Have you found your "End-Game" speakers yet? I have. And it feels so good!!!


Yes indeed.  Several years ago, the absolutely incredible Revel Salon 2 speakers finally took me off the speaker merry-go-round.  I do believe that I'll be taking my Revel Salon 2 speakers to the grave with me.  What's your end-game speakers?

kennymacc

I think I have my "forever" loudspeakers in my custom built Linkwitz Orions.  I've never heard anything I like better for voices or acoustic piano.  They have exceptional dynamics as well. 

My listening space is quite large - 30'x42'x12'.  That's a big room.  The other day I was playing a record of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers at full live levels (my wife was out of the house).  I caught them live many times back in the 1980's and I KNOW that sound.  The Orions delivered full dynamics, excellent imaging and detail in a room much larger than most listen in.  That's saying something.

There are other designs I feel audio lust for, but when I crank up the Orions like I did the other day, that lust goes away.  There are other loudspeakers I'd probably like better, but the Orions sound so good I don't care.

I’m extremely happy with my Dynaudio Heritage Special’s , don’t see myself changing them. I can listen for hours with no fatigue. Also at 64 I don’t want big speakers that I can’t move. I live in a smallish apartment, expect I will never own a big house again. I’ve been using the Dynaudio’s with a REL S/510.. even that’s too big. If I can’t move something myself I’ll have to pass. I plan on selling my S/510 and probably getting REL’s new Classic 98. 

Rather than replacing the speakers that I’ve really liked, I’ve simply added more systems around the house. We don’t have a “listening space”. We listen all over the house. So we have systems all over the house, including larger outdoor speakers under the eaves in front and back yards (no neighbors for half a mile). We have over a dozen pairs set up in the house, and we still rotate others in at least every few months. We have found that when the music is what’s involving, not the equipment, it’s possible to really enjoy well designed speakers at modest price points. The least expensive speakers currently set up are JBL L110, the most expensive are JBL again, the Everest DD67000. In between are Tannoys, Salon 2, Dynaudio Heritage Special, Ascend Acoustics Sierra 2EX, Altec Valencia and several others. As my dad used to say at family gatherings, “There’s not a dud in the bunch.” It’s only for particularly demanding pieces of music (Bach organ concerti or extremely dynamic orchestral works, for instance) that the Everests or 4350s might be required. At any rate, the system that gets the most use could be replaced for about $3k - Akitika preamp, Elekit 300b SET amp, Altec Valencia speakers. Bedroom system, it averages 6-8 hours per day.  That system would meet most people’s requirements 95% of the time.  The other 5% is what drives us to the insane level OCD behavior that we exhibit.

Ariel Acoustics 7T's driven by ARC components have been "berry, berry good to me."  We are moving to a new house this month, and I am looking forward to setting things up in a new catherdral ceiling venue.  Some acoustical improvements to the room, and the addition of a pair of REL subs should expand my contentment.  At 75, the balance between my listening, photographic acquisitions, and various automotive conveyances is complete (who said that?!).  I hope to expire many years from now whilst sitting in The Chair  like the guy in the 80's Maxell commercial.  Yippee!

@skinzy - Thank you for launching this thought exercise for me. Winning the lottery at this point would probably result in:

  1. A tithe
  2. Retiring
  3. Ensuring kid’s education is funded.
  4. Taking care of a couple of friends in need.
  5. Building all the woodworking projects I have in mind.
  6. Travel.

If I were twenty years younger, this would be augmented by probably second and third homes and a large system for one of them built around tubes (Audio Research) and vinyl (and a request to @ghdprentice and @mikelavigne for lots of guidance). Somewhere in there we would get around to price-no-object speakers…Along the way, I would want to try Klipschorns and La Scalas, big Maggies with subs, and one or more electrostatics—all to satisfy about 45 years’ worth of curiosity. I imagine that this would be lots of fun and incredibly time-consuming. I might even venture into the world of hoity-toity cabling and vibration isolation for non-turntable items.

Since I am not twenty years younger (I am 61), I would rather spend the time and energy I have left on woodworking projects and travel, rather than amassing lots of gear that will eventually be a burden to my son after I move on.

AND—since I am not going to win the lottery, I am very thankful to have the system I have, which checks all my boxes and puts a smile on my face every time I turn it on.