Have you ever tried a pair of speakers and said this Is the last thing I will ever need.

Hi Jake
I've been an audio fool for a long time now! I have finally found a speaker that I believe is a lifer!!! It's custom built by a master speaker builder that is an ex Focal employee. He builds speakers under the brand name TFLO. Located near Edmonton Alberta Canada. I'm so happy with these speakers I don't believe I'll ever get tired of them. I've compared them to $20,000 speakers & to me these are better. What's great about them is that I purchased these at a fraction of that cost. 
Cheers, 
Ivan

Looking to replace my aging B&W 801 Nautilus speakers, I did a little research and discovered that Vandersteen 7, Revel Salon 2,  802 B&W D3 or the Kef  Blade would be very good contenders.  I even toyed with Magnepans. That is, until I came across information on the JBL M2 Reference Monitors which are wave guide, compression driver, active speakers (DSP crossover in Crown amps)  meant for professional music and film  production.  On a lark, I  purchasing a pair at my local Guitar Center along with the required pair of stereo Crown amplifiers (Class I) for about $11,000, a 50% discount.  Later I supplemented this with another Crown amp and a JBL Sub 18 which was made to be mated with the M2.  This unconventional system has 6x2500 watts (bridged for sub), and the dynamic range, even at relatively modest volume, is remarkable.  After painstakingly locating the speakers, sub, and listening position, and thoughtfully installing acoustical room treatment, it is the best system I have personally ever heard.  I can't see replacing it anytime soon.

Mirage M3si (two pairs for two separate rooms)

Goldenear Triton One

i once heard a pair of Martin-Logan Prodigy and they blew me away; I may someday seek some M-L but the M3's and Tritons will always stay.

Wow fell in love with Meridian have home theater in my basement all DSP speakers and bass. Simple love it. Would not change it just love the way it sounds(goosebumps) brings my music to life. Allows bass to live inside me. In living room over the last year I have fallen in love with the Theta 3HD which I purchased last year.Which brings me to the my newest love the B&W HTM1D center 802D fronts and 803D rears my God I will not change any speaker for these that I have the only thing I am upgrading is the Theta 3HD to the Theta 4(Thanks Craig @ TheaterMax)So I have chasing this sound that I have since I went to the movie theater to see Hard Days Night and heard If I Fell all over the movie theater. Now I have that sound. Peaceful.

dbphd
The venerable AR turntable was the understated bargain of the 20th century. Mine had an Empire 999E cartridge. I toyed with the idea of adding a Rabco SLT, but life got in the way. Your V15 was another hallmark.
Good stuff.
g

Sound Labs. Maybe my vintage pair won’t last as long as something newer and the newer ones will be compatible with lower powered amps, but I sonically, I can’t ask for anything more. They leave all my prior speakers and most others I have heard in the dust and it usually isn’t that close. I could upgrade all other components many times over and I don’t think the Sound Labs would ever be a weak link.
I’ve had multiple visitors who own more expensive speakers leave with jaws agape and more than one who said, "I’ve got to figure out how to get some Sound Labs." Cheers,
Spencer

Unless I move into a smaller room, I will keep my Monitor Audio PL500 II's. Not perfect, but boy do I enjoy them!

Yes, but it was a big DIY hornspeaker and that is the last thing I'll ever need. I have compared Gryphon Tridient II  to my horns, at The Gryphon sound like a small toy box. Even the mighty Beolab 90, falls short compared to 110db/w horns 😉

The Schlagermeister...building the horns...crossing them over...Schlagerella!!  Nice job

I home auditioned a pair of Ohm Walsh micro talls and was so impressed that I traded up to the Walsh 1000's.  They throw a great soundstage and give everything a sense of space between instruments that I never quite heard with other speakers.  I believe that John Strobeen has achieved sonic holography with his speakers.  If I had the cash, I would but a pair of the Walsh 5000's and a better amp and be done with it.  Amazing and fairly affordable!

I feel that way about my Pass amps....XA 30.8 and SIT-2. 

"Have you ever tried a pair of speakers and said this Is the last thing I will ever need."

Sure, lots of times.

Have you ever tried a pair of speakers and said this Is the last thing I will ever need.

No
I have this known problem with speakers. It's the same problem some women have with shoes. Actually my problem is with boats too. So sound waves and water waves. Never met a speaker (or boat) that caught my eye/ear, that I did not like, want, and could not make float in my room/lake. So for speakers I had to stop going to shows and B&M Audio Dealer Salons a long time ago. I am down to two rooms set up with two main speakers, and some other (speakers) are hiding around the house. They have brought me pleasure, so I can't bear to part with them. I will just say that it is much easier to hide speakers than boats.

Hi all! I think this maybe my first post :)
The answer is yes. I own a black set of Sonus Faber Amati Futura and use them regularly in my "A" system. I honestly cannot see myself needing more or feeling short changed if I hear better. Its a nice place to be. I have a "B" system with a lot of valves running, and that'll be my tinker den.

I'll probably never upgrade from my Canton Ergo 1002DCs. Mainly because I'm retired and I'll never have that much in discretionary funds again. But I have a lot more time to enjoy my large music library and to shop vicariously through your posts.

I think that to have the response that it will be the last speaker I will ever own, will be after I had listened and owned many speakers and I finally found a very high quality, expensive design that is a keeper. 

I'm probably going to horrify most of the folks on this thread. 

I started out in audio when I was 14 with a Lafayette pair of speakers, integrated amp and a Garard table with a Stanton cartridge. 

When i was 23, I swapped a pair of Warfdale bookshelfs for a pair of Altec Lansing 604Cs. 

I added rhe Mastering Lab Crossovers. 

I've had the 604Cs for 39 years. I'll have 'em for another 39 years. Nothing beats em for the money, or at a price multiple of 20 times the amount that I have ever heard. Nothing comes close, IMO. 

Also: There's something to be said for your ears getting tuned to a pair of speakers. I don't know why that concept never comes up. 

Tuned ears?  That explains my lifelong pursuit to get the sound back that I heard from my brothers Bozak B-313's!  Only recently have I got together a combination that delivers the emotional content with the increased fidelity of modern design.

Sure.  Quad ESL 57s.  After a few weeks I added Townsend supertweeters and a pair of REL subwoofs, but basically ... it was the perfect system.

If I get rich again, I'll buy a newly refurbished stacked set of 4 from Quads Unlimited (or the German co.).  Cost will be well under 10G.

 

I researched speakers for about two years before making my final decision on a pair of B&W  N802's which I bought brand new in 2005 from the good folks at Audio Classics and they are still my main speakers. I have no regrets at all with these speakers and they will never leave my system. Oh, I have other speakers, but these beauties will remain with me until the end and will be left to my son.

Btw, I recently had my Altecs rebuilt: new accordion surround, woofer, spider, high frequency driver. Caps in the Mastering Lab crossovers replaced with Jensen foils. 

Made a difference, even though there was nothing wrong with anything, if judging just from appearance. 

ProAC K6's

Sound Labs. Maybe my vintage pair won’t last as long as something newer and the newer ones will be compatible with lower powered amps, but I sonically, I can’t ask for anything more. They leave all my prior speakers and most others I have heard in the dust and it usually isn’t that close. I could upgrade all other components many times over and I don’t think the Sound Labs would ever be a weak link.

Did you get the update offered a few years ago? It makes the speaker a lot easier to drive (and it sounds better, but that is likely because the amp isn't working so hard). 

(its also possible to modify the older crossovers pretty effectively and at very low cost; either way once done you can do with a 100 watt amp what used to take about 250 watts...)

My speakers at home are the Classic Audio Loudspeakers model T-3.3

They are 16 ohms and 98 db 1 watt/1 meter, with solid bandwidth from 20Hz (dual 15" Alnico magnet woofers) to 35KHz. The crossovers have 6db slopes and use Mundorf silver and gold foil capacitors. The midrange is handled by a custom compression driver that employs a beryllium diaphragm with a Kapton surround, mounted to a custom horn, electromagnetically powered. Its first breakup is at 35KHz; people often comment how "electrostatic" they seem as they are so fast and transparent, but I can drive them like crazy with only 60 watts.

These are some of the smoothest and most detailed speakers I've heard and some of the very few that with a single amplifier can get the bass right. They do all the things you want a speaker to do, and do it without the need for high power, although I find that in my room with my taste 60 watts is a lot more fun. I have a set of little 7-watt power amps based on the type 45 power tube but I really find that the extra power makes a pretty big difference. I like to play things in a lifelike manner and it takes a bit of power, finesse, dynamics and bandwidth to really get Wagner or Massive Attack really right. 

Not really. I wish I could stop looking   SJ

PBN Montana Loudspeakers - XPS on the way...

I said i would never upgrade from my pbn eps2's....but i did stay loyal to the company! PBN rocks, superlative sound transparency and dynamics are off the chart....would highly recommend to a very serious audiophile into both music and movies...

Infinity Kappa 9

My most recent forever speaker was just delivered and setup in my house a couple of days ago. The Vandersteen Quatro CT. I will have more to say later. Listening to music right now.

I have a couple of pairs of speakers that I don't have any desire to upgrade.  I got a pair of Thiel 3.7s about 5 years ago that are fantastic.  They don't have any weaknesses really.  I've also got a pair of custom built ATC 110 ASLs that I bought from a classified ad.  I feel these two pairs of speakers complement each other nicely.  The Thiels excel at smaller scale stuff and sound fantastic at low/moderate volume.  The ATCs like to be played loud and are great with rock and large scale classical. 

I agree with pryso, my Janszen zA2.1 speakers are keepers. Other gear has rotated in and out of my room until now. I have found the perfect amp and pre to complement these wonderful speakers.

Klipsch La Scalla! Enjoying them right now! I've had them about a month along with a new "demo" Prima Luna Prologue Premium w/EL34s. The Klipsch remind me of Martin Logan CLS they are so coherent. An absolutely HUGE soundstage presentation and midrange to die for. Not the most extended treble but adequate to be sure.
I'd love to hear these with diamond coated beryllium diaphragms and a powered subwoofer in the lower cabinet (with DSP room correction of course!). These speakers are so juicy-good (but gigantic) -I think they'll be around for a while (got to get some Townshend Super Tweeters).  

I never got off the merry-go-round, I sort of fell off!..................
 

i haven't changed speakers too much over the years and not once after i got my Klipschorns set up about 15 years ago. These were always my top of the hill, and was very pleased with them. Not everyone likes Khorns but to me, they always filled my room with excellent sound. However, 3 years ago, i moved and my home just did not have a room that i could install these in. So i had to find something different. To my luck, i was able to snag a set of Audio Physics Caldera II. These are paired with my new Pass system (xp10 and xa30.8) and i must say, i do not miss the Khorns. Not sure i will ever need or want another set of speakers, but in the hobby, you never say never

Going on 30 years now and every time I would say it she would shake her head and laugh.

I started off with one system. I built the enclosures and it sounded similar to the Infinity IRS at the time, as demonstrated by Arnie Nudell at a show (my system had two Cerwin-Vega 18" subs, I think the model is 320D). Then I started another system with some LS3/5A's but felt these lacked in dynamics, even with an M&K subwoofer. As multichannel became popular later I started some systems with those connected to TV's. I am now up to nine systems spread over two houses and I find that different approaches yield sounds in the various systems that have qualities that are outstanding in different areas. Ribbons really do violins very well. Horns are quite dynamic, but the frequency balance and awareness of the different drivers are weaknesses. I really like subwoofers, but some integrate better with systems than others. I have ten subwoofers spread out over the systems. Multiple systems are fun!

JM Labs Daline 3.1. 

@fstary "Horns are quite dynamic, but the frequency balance and awareness of the different drivers are weaknesses."

I was expecting this with my new Klipsch La Scalla IIs. I'm happy to report these are some of the most natural and coherent speakers I've ever heard. They deliver scale on another level of largeness -even at low-volume they sound "big". They are excellent at differentiating the texture and timbre of different instruments -emphasis on "articulate". Bass, while not "Powerful", is very natural especially with orchestral music and Jazz -it is what you would hear at a Club or Symphony Hall.

On YouTube, a twenty-something young man posted a video with the title: Klipsch La Scala II - It Seems No Other Speaker Compares To It

He may be onto something?

Interestingly enough the first time I "tried" the speakers I now own I did not care for them.  They were slow, bloated and lacked dynamics.  Most likely the amplifier used was not a good match.
Fast forward a couple years and the Harbeth C7ES3 are not going anywhere.  

I know better. They’ll plant me with new speakers position properly in my casket.

Yes.  My B&W 703 that I bought 14 years ago
 
Sure there are better and more expensive speakers but they play full range , cover all sound qualities & genres and look nice. I intend  it to be my last speaker.

Yes- Thiel CS 2.4/2.4 SE loudspeakers.

Well there sure have been speakers that I would probably like more than what I have but to be honest I am very satisfied with my Ref 3a Decapo BEs with REL sub. After almost 4 years and plenty of tweeking and fine tuning they are sounding quite "right" in my space and right to me has always been the goal. When it is "right" boredom doesn't reveal it's ugly head so much. Of course the room is always the biggest determining factor with speaker choices IME. Much attention has been given to this and the efforts have realized significant improvements.

I have a vintage amp and a 6sn7 tube preamp that sing together all ready for a pair of Quad speakers, 57's or 63's, I wouldn't care. The only problem is I don't have another room to set up for that. The Quads and Soundlabs still provide the most natural, transparent and timbrally accurate sound I have heard. They can be profound in communicating a performance. Maybe in the main room at some point in the future. Other than those speakers I find the Decapos fabulous in my room and with my components, they are also superb communicators.

When I first heard the Andra Eggleston I said speaker for life....I still have them, they are good on piano. And more,then I started collecting monitor speakers....    I have the the following speakers I rotate them monthly...                                 Diapason adamantes, norh 9.0 modified, Technics Sb 700, Omega 3i, wharfadale 10.1 and 10.2, ElacB6. Pioneer sb 21 and sb22....

You know something Jayctoy, there is something about monitors that is really appealing, at least to me. They can really draw you in, probably the simplicity of design without the heroic efforts that can frequently distract. Often I sense that audio becomes too complicated in trying to achieve more than can be realized, overstating and under performing in the process. Your point about collecting monitors and rotating them says a lot, I hear you.

@jayctoy Why would you rotate, let alone so many? Do they differ in strengths/weaknesses that much? Surely something stands out as superior to your preferences, whatever they happen to be. Different strokes...cheers,
Spencer

@tubegroover  Funny, I used to own Quad ESL63USAs and now listen to Sound Lab A3s. The former were so limited in what they do well compared to the latter that I can't bare to see them mentioned together. The Quads were a one trick pony(i.e. midrange-centric small scale), but yes they do it great. The Sound Labs are transformative every day on countless recordings. 
If you ever get near Philly, come on over...cheers,
Spencer

Thank you Spencer, I’ll take you up on that offer next time I'm in the area. My roots are there, plenty of family, born in Chester. I agree with you on your two points in that the Quads I mentioned are both one trick ponies and the Soundlabs are  full range but a bit too large for my space, at least my wife would say as much so probably a nonstarter which isn't to say that I haven't lusted over those speakers since the first time I heard a pair of A3's more than 25 years ago, thanks again for your gracious offer!

Will

For my taste and room, I recently upgrade from the Paradigm Studio to the signature s1v3  with a sub,  I think I am very satisfied, no feeling of "something is missing" as before. The searching finally stops.

  My answer to your question is "Yes, until something else comes along."