How many NICE looking high end floor standing speaker are there at present

How many flavors of vodka
 do people like 

JBL Everest DD67000

Well, amazing, all the odds and ends of speaker 'cabinet' designs coming out of the woodworks. Some more familiar, some not so much. 

Many van der Steen (vandy) fans I notice. His creations have come a long way, I understand. Thus since I had the opportunity to pull the 'sock' of one of his then creations. Pretty weird, not my thing, leaving quite an impression though. 😊

As for side firing woofers... bass, as we surely have heard is *not directional*.
Expanding sphericaly - non-directional, yes?
Two side-firing woofers (toward each other), actually reinfore themselfs.
The reason why Dieter Burmester had favoured that principle, he'd said. RIP 2015.
Woofers then also not too close to the floor! As this would interfere with additional bass 'off timing' floor-reinforment. 

Lastly, surely all noticed, percussions/the drum sets, are practically always residing in back of the leading action. Why?
So it socks you not right in the face... front firing? 

BTW, I have the B961 x-over displayed on my system, apparently Linkwitz type, but clearly seperate high/mid and bass portion and with plenty Mundorf caps + bypass-caps, and resistors (Mills and Kiwame). 

So, 🔥... 😉 

Michélle 🇿🇦 

Hey, if you listen in an Eames Chair, these should work well:

https://www.davoneaudio.com/images/lounge/mid-century-modern-danish-design-lounge-ray-speaker.jpg

Or if you aren't afraid to have the feeling someone's watching you:

https://www.cabasse.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Baltic4_1_500.png

How about something from Shahinian Acoustics,  Obelisk, small in stature, big in sound, depending on favorite types of music. Looks not so much like a conventional speaker. With a little more room available, maybe his Hawk assembly. Have both, one in main (Hawks) one in second system. As soon as music starts, they disappear  

It kinda depends on your taste in furniture; some (like me) prefer a minimalist look, whereas others like a more "decorated" exterior. I've been happy sitting looking at my Vandersteen Treo CTs for some years now. All of his speakers except the Model 2 have a similar, slab-sided truncated-pyramid look, and a high-quality exterior finish.

https://www.vandersteen.com/products/treo-ct

My wife would laugh at this thread.  I'll get whatever I want, but I do always think about what she wouldn't mind.  I too like a great auto painted finish right now and I used to build wood furniture for the house and can do veneering (a specialty to say the least).  I use plants to hide the Audioquest Niagara power strip and the Hurricane cords (three large woven cables to make the cord) as well as the double, true bi wire run of speaker cables.  I sent back a pair of granite bases I had custom made for my Vandy Quatro's as they didn't route the bevel the size I told them to.  There are too many great products on the market not to be able to get a speaker that looks great to you (not just you talking yourself into it) and also sounds great.  

I asked my audio buddies this question and so far 5 have come back saying that looks do matter to them just as my as sound does.  I honestly don't feel it's just a gender deal at all.  

Michelle,

In regards to your side-firing woofer bias, Drivers need to work in unison.  A drum set doesn't have the kick drum or the snare drum turned sideways or off to the side to throw the hit a different direction.  Good crossover networks, particularly our electro-acoustic crossovers help all of our drivers work as though they sound as one, not a disjointed or convoluted mess.

• The crossover coordinates it all, like the conductor of a massive symphony orchestra (and choir). Crossovers are judged by their attention to detail, precision and speed. They must live up to an audio ideal: accuracy and transparency, and realistic frequency blending, all achieved by the perfectly engineered slope.
• Paradigm multi-element frequency and phase-coherent crossover networks are purpose-designed for each speaker model. They are handcrafted of high-power, close-tolerance components, like polypropylene capacitors and air-core coils, each selected for their superior performance and reliability.
• Our crossovers are specially "voiced" for enhanced mid-range clarity, with proprietary topology that produces vanishingly low distortion and achieves seamless dynamic integration.
• This kind of precision tuning preserves even the most microscopic sonic nuances, while easily handling the full audio spectrum of even the most challenging sources.
• Paradigm crossovers are engineered to deliver sound of unparalleled purity, precision, clarity, and openness — a sonic performance that virtually eliminates the speaker from the equation, leaving only the sound you want to hear.

Is that enough fire? :)

Respectfully,
Chris

Hi Michelle,

We pack a lot of science and technology in our Persona’s, but can’t speak to what the sonic differences would be relative to your current speakers?

Speakers are instruments and much like a piano, what brand it is and who is playing it and how they are playing it can affect everything. Your Electronics are the person playing the instrument. So, the instrument can either reveal how bad a player they have in front of it, or it can create some magical synergy that works really well.   The instrument will not, however, make up for a person who doesn't play well.  I can elaborate on that analogy much further if needed...

We make every part of the Personas in our Factory in Mississauga Canada with the exception of the Beryllium Tweeter diaphragm and Midrange cone which is supplied by the Materion Corporation here in the US. The Beryllium is mined in Utah and processed in Ohio and put into sheets and formed in California, then ultimately sent to us to mate to our motor systems.

The woofers are actually misleading in terms of output because we have a technology referred to as ART (Active Ridge Technology):

• Standard driver surrounds are unreliable rubber, glued or otherwise adhered to the driver and the chassis. Move too far too fast, and you risk a cone-destroying breach.
• Paradigm’s patented† Active Ridge Technology (ART) surrounds are "overmolded" directly onto the driver cones, and made of audiophile-grade injection-molded thermoplastic elastomer.
• This more durable, more tenacious union between driver and chassis allows for much greater excursion with no chance of breach, ensuring a long life of high performance.
• Added benefit: Drivers attached via ART Surrounds achieve an astounding, measurable 3dB gain in output and 50% reduction in distortion.
• † US patents: D654,479S and 8,340,340B2.

+3dB per driver is the equivalent of doubling the amount of drivers per cabinet from an output perspective, and reduces the amount of distortion due to that improved linearity. You can’t see it, but there is also a port that vents out of the bottom of the cabinet in the gap between it and the base plate.

Our PPA (Perforated Phase Alignment) Lenses which cover the Tweeter & Midrange:

• High frequencies tend to congregate, and can sound muddled, obscuring details and shrouding image clarity. A phase plug guides high frequency response to avoid interaction.
• Paradigm engineers improved on the standard phase plug with their distinctive (and patented†) Perforated Phase-Aligning (PPA™) driver lens.
• Situated in front of the tweeter and midrange drivers, the PPA acts like a phase plug, blocking the interaction of out-of-phase frequencies, smoothing output, and increasing the perception of details without coloring the sound.
• The PPA also serves to protect delicate drivers.
• † US patent: 10,003,869.

Having the Lens Covers adds approximately +1.5dB of added output due to the phase cancellations of the tweeter. These speakers have an incredibly wide dispersion as a result and will still sound really pleasant when moving around a room or sitting off axis. Obviously, when they’re dialed in properly from the main listening position, that is when it’s always the best!

Thank you again for your consideration Michelle and please don’t hesitate to direct message me if you need any further help!

Chris

Now, why don't I like front firing smallish woofers? (in 3 way designs...) 

I subscribe (from own experience) to this finding, that woofers still transmit some degree of >= midrange frequencies, - of course also depending on the type of xover/slope. 

Side firing woofers do this of course also, 8", 10" etc. — BUT it is ~ 90° out of your listening line and thereby pretty much out of ear shot.

That's why.
Let the 🔥 begin, eh? 

Michélle 🇿🇦 

Once you decide on how much you can spend on speakers, the question becomes one of how you want to have that divided between aesthetics and performance.

Vandersteen is probably the king of functionality - spend all the money on performance and when you have your speaker done, stick it in a sock wasting very little of the budget on looks.

Other end? Probably the Italians, but that different weighing of aesthetics over sound is also covered in North America by people like Avalon.

Question is, would you rather have speakers that have the finish of a Stradivarius violin, or one that put more emphasis on sound quality. At any given price level, my preference would always go to performance over beauty.  The only sound room I have that arguably reflects both has Martin Logan CLS which seem to have managed a nice balance of both.

@cbrents73

Yes, your Personas are 'workable' suggestions.
Any greater improvement on B961?!?...

😎 Indeed - may just be, though front firing 6½" woofers, not quite my favourite, neither are dome tweeters really, and of course, I only read some reviews - and pray, who can trust these those days?
But they have something, I dare say. 👍 

Michélle 

I told a violin player I met about the Lawrence Audio Violins. If I played the violin and I was an audiophile, they would be awesome to have in my living room. 

     I really like the looks of my old Snell Type B's. They're unique because they have a rear firing tweeter on the fifth side of the cabinet that is aimed into the center of the soundstage. I'm not aware of any other speakers that do this. This adds significantly to the depth of the sound field.
                      It's already been said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. To add to that; Once a gorgeous sound is heard emulating from ANY speaker (or person), that speaker takes on new life in terms of visual perception. I'll definitely be checking out a pair of Tektons when time permits. Joe

@dpl1 

Nope, Kef blades don't pass my filter. Sorry 🙏 🤗 
Michélle 🇿🇦 

@taww
Thank you for your bringing up your wife's notions and responses, it's like her words on many items mentioned, taken out of MY mouth!
Please say hello, someone else is seconding her take away this stuff. 😏 
Michélle 🇿🇦 

Metoo, it's funny as I'm into personal audio too and am close friends with many IEM designers as well as DAP designers.  Most are in Asia and Europe for those reasons you stated above.  I can't go without my custom in ear monitors when traveling.  I love www.empireears.com as you can customize the face plates etc...  Looks are always important to most as are real world speakers.  It's a big reason my wife said the Vandersteen's work great since they are designed to go up against the wall and aren't boxy and can be painted or in beautiful wood.  

That's why I call them win win speakers.  Even my server is getting a new cool cabinet.  I get to pick the color of anodizing or car paint.  It's often fun to play with the looks of the gear if you can.

KEF Blade or Blade 2 might do the trick for you.

I saw them mentioned in someone’s earlier post, but I will throw our name in this hat, which is the Paradigm Persona’s. The 5F starting at $17k/pr (price depends on customization) is the model in my room (see profile pic) and you can get them in a wide array of colors and with, or without grill covers.

Our Design Studio allows you to customize the speaker much like how you would build a car on any automotive website. You may choose cabinet color, driver color, metal work and lens covers, and three different choices of grill cloth colors which can be added if you don’t like seeing the drivers - and there is a slide allowing you to see the grill on or off of the speaker.

If you don’t see a color you like, for an additional charge, pick a color and supply us the paint code and we’ll match it for the cabinet. I will also mention, the performance exceeds the look. The cabinet colors are illustrations and if you saw a color you think you’d be interested in, we can send the actual color sample to the dealer, if they don’t already have one, so that you can confirm it’s the color you want.

It’s fun to play around and create different looks. Here’s a quick link to build a 5F if you’re curious:

https://design.paradigm.com/en/persona/customize

Our Dealer Locator will allow you to find your closest Dealer if you’re interested in pursuing it further:

https://www.paradigm.com/en/dealer-locator

Good luck in your search and please feel free to reach out if you have further questions. Thank you for your time and any consideration!

Cheers,
Chris

It’s interesting comparing what audiophiles think is acceptable or even “nice” looking to my wife’s opinion - pretty much everything mentioned in this thread gets a “HELL NO” from her. 😂 An exception is Audiovector - she said “this is ok” and I even convinced her to let me put a pair of the big SR 6 ($25k) in our living room. The SR 3 ($10k) is much more compact and even more manageable in terms of WAF. Boenicke is another one that a dealer told me is one of the few he can get spouses to accept, though my wife wasn’t crazy about it. Some Sonus Faber is ok too though too Italian bling for her tastes. Pretty much everything else gets labeled “coffins,” “ugly boxes,” “killer robots” or “DEAR GOD who came up with that” from her.

As others have mentioned, Salk Sound has a large collection of custom built "classic" looking speakers. I've been very happy with my Songtowers. Currently looking at the Song 3 Encores.

@johnread57

 Count what? Life experiences? 🤔 
💐 
Michélle 
PS: do the complainants ever use e.g. WhatsApp? Just makes me wonder. 
What y'all think them things are for then?
Not to use any, or y'all can't find them on yer keyboard... 😉😘🤗 🌈 💥 🌟 💫 LMAO. 

Too many to count.

@mofojo

Hm, got any life experiences to share - in terms of emoji help? 🤔 😣 

Can always consider eating loads of chocolate (Lindt PLEASE!) to create sufficient constipation to keep them emotions all in. 
Not to sure of the health benefits though? 

No idea how you'd do it ?!?

BTW, blogs like this one here, ARE after all are social media - not... academic theses postings for peer reviews.
Ever, at all, noticed there's a minor difference here? At all? 
😘 

Never knew emojis use was a 'Baby Boomer' thing, must be caused by post-ware trauma maybe?

Gotta Google now for 'Psychology of Emoji usage'. 
More food for 💭 hum. 
Michélle... 

PS: Castel(s) in the sky equipped with "Biegewellenwandler" interesting idea, might even improve on life Aeolian harp 'Frohlocken' performance. 😇 LOL. 

LoL, I like the emoji’s; shows spunk and character. I really don’t think she’s a boomer either.

MBL’s are incredible. My favorite! I’ve “only“ heard the 101E mkii though, never the X-Tremes. I heard that there is a gentleman that has 6 Xtremes in his home in new york, set up all around the listening position 😵. Now thats a surround sound set-up that would be engulfing to say the least.

Alsyvox was pretty dang impressive too but my mansion in heaven is MBL all the way through. They are astonishing. I’ve been lucky enough to listen to them for a few hours on two different occasions. The husband / wife distributors for MBL are out of New York and they are awesome! I would have asked their names but everyone is too busy listening to music. I friggin love it. Other rooms at audio shows always have 2 old dudes sitting right behind me talking about what the ate for lunch, clankin’ together their lanyards. The MBL room, everyone is just sitting there dead silent in aww. It probably doesn’t hurt that you couldn’t hear a dang word anyone would say; probably why people shut up and just listen.

It's a boomer thing to talk with many ellipses and emojis

You should consider help for your emoji affliction. 

@b_limo 
🤩 MBL the Berlin "Klang-Schmiede" for "Biegewellenwandler" ja now fine, as we say around here. 
And so why not, eh? 
I've to admit I never had the opportunity being invited to a listening session of those.
They're so 'high-endig' including their other offerings like ½ tone mono-blocks, I've seen in real life in Munich, and ~¼ tone CDPs etc. (at the time) you might add reinforced flooring in your dreams. 😉
In Germany that is strictly pro high-society, kind of going with a chauffeur-driven Maibach and the like. 👋😃
But, you also have to like the idea of  'Omnidirektionale Rundumstrahler' ha, - the German version of surround-sound, methinks. 

There are very 'Deutsche Diskussionen' on the pros and cons of these, and it's my suspicion few discussing it, have never really heard these in real life, and are purely involved in the theory. Sehr deutsch aus das 😃

Of course Burmester GmbH (Gemeinschaft mit beschränkter Haftpflicht) is also in Berlin 'angesiedelt' and they're in a sort of subdued competition with MBL. (We do not discuss each others product merits, OTON MBL Vertrieb). Very good, ja. 😊 

Well, and who knows, sometimes dreams can come true. For you. 

Michélle 🇩🇪... 🇿🇦 

No need to explain, Michelle!  You’re opening statement was “sometimes when I dream...”. Makes me like you even more that you dream about audio gear 😁

These are what I dream about...
https://www.audioemotion.co.uk/mbl-101-x-treme-loudspeakers-479-p.asp

Anywho, it’s fun looking at high end stuff.  No need to apologize.  We all enjoyed giving you our recommendations.  
And, your system is awesome so Kudos on picking out some really cool gear 👍

I am Chris with Böerne Akustik.  We build loudspeakers for those looking for a more classic look (1960's), with customizable details.  Cabinets are comprised of up to 260 layers of veneer.  We customize the grill cloth with our library of images, or with your own creation.  We use a variety of loudspeaker drivers to match the needs of our discerning clients. 
  The more popular choice is our "bookshelf" loudspeaker.  The midbass driver is quasi-open baffle with a horn loaded tweeter, a sealed enclosure with an 8 inch cast frame, carbon fiber subwoofer mounted on the back. The overall loudspeaker dimensions are 14.75 inches tall, 9 inches wide, and 14.5 inches deep. It is designed to work with the minidsp SHD Power.  It also comes with two 250 watt at 8 ohm power amplifiers that are the same 8.5 inch width as the minidsp.  It's a full audio system for around 5K.  You can add other components to your liking.

@gregm

Oh... right, yes well, even made in my present country of residence, they are. At least they were. 

They sure do have a reputation for marvelous sound reproduction. As an aside, so it must have been worth it, to change from custom surfboards to these items. 😉
Still made in Durban, methinks. 

Though talking of looks,... can't recall many, if any, mentionings other than more nice descriptions of weird. (fruit hanging from a Kwazulu-Natal Avo tree?)... 😉 

@ctsooner, 

Many thanks I say, for your charming response, not given to everyone around this here place. 
Yes, of course music, great sounding music MATTERS, no question - but so does presentation of the equipment involved, at least to some, and for sure to me also. 
It's a question of balance - as far as a listening- livining-rooms goes. 
Man-caves / dens / studios etc. I'm not taking about  and can go as way out as can be, they don't qualify as LIVING ROOMS/AREAS as far as I go.
Wanna do stone ugly, freaking weird, etc. to serve some sound ideal, go there, by all means.
But please note, many do not have such luxury, neither do I, neither have most central European folk (were I hail from) either. Most are living in appartments, not out in the country. 

Maybe my bad, not having this all spread out from the onset. 

Michélle 🇩🇪 - >  🇿🇦 ✔️

justmetoo OP123 posts05-28-2020 8:08am@gosta
I see, so 8 inches should be more than just enough, yes? 🤔

Michélle 🇿🇦 Hopefully so, lol.  I honestly have enjoyed this thread as it's not about what sounds best.  Heck, that's so individual too, and we all swear by what we own.  Visual is just as subjective and it's fun to see how folks purchase.  I'm as die hard an audiophile as anyone and folks know how opinionated I can be (can easily be swayed by great sound though).  That said, I must have a speaker that fits my rooms decor or it's a non starter.  I have a really nice home and don't want ugly in the home!  many don't care, but even as a kid I always needed the eye candy with the sound.  Plenty of great options to get both in all price ranges.  That's why I love the fact that many speakers are not longer boxes as they were back in the 70's, lol.  

@justmetoo
For something different looking and, arguably, better (IMO)  sounding than your very worthy 961s, how about the Vivid Audio G series? Here is a taste of what they look like. The performance is excellent and the pricing ruinous -- but we're just speculating--right? Regards

@gosta
I see, so 8 inches should be more than just enough, yes? 🤔 

Michélle 🇿🇦 

The beauty of the speaker is the size of the woofer.

To clarify some possible misconception, did I EVER, AT ALL, mention I's in the state of purchasing a replacement... ? At all?
No, didn't? Scheming/dreaming, yeah, well... 
Women, eh? Eh, eh... 😕

Women think, dream and scheme about plenty of things, without going hardcore follow up, NOW HAVING TO PURCHASE!!! , what ever we THINK about. Ever anyone went along purfume shopping? Puleeese! 🙄

No need to get huffy, as this was at least for myself, a useful enquiry of what the 'market' presently has on offer. This, by getting some feedback from the experts, yes?

My learing right now?
No need to change my 'old' speakers (as yet) given what was suggested. Done. 
This being so, as all this stuff happens to be a most personal, most opinionated decision, always, or? Yes, is! 

No need to act like a bunch of disappointed salesmen. Maybe I'd omitted the emoji for "just browsing" 🤟👀?

Then all please accept my sincere apologies. 🙏 🥴
Michélle 🇿🇦 

@gsm18439
Thank you dear! 😘 

@b_limo 
Righto! 🤩 

@roxy54
Humph! 🙈 

Ta, ta 👋
Michélle 🇿🇦 

@roxy54 , +1 

lol, can’t we accept defeat with this and move on.  She has the speakers that fit her needs.  
Michelle, buy another piece of equipment or some tweaks.  Your speakers are beautiful and more importantly, you love them.  My goodness girl 🤷🏼‍♂️

Discover "Precision in Sound" https://mangeraudio.com
Distributor in the USA: https://mofidistribution.com

German male inventor, German female CEO.
Greetings from the biased Swiss designer.

jkf011: "Why does it matter, at all, what they look like? What they sound like to your tastes is the only thing that should matter."

No. Not even close. 

Another pretty cabinet are the Sonus Faber's.  Most Italian designs are usually pretty.  I'm not going on sound, just designs that are nice looking 

Boenicke is actually the opposite of sterile, go and listen to them if you can. Or read a few reviews. Good luck anyway!

Ok, closing time for me. 
Thanks for all the positive contributions! 
Michélle 

This is sickening. Really.

Ok, take two, @headphonedreams 
Those Bøneke speakers have something, maybe that less US balls-to-the-walls, more understated design approach?
Yeah I'm sure. 
They're 'integratable' into a living space with less intrusive presentation, in my take. 

Why do I now think I've seen this all before? 🤔 
Audio Physic's various midrange designs e.g. AVANTI and such, I'd seen and heard some a few year ago. In a living room environment. 

Did I like then what I heard? 🤔 

Not quite, not really, so why?
Most delicately detailed, bordering on the analytical - a general tendency of German and more North-European offerings,yet again. 

Being hooked up to a Lyngdorf amp (class D ?!?) plus Roomperfect® (digital room correction) using an Electrocompaniet CDP didn't help the presentation in my mind either. 

So now what will those Bøneke sound like?! 😉 
After all, acceptable looks is one thing, if the sound is too sterile we have still the wrong mix. Just to make sure. 

In closing, now to be extra picky, these cabinets, as also those Audio Physiks, are at least by ¼—⅓ to narrow and subsequently a bit to deep, to then achieve the correct volume.
This idea is a slight over-exaggeration about maximum reduced baffel width, in order to make the cabinets audibly vanish. 
Slightly wider would look more 'right' IMO, but then chamfering or rounding off the front panels/baffels.

Just sharing, as like nothing is perfect, eh? 
😘 
Michélle 🇿🇦

Just had my response dumped again. 
Fed-up to redo. Sorry. Low battery to boot. 
😕
M. 🇿🇦 

the wife and I both love the Vandersteen line.  

Owned Treo's and now Quatro's.  Our's are the painted version in Audi Havana Black (you can chose any color you want).  They are stunning and we even put LED 4" drops above them to show off the high metallic finish)

The Keto is a similar sized and shaped cabinet.  The painted 7's are also stunning to many of us with nice lines.

Most speakers to me are strange looking in most rooms.  That's why my wife wanted a speaker that could go up against the wall and I needed a speaker that sounded great for the money.  We were able to get both with the 11 band bass EQ able to dial in the best bass and the speaker was designed to be put close to the back wall while not being too tall in our room (we have a loft space and the back wall is 48" tall or so).  

Do you like the Stilla?

https://www.aequoaudio.com/stilla

Or Boenicke?
https://boenicke-audio.ch/products/loudspeakers/w8/

Or if you triple your budget, these looked spectacular 
http://www.bayz-audio.eu/

@jkf011
Thank you for your plain, straight shooting honesty. 
This is perfectly fine when hiding 'contraptions' like e.g. Eurythmies, either too suggestive of human organs or other unpleasant situations, like say a wake ⚰️ , in a man-cave ⛺. 

Insisting to install such items in a general living area, can bring about frictions, resentment, stomach cramps (not caused by the more usual monthly occurrences) etc. 

Unless training oneself to ignore ones surroundings, which will then also include other folk present.
There is a psychological element at work in ongoinly ignoring unpleasant impressions. I'm surely not saying anything groundbreakingly new. 🙄

I have a suspicion that the most soothing sounds emanating from such items will be insufficient balm to overcome the negtive vibes 😖. 
Food for thought 💭 
M. 🇿🇦 

Why does it matter, at all, what they look like? What they sound like to your tastes is the only thing that should matter. 

Tldr;
To answer the original question, none, since Jadis quit making the Eurythmie.