I believe the dynamic speakers that Steinway made were especially fast but they are most likely out of production. I have Quad 2905’s with newer 2912 panels. I’d recommend the Quad 2912’s depending on your musical preferences. For classical/art music or jazz, they can be breathtaking but playing Rage Against The Machine would be utterly ridiculous. I run my Quads with my ASR Emitter II Exclusive at 250 watts per channel at 8 ohms. This is a perfect match but you can run them with much less. If you buy Quads, buy the 2912’s because those panels are superior to any of their previous panels. As for Sound Labs, definitely if you have the cash flow and room enough for their largest models.
Best speaker brands for transient response
Hello all, first post / longtime lurker on here. I have really appreciated all I've learned from following threads on here -- much appreciated.
I've had three speakers in my house for a few years, and have learned that transient response is the quality I value most. I'm researching upgrade options and would appreciate recommendations on brands.
Currently I have KLH Model 3s, JBL 4305Ps, and JBL Studio 590s. The sealed KLHs are far superior in transient response / speed / attack. The 4305Ps are pretty good (I'm assuming because they're active) and the 590s, while they do a lot of things well, are relative laggards.
I am assuming that on average a sealed design at any given price point will outperform a ported speaker in this area of performance, but I'm sure there are important exceptions.
I'm also curious if more expensive ported horn speakers (Klipsch heritage line, or the JBL 4349 for example) may deliver equal or better in transient response compared to a lower cost sealed speaker because they're using better drivers, crossovers, etc.
Thank you for any feedback / ideas you have.