Best Loudspeakers for Rich Timbre?

There was rich timbre of all kinds all over the place at CAF yesterday though a lot but not all happened to cost a pretty penny.

Rich timbre is not rare. Most any well integrated system set up well can do it. Which is best? I think that may be a rhetorical question more so than anything that can be established with any certainty.

I did hear at least three systems yesterday that did rich timbe very well with speakers under a grand: Vanatoo (two years in a row), KEF, and Quad. Between KEF and Quad the Brits did quite well yesterday offering really good sound for not much cost.

Should they be a matter of taste?

Fact is they are.
Even if you take taste out of the equation, there is still the listening room variable. No two rooms are the same either and teh room largely determines what you hear with any particular speaker design.

LEt’s not even get into how differently the "best" speaker measured might sound off various amps. Speakers make no sound alone. It’s a team sport.

So one can say you want the most accurate speakers in theory and I would even agree but in practice that alone does not determine which one will choose or even work best in each particular case. So there you go.

It’s not any more surprising than the fact that people choose to wear different clothes, some styles more popular and enduring than others.

The tube cult is a relatively small club compared to the rest but has a strong presence here. That’s probably why you hear more in general here about products that are popular with tube gear. Where as Magico is nice and sounds very good but expensive and lots of competition so does not get as much universal accolades, even if perhaps they might be deserved. The build quality of Magico’s I have seen and heard is top notch. So is the sound but hey there are so many other top notch sounds I hear also often for much lower cost.
BTW I have auditioned and know Magico’s sound very good with very good higher powered tube gear to match but few may afford or even want to have to deal with that kind of combo even if they can afford it. Big tube amps use lots of power, throw off a lot of heat, and are harder and more costly to maintain. High TCO. Not for everyone.
Smaller tube amps with higher efficiency, easy to drive speakers (not nearly as many out there to choose from) is way more practical for many. So you hear a lot about the likes of Tekton and others. Of course full range high efficiency speakers tend to be bigger and bulkier than most so no panacea there either.

I was in NYC the other week and got to stop by In Living Stereo. Hoped to maybe hear Devores for first time ever but didn’t happen. Maybe next time.

Audio Notes with corner placement always one of my favorite sounds at every show I hear them.

Yes the Joseph audio speakers I have heard at shows do provide a very clear window into the sound. Always a fave of mine at shows. Audio note also more along the lines described for Devore.

Ohm Walsh are also very good at not coloring the sound and just allowing whatever is naturally there to come through.

I know what timbre means but what is the "rich" timbre you are looking for?