@inna Tell me your speakers and I'll tell you who you are

Vandersteen 2Cs

Tom

Gershmann Acoustics Sonogram

Well I can do that! Your monikers are easy to see :)

noromance, you distorted my message by omitting the last part of it - "..though you might not want to listen ".

My point was, in fact, that I believe that biggest frustrations with one’s system originate in the wrong choice of speakers, which in turn indicates insufficient awareness of oneself and one's goals. There is absolutely nothing in essense you can do to fundamentally change the way speakers sound. They are what they are. It’s easy to greatly improve the sound they make or screw it up completely, but basically it will remain the same.

Tell me what speakers you choose and why and I'll tell you who you are. You might not want to listen, though.

@inna Never intended to distort or offend. I took it at face value and as a big claim. Thought it would make a fun thread. 

Fun thread for sure....

Vandersteen 7 Mk2 in Audi Phantom Black Pearl

Ralph my moniker takes some fishing about to deciper...but as some think ( wrongly ) I must be named Tom....

Jim

4 ohm Magnepan 1.7 w Krell KAV 250a
You don't have to tell me I know :)  I'm one bad mofo :):)

noromance, I just corrected what you said, that's all.
I actually sort of rephrased a famous expression mentioning " your best friend ". 

Auratone Super Sound Cubes.

So you assume we're all frustrated with our speakers?

I said "biggest frustrations". You distort my words too. Where did you learn it, I wonder ? And I didn't say "all".

Vienna Acoustics Mozart Grands

You say what?

Audio Note AN-J/lx.

Newbie here. Didn't really get to choose. Best friends made me a deal on Mirage M1's and a Cary V8i. Found a Audio Research SP11 and I'm off to a good start!

Vandersteen Treo CTs

Wilson Audio Watt/ Puppies
And I disagree- speakers do sound different with different amps.  I drive my WA with Krell- a killer combo!

Vandersteen Treo CTs with two 2wq subwoofers

Tell me what speakers you choose and why ....

Daedalus Ulysses, in quarter sawn white oak solid hardwood.

Why:

1)Top-notch sound quality.
2)Wide dynamic range, specifically the ability to cleanly reproduce the peaks of well-recorded classical symphonic music, which on some of the recordings in my collection can reach 105 db at the listening position.
3)Doesn’t require a high-powered amplifier to do so.
4)Doesn’t require a subwoofer.
5)Tube-friendly impedance characteristics; great versatility with respect to amplifier selection.
6)Good imaging.
7)Elegant, refined appearance that is a reasonable match to my wood-panelled 1950s living room.
8)A price that is considerably less than that of a new car.

Regards,
-- Al

Custom ETON Arcosia and Symphony II based Tyler Acoustic D1X. Why? Wanted a sound customized to my tastes and to own something unique. I was able to bypass the insane markup that would have come with getting a brand name speaker with drive units of this quality.

Vandersteen 4A - because they were one of the best all round performers back in the late 80s /early 90s despite the tri wire/biamping complexity

Martin Logan (original) CLS - because the mid range is sooo perfect on acoustic material - jazz, classical, and voice.

Wilson Maxx 2 - because they were the biggest slice of full range reality I could afford.

What pigeonhole do I fit into - I still use and enjoy them all.

Daedalus Argos V2s in walnut solid hardwood

1) a speaker that would work with both SET and parallel push tube amps, as well as solid state. 
2) sound quality, dynamic range and imaging
3) furniture grade cabinet craftsmanship

Wilson Sophia 3, Purist Dominus cables

Magnepan 1.7s augmented by Mirage MM8 small (9" cubes), sealed, very fast subwoofers. Happy with this combo for 4+ years so far.

Lowther Fideleo's with sub. Why: No crossover (except for the sub), high efficiency (sounds great with high quality class a low powered mono amps), transparent, three dimensional, image well with wide deep sound stage.

Magneplanar Tympani-IVa, but my current (and in all likely hood permanent and final) music room is not big enough for them. So I have to get along on Quad ESL and Eminent Technology LFT-8b & LFT-4 loudspeakers, augmented with GR Research/Rythmik OB/Dipole Subs. Not all at the same time, you understand!

Inna, your comment: “There is absolutely nothing in essense you can do to fundamentally change the way speakers sound. They are what they are.“

This is supposed to be a joke, right? There are many things that can change the sound of your speakers: speaker positioning, room, amp power, and more. 

If I put a speaker with a port in the back up against the wall, you don’t think the bass will change if you move the speaker out feet into the room?
say you own a pair of Wilson Alexia 2 or Maxx 3 speakers and you drive them with a 100 watt onkyo receiver, don’t you think the speakers will sound better if you are using a Solution or a 1000 watt McIntosh amp?

The key word is "fundamentally".
I have Michael Green Audio free resonance speakers, also called controlled resonance speakers. They have their limitations, but I don't listen to big scale music and anything at a very high volume.
Michael believes, as I do, that speakers are not only devices but also musical instruments. However, the full realization of this concept is I think nearly impossible. This should be the kind of instrument capable of reproducing all instruments in a convincing manner with full power.
Aside from rhythmical instruments, I like string instruments, starting with the most basic that each of us has - voice. I don't want stuffed speakers or excessively braced speakers, I want them to move and breath. These speakers are also very sensitive to even small changes in the system anywhere - I like it too. Vifa drivers in them are not bad at all, the crossover could've been made better, I suspect, there is some congestion in there somewhere, I guess. Coherence is good. Powerful and tuneful bass from that 8" driver with my amp but not overpowering. Excellent speed and dynamics, involving sound. Not the highest resolution or imaging sharpness but enough for me. Deep layered soundstage with the right cables and power cord on the integrated. Michael's used to be top of the line Chameleon speakers are great if you like this kind of sound, they were made in very limited numbers and personally voiced by him.

Speakers are musical instruments? That is the single most anti-hi-fidelity statement I have ever heard! Speakers reproduce the sound made by musical instruments, a VERY different thing from producing that sound in the first place. Musical instruments make sound unique to each instrument, each with it's own unique timbre and character. Speakers, ideally, have no sound of their own---a perfectly transparent, uncolored reproducer.

Anyway, speakers is a woman, woman sings, so the choice is all important.She should not be perfect or she will sound artificial, too correct and boring. At least, that's my 'animalistic' view.

@inna & the OP....*G*  This strikes me as a form of reading tea leaves or the lines in ones' palms...'subject to interpretation'. ;)

...but I'll 'lurk' and watch....*S*  Please do continue...

This kind of argument has been going on forever.

In addition, it’s very much speakers/room unit. Do you want to eliminate room ’coloration’ too ? Real instruments also have coloration, not only color. How about eliminating that as well ? You will get ’perfect sound forever’ that I personally won’t listen to. And concert hall interferes big time.
By the way, Michael tunes studios and concert halls, he must have a pretty good sense and hearing.

The biggest challenge with this approach, as I can see it, is that they can't take too much power and get overwhelmed. Michael himself acknowledges this.
So, if I listened to mostly orchestral and choral music, and hard rock, I would want something else, Gryphon speakers maybe.

With all of the pricey gear you discuss on the threads for some reason I was expecting your speakers to be on a cost no object level.

Not at all. But I am mostly interested in very high level equipment. I would also have no problem driving my $3k or so speakers with $16k Gryphon Diablo 300 or $25k Ypsilon Phaethon integrateds. And I do like Lansche speakers, whatever their design approach is. For now Redgum RGI120 integrated with Dominus power cord on it does a pretty good job in a medium size room. And I am now burning in a new $1500 retail interconnect that goes from $1200 phono stage. into the Redgum. Very promising. So I try to go as high as possible, but with speakers especially I see little for myself in the middle or I would've already upgraded. 

Design is one thing but I am impressed by how much sound you can get out of inexpensive speakers with good drivers with increasingly higher level electronics and cables, even leaving a decent but modest source untouched.

Source Loudspeaker Technologies 7211's
2-  Source Technologies HVS 10 Subwooofers

Currently Within three listening rooms there are Klipshorns,Duntech Soverigns and Paul Paddock designed Linaeum LT1000. Chosen for each unique design, room size,corner availability and power requirements. All driven by triode tube amps. 

Magnepan 1.7is! love the design, great open sound stage, true to music!
Finally a thread that's fun!!

PBN Montana EPS-2.

Merlin Excalibur...bi-wired with two McIntosh 7270's used as monoblocks. Also have a pair of Bozak 410b Concert Grands with a McIntosh MC300 I used for anything pre-digital age!!.

My other speakers which I use in a second rig are Spendor SP2/2. Less transparent than my Quads but solid. Powered by Croft Micro 25 pre and refurbed EICO HF35 monos and Clear Day shotgun silver cables. Love the British BBC sound on this rig.

inna - " the wrong choice of speakers, which in turn indicates insufficient awareness of oneself and one’s goals"

The more I read that statement I have to laugh , there are more important issues in life that would cause introspection into one's awareness of oneself than the wrong choice of speakers. Time to lighten up

Hi everybody!

This could be a funny thread if some people ( it looks like inna doesn't want to do it! ) give their reading of what kind of person we are considering our speakers.

I read on this forum since a few years and I generally find people's comments infomative and interesting; hi-fi is such an interesting hobby. So I decided to jump in this Forum hoping to share some of my "very humble knowledge" and true passion. I will try to introduce myself in another thread ...


Like bdp24, I have a pair of Tympani IVa ( and also a pair of IV ) ...

( as a side note, I am very happy about Magnepan reintroducing that big layout with the 30.7 ... )

the Bozak dude is big, muscular and digs big furniture....

....*smirk*...effer, facten, Yes, 'This' ought to be 'fun'.... ;)

I was hoping for:

"Vandys, huh....I'll bet you drive a late model Volvo with a 'merican 2nd...house, mid-80's 'ranch', landscape 'in progress' (but whose isn't?), reno'd kitchen..."

*Big Mock Sigh*tongue deep in cheek*L*

I was hoping for: Quad ESL57 - You lot are all the same. Thinking you’re better than the rest of us with your midband female jazz vocals and your DIY cables. Your car is paid for and serviced every 6000 and there are boxes of screws of every sort arranged in oily boxes deep in your basement workshop. You love your dog more than your wife because he gets you.