons to buy new--a dealer is more likely to allow that than someone selling their used speakers, but I guess you never know.

@oddiofyl They are at that…

@riaa_award_collectors_on_facebook not a problem here as cheese is so fattening and my chef Andrew would never make that mistake. 

Well, that’s a matter of person taste I guess.   Either way they are phenomenal speakers.   The grills are super high quality and truly transparent.    Never letting go of these speakers.  They are that good. 

@texasblues1959 You forgot about the Chef who will think they are an oversized Cheese Grater. 

@oddiofyl Studio Electric M4 and 5 are outstanding speakers. Just leave the grills off unless the Grandkids or the cleaning lady is coming over. 

Depends...if you get something like a Andrew Jones Mofi 888 for 5k,  you may get some drivers that are superior to off-shelf anything...and you won’t be able to make them for $50 or $100 if you have to do the r&d from scratch.

 I am highly doubtful that the drivers in any MoFi speaker are “superior to off-shelf anything.” Have you ever built a speaker with Satori drivers, especially the Textreme? They are built to an entirely different quality level than what you’ll pull out of any $5K non-factory-direct speaker like a MoFi, Wharfedale or Monitor Audio etc.

I don’t doubt that the 888s compete well against other $5K commercial options, if not wholly surpassing many of them, but hard to believe they will compete with >$12K speakers the way a Helios or Rinjani kit will. DIY really does yield twice the performance for about half the money IME. In other words, $3K worth of parts/materials + your labor can get you speakers that compete all day with $12K/pair commercial stuff. One of those truths the industry hates, but people are in the bizz to make money and labor is expensive. For many, the labor investment is not worth the savings, thus, I don’t fault anyone for choosing a complete product with a warranty over the DIY route, but the latter is the best bang-for-buck by far. 

From my experience open baffles are king, but you do need room to set them up properly. Then again for good imaging and soundstage you need proper setup regardless of speaker type. Also the room is a MAJOR factor. I’ve found you can get a very good soundstage with most speakers if setup properly and the room is treated well. I’ve also found without proper setup and treatments no speaker I’ve tried can do soundstage well.  I think if that’s what you’re really after the room is the place to start, but as far as speakers go I’d say open baffle.  

@oddiofyl  Im sure they sound wonderful but those Grill covers are really hard to look at.

Maggie 3.7. The end.

I have had the excellent Studio Electric M4 in my second system for a few months.   They are so good i am thinking about these for my main room.  

https://www.studio-electric.com/FS1%20Loudspeaker.html

https://pt.audio/2025/03/01/studio-electric-m5-loudspeakers-review/

If you want a holographic image, nothing beats a good full range driver. Omega's High Output Alnico Monitors are great. Pair them with one of their subs and the sound leaves nothing to be desired. 

Whatever you do, it need work in your listening space.  I took my VTL mono blocks to a dealer and ran some ML electrostatics hard and well.  Wow!

Took the MLs home for demo and they sucked in my space.  Wrong transducer in that space.  I don’t know why.

Sometimes I read this advice forum and it’s like others picking out mail order brides for you.  It has to work for you and you only.

Of the three changes I made, the cables made the biggest difference—which I did not expect, the switch from a tube amp to solid state monobloc came next, and then the subwoofers.

@mike4597 

You have that in reverse order, right?

Depends...if you get something like a Andrew Jones Mofi 888 for 5k,  you may get some drivers that are superior to off-shelf anything...and you won’t be able to make them for $50 or $100 if you have to do the r&d from scratch.

Keep in mind that most commercially available $5K/pair speakers are equipped with tweeters and woofers that would retail for somewhere between $50 and $100 each if they were sold piecemeal by Seas, SB or Scanspeak. Typically, less than 25% of the street price is what went into building those $5K speakers. And don’t be fooled by those who claim their in-house built drivers are superior. They are often inferior to off-shelf drivers if anything. 

The suggestion on TAD is spot on but I think they will be above your price range.  I went from  Fyne 501SPs to TAD ME1s and it was multiple levels better.  I would look at Marten Oscar Trios that are sometimes available around the price and Acoustic Energy Continuum speakers.  Good luck !

I love my Closer Acoustics OGY/BOB set up. Three BOBs have been recommended for larger spaces; I am in an irregular sized listening space that is open to a larger space to one side (a pretty open floor plan home) and use two BOBs on the left and right.  I think they are spectacular. 
 

But as a colleague once told me, the plural of anecdote is anecdotes, not “randomized double blinded study”.  So as they say, your mileage may vary. 
 

Regarding the tariffs, some things I bought recently had no change in price as it had already come to the US and was in a warehouse here. I ordered these speakers sight unseen, without auditioning, so it was definitely a gamble that paid off for me. Coming from Europe I suspect there will now be that added charge, sadly. 
 

Tim

julesg13th-

Your thread has gone the predictable route

recommendations of mostly speakers you'll NEVER be a able to hear.

Your 2 realistic choices:

Get out there and listen to stuff or blind faith reading reviews/forums.

I wonder if your idea of holographic has some relation to refinement. I owned the SP501's and say they were more refined and can get you deeper into the music (YMMV) than the Cornwalls (owned those too).

Another thing to maybe consider is- I prefer a narrow baffle speaker to wider baffle typically. I've always thought the narrow gave a more layered stage than the more powerful and maybe dynamic throw of wide baffle.

Finally, also take a look at Devore Super Nines (can be a bit too lively for some) and something from Verity (more of that laid back refinement that I could relate to with the Fyne's

Finally, finally the Fynes don't seem to hold redale as well as some other brands, so if you are going to bounce around a bit consider that too.

@roxy54 

Poorly written.  I would love any of them; Those were suggestions for the OP to rule-out.

Thanks for letting me clarify!

@blackbag20 

Why would you rule those speakers out?

BTW - for Maggies (huge soundstage) you can get them to sound good with a used Sanders Magtech amp for $4k. I had one and sold it. I currently use a Schitt Wotan at $2k to drive my Magnepan Mini. It has stronger bass than the Magtech. This amp is comparable to many $8k amps I have owned and will drive Maggies as good or better than those more expensive amps.

Great suggestions here, definitely check out Volti and Ascend.  

I would also rule out:

Revel https://www.revelspeakers.com/

Tyler Acoustics https://tyleracoustics.com/collections/highland

Totem https://totemacoustic.com/

Buchardt https://buchardtaudio.com/ 

You should listen to some ATC speakers if you can. They are exceptionally accurate. I have them as part of a combo HiFi/Home theater system.. Sometimes they have made me think the surround channels are running, when in fact they are not.

Of the speakers you suggested, the Ascends will be best because they employ higher quality drivers in a small and braced cabinet. Their drivers are far better quality than you’ll find in most <$6K/pair speakers, aside from DIY. Otherwise, consider a speaker like the SB Acoustics Rinjani Textreme kit, which will blow most of the aforementioned suggestions out of the water. 

Keep in mind that most commercially available $5K/pair speakers are equipped with tweeters and woofers that would retail for somewhere between $50 and $100 each if they were sold piecemeal by Seas, SB or Scanspeak. Typically, less than 25% of the street price is what went into building those $5K speakers. And don’t be fooled by those who claim their in-house built drivers are superior. They are often inferior to off-shelf drivers if anything. 

@julesg13th. Remember: JBL 4435's see here

Mike

You have gotten a lot of genuinely terrible advice from people that I'm guessing have never heard a truly high end system.  Assuming you can pull the speakers at least 60" from the back wall almost any panel speaker will be much more holographic than box speakers at an equivalent price point.  In particular, a used pair of Magnepan 3.7s, or even better the 20.7s are inexpensive and simply terrific.  Electrostatics also have some real virtues when it comes to soundstage, holographic imaging and transparency.  Downside is you do need very good high powered amplification.  Panel speakers also have relatively narrow sweet spots so not the best if you are planning on listening with friends or family.  Open baffle speakers have never had any depth in my room so missing that 3D holographic quality but otherwise are also quite good.  Kef Blades have great imaging but I dislike the way they sound.  If all you care about is imaging you can pick up a used pair of Klipsch RP 600M IIs for $300 that will blow you away with the level of detail and imaging but they aren't that involving in my opinion.  The Klipsch Forte's, Heresy's and Cornwall's I've heard don't have what you are looking for despite their other merits.  And do keep in mind your room is almost as important as the speakers when it comes to how the system sounds and images.  At the end of the day it is all about your ears and your room.  You should definitely go to T.H.E. show in June.  Go to the Final Audio room.  I get you will be amazed at the sound vs price point.

Los Angeles has a lot of great stores.

A friend of mine in the audio business is coming out with a new open baffle speaker. That thing sounded great when I heard his working prototype. He is in Ventura. I am going see if I can hear maybe the final version the following week once I quit my current job. Send me a DM if you want address.

My friend was blown away by my Yamaha NS5000 speakers that you can get open box for $9k. The comments I heard from him on this speaker have a lot of relevance to me since he is known for the great gear he makes (and his hearing).

The NS5000 does everything with a high degree of sophistication (including soundstage).

The biggest soundstage I have heard are the Maggies and the KEF Blade. Though the driver on the NS5000 is better than anything else I have heard. It has details like Beryllium drivers but also an analog sound.

 Bache Audio. My Tribeca’s are very holographic. They replaced my rebuilt Quad 57s. 

@fatdaddy2 i listened to Klipsch Cornwalls, they weren’t very holographic. I still liked them but the Fyne’s blew them out of the water.