Personal speaker evolution

First real speaker in 1977: Klipsch Heresy. Then it goes: Acoustat 2 (1981); Acoustat 1+1 (1986); Martin Logan CLS original (1988), then updated to CLS II (1989-lost some magic); Magnepan 3.3R (1990); Magnepan 3.6R (2000) w/Mye stands. Toying with the idea of Wilson Sophia 2's next. But giving up that ribbon tweeter would be tough...

epi-small bookshelf
advent 5012
bose 901
boston acoustic vr 30
boston acoustic vrm 60
boston acoustic vrm 90

very recently i bought a cary sli 80 integrated amplifier from my local dealer in northwest pennsylvania and i have been wanting to try something that is more tube friendly than my boston vrm 90's,there is not much in my area to audition so i will most likely have to plan a trip to buffalo/pissburgh/cleveland and visit some other shops to hear what they have

sorry for my spelling error in the above post

DCM Timewindows; Mission 770's; Martin Logan Quest Z's; Martin Logan Prodigys; Dynaudio Evidence Temptations...

Boston Acoustics BA 70s
Boston Acoustics Subsat II
CSW Tower IIs
Next??
(I'm getting ready for a new two-channel setup. So, on deck possibly Revel, B&W, Paradigm)

Interaudio by Bose XL 4000
Bose 601 III series
ESB 706/II
Dynaudio Special One with Dynaudio Stands
Martin Logan Sequel II
Rogers LS3/5
Monitor Audio Monitor One
Clements RT7 Reference
Audio Physic Step SLE With SLE Stands
Avalon Monitor with Avalon Stands

At this time I use a pair of
Avalon Monitor with Avalon Stands and Clements RT7 Reference

From oldest to current: Radio Shack $60.00, Klipsch KG2 $300.00, Celestion SL6S $800.00, Quad ESL 63 $1200.00. I still have the Quads and nothing I have heard since has made me want anything different.

1975 - AR-3a
1985 - JSE Model 1
1998 - Coincident Conquest
2000 - B&W SCM-1
2003 - B&W Nautilus 804
2003 - Coincident Total Victory
2005 - Fab Audio Model 1
2007 - Quad ESL-57

After 30 years of upgrading I finally upgraded to a 50 year old speaker. It's the one I should have started with.

Polk Audio SDA 1B
Polk Audio SDA SRS
Polk Audio SDA SRS 1.2 TL
Carver AL-III
Polk Audio SDA SRS 3.1 TL
Tyler Acoustics Linbrook Signature System
Have had a few monitors on the side also, with the Von S. VR-1 being the best I've had.

1. Generic 12"3-way 1974-77
2. ESS AMT-4 1977-1982
3. ESS AMT-1AM 1982-1989
4. Infinity Kappa 8 1989-1994
5. The above Infinities with reworked wiring,cabinets, and crossovers 1994-1997
6. Infinity IRS-1b 1997-2007 -would still have if not for moving to smaller room.
7. JM Lab 937Be 2006-2007 Also amazing-wouldn't work in smaller room.
8. Maggie 3.6R with mye stands and dual JM Lab 800S subs 2007-still too big for room but easier to work with.
9. Above maggies with upgraded wire, posts, crossovers. 2007-3. Closing in on the 1bs...

A pair of Q force portable speakers
A pair of Casio fullrange surround speakers (tinny sound)
A apair of lloyds one way fullrange speakers (lack of bass)
A pair of GPX one way bass reflex bookshelf speakers (similar driver but richer and bassier sound)still have em
A pair of 2-way RCA bookhelf speakers (a bit dull sounding but oh well)
A pair of 3 foot tall one-way soundesign speakers (they have bass, and sound just as good as a pair of Decent 2-way bookshelf speakers) I had to put them on the shelf with the stereo because my dog is an diot and might chew on the speakers and ruin the wood./VARNISH WHICH IS TOO SHOCKING!!!

or worse chew away the foam grill and eat the paper driver!
My dog barks at the speakers whenever I turn it up.

posted by Raymond,

I love these threads! :-D

The first speakers I had were Fisher crappitycraps from Monkey Ward's. My dad had (and I now have) Fisher products from the middle '60s (tube tuner and SS integrated). I didn't realize at the time that Fisher wasn't The Fisher anymore... I've no idea how much money I got ripped on those. They were tall and had many drivers, but they definitely sucked.

Those were replaced by Pinnacle PN-7s. Great sound, too small, insufficient power capacity. (POP!)

Then Mirage M-490s for $550. They were the largest Mirages that weren't bipolar and I could afford them (just). (I think it's weird that I never liked the bipolar Mirages but I love dipolar ESLs.) Other speakers I was looking at were Kappa 6 or 7 or Acoustat hybrids for at least double the price.

Then I got my MartinLogan Sequels. I'll not say what I paid for them as I don't want to have a negative effect on the used ML market! :-D Suffice to say that they were reasonably priced, in wonderful condition (I honestly don't think they were ever played loud enough to break them in!), and they're mine and will continue to be probably even after I get another set of MLs or Magnepans or Acoustats or Vandersteens or whatever else. If I ever get something else... what I need right now is an amp. Anyone have a couple hundred Watts per channel of tube sound on the cheap? :)

1. Fresh out of college (1989) - Yamaha NS10M monitors
2. B&W 300 series surround system w/Atlantic Tech sub
3. Dynaudio Audience surround system w/Velodyne sub
4. Soliloquy 6.2 floorstanding monitors
5. Silverline Sonata II floorstanders
6. Dynaudio 1.3SE monitors w/REL Storm III sub
7. Dynaudio Confidence C2 floorstanders w/REL Storm III sub

1. Fisher's in 1976 89.00/pr
2. B & O S35's 320.00/pr
3. Klipsch Heresy 1000.00/pr
4. NHT 2.5i 1200.00/pr
5. B & W 601 with Velodyne sub 1500.00
6. B & W 805 with velodyne DD12 4000.00
7. B & W 804S with DD12 5500.00
8. Downsized to B & W CM7 and velodyne Spl1200r 2800.00

These have been my main speaker systems over the past 30 years or so.

- Olson 8” 2-ways, maybe $60 new one of their warehouse sales. Those were the days.
- Fisher ST460’s(?), about $400 new. Big mothers w/15” woofers and cast metal horn tweets.
- DCM Time Window 1A’s, $660 new. Quite a step up.
- Added Sontek subs built from plans in Speakerbuilder. Used Becker 15’s
- Martin-Logan Sequel 2’s, $500 new. Bought at Roadway salvage store.
- Custom B-G RD75 system using 24 SFI Dynapleats per side for midwoofs. Total cost about $1,400.
- *Shahinian Diapason’s, $1,750 used. I’ll proably die with these.

Here are a few significant others that I have owned, or currently own but were never really primary systems.

- *Shahinian Obelisks (early (80’s), used $500.
- Infinity RS-2.5’s, used $450.
- Bose 901 III’s, used $150.
- *Eosone ??, used $50. Big floor standers.
- *Innotech D-24’s, used $200.
- *Altec Corona’s, used. Got these in trade for some Mac gear.
- *VMPS RM-1’s, used $400.
- EV Centurions, used $600.
- JBL C40’s, used $500.
- Signet SL-260’s, used $5.
- *Def Tech ??, used $300. HT setup, 2 towers, CC, surrounds and 15” sub.
- *Vero Soundwave ??, used $265. Big 5-sided 8” 2 ways with wide dispersion.
- *Shahinian Hawk woofers w/Super Elf’s, used $700.
- *Shahinian Elf’s, used $275.

I still own those with an asterisk.

Plus a plethora of others with varying pedigree.

Well let's see..........

1.Epos
2.Green Mountain Audio
3.Thiel 1.2, 3.6
4.Martin Logan
5.ProAc
6.Audio Physic Virgo II and III
7.SF Cremona
8.SF Guaneri Memento (Current and an "exit" product for me)

May have missed some, but that is what I recall atm....

NHT Super Ones
B&W N805
Tyler Acoustic Linbrook monitors
What's next???

Ohm L 1982
Ohm Walsh 2 1985
Ohm Walsh 3XO 1988
Paradigm Titan 1995
Mirage M5si 1995
NHT SuperOnes 1997

Sansui (wood lattice grills, early 70's) model?
Sony model? late 70's
Infinity 3 ways, early 80's
Klipsch KG4
JBL L-100T (lousy)
Klipsch Chorus (not bad)
Martin Logan SL-3 (nice)
Talon Raven-C (real nice)
Thiel 2.4 (unlistenable)
Coincident Partial Eclipse II (aahhh yes!!!)

Realistic or something akin and Kloss headphones. Then I finally bought my own at the ripe age of 16 Klipsch Heresy 1s for $550 . I still have them!!! Inherited my father JBL siugnatuyre 1959 030 speaker package in a C38 cabinet that's a D130 broad range and an 075 tweeter.Still own.that was all until I emerged from the bowels of my focused studying . My nerxt speaker was a bwarfdale my sister gave me . I hooked them all up in paralell. The my amp died after 20years I forgave it lost or threw out my table but have my Akai GXC-709D and my Nikko Gamma tuner is right next to me. The speakers changed to include the highboy version of the JBL sigs 1962s stillhave them at long last about 5 years a got a to VSA VR2s in maple because wife said so and it had to be maple.2 years later I got klipsch lascalas for my dedicated listening area. Then a year or so later JM Lab Electra 936s. thoseare mymain rig speakers to date. I have bought a number of monitors in the past couple of years Tannoy Gold dual concentrics, Merlin TSMs given Scott s1-11s,no idea what they sound like. Won AAD e-40s as a doorprize.Still in box two self powered tube by bizzy bee TAD 102s el 84 amps. Tong-yet a little speaker with a small SS 20 watts ampslaped on them. Yes I still Have em all. Interested parties regarding the specific sound should e-mail.

Might as well update this list as well...

Jensen who-knows-whats?
Klipsch Forte
Legacy Focus
Von Schweikert VR-4 III HSE
Merlin VSM-Milleniums
EgglestonWorks Andra IIs
EgglestonWorks Andra Is (and not regretting it one bit!)

Mission. 6 months
Klipsch. 3 years
NHT. 1 year
Gallo. 2 years
Martin Logan. 6 years
Vandersteen Quatro 6 months (still happy), next maybe 5A.

Infinity rs3b's
Ohm F
Merlin 4b+'s
Dunlavy Sc3
Soundlab M2

The soundlab's maybe the last speaker I ever own they are that good !!!!!!!!!!!

My 1st speakers were Klipsch KG 4's. I bought them in 1985 in MD at a little shop. I was thinking about a pr of Allisons.

Boston Acoustics VR 30's (1994)
Martin Logan Aerius i's
Aerial Acoustic 7B's (still have them)
McIntosh LS 360's

Not very many nor to impressive I guess, I really loved the Logans, the Aerials and of course my McIntosh, I think the Mc's are highly under rated and most people wouldn't even give them a chance because the conception is that McIntosh makes good amps and that is it- you can see that here on A-gon
Thanks and enjoy

Sony speaker with 15 inche woofer inthe 70'
Paradigm referece 80
Dynaudio 50
Dynaudio contour 1.8 mk2
Sonus faber guaniere
Merlin VSM MXe with superBam- ( a fantastic speaker)

Polk Audio Monitor 4 in my dorm room
Polk Audio RS-70 (floorstanding purchased when I could afford new speakres)
Totem Acoustic Model 1 Signatures (Rs-70s didn't work in my room so replaced with these)
Vandersteen 1C (moved again and wanted more base than Totems)
Magnepan QR 1.6 (moved again and had a room where Maggies would work)...very happy now.

1. My father and I built my first which were a six foot column speakers with 4 12" Jensens and 2 Jbl horns per box
2. 2 sets of Large Advents stacked
3. Jbl 4312
4. Ess AMT1 monitors
5. A/D/S 200
6. A/D/S 420
7. A/D/S 400
8. A/D/S L780/2
9. A/D/S L1290/2
10. Yamaha NS10M w/ A/D/S/passive sub
11. Ueri 813B's w/ Rayad of Boise passive sub
12. Digital Phase EP.7bs
13. Alon model 1's w/A/D/S/ David passive sub
14. Platinum Studio 2's
15. Focal 806V w/ MTX sub
My next purchase is gong to be Dunlavy IV Signature Editions, I have audio lust for these!

Lafayette Criterion -early 70s
Altec 19
ADS L300
ADS L620
BIC Venturi 6
Cerwin Vega D9
Infinity Monitors
JBL 4408
KEF Q70
Def.Tech. CLR1000B
Def. Tech. CLR3000
Polk SRS 1.2TL
Polk SRS 2.3TL
Velodyne HGS-18

Braun 2 way bookshelf speaker
some rip off 4 way speaker
Celestion 4 way monitor
JBL 200 studio monitor
altec voice of theater
advent 2 way
acoustat 3
martin logan monolith
avantgarde uno
the avantgarde are by far the best and most musical, italso casue a chain reaction for me to go to the world of tubes, surrently using the tom Evans Linear A which is perfectly mated to the avantgarde. Think the journey might be coming to and end as there are just fewer choices and less room to improve.

Testing the memory bank
1. Unmatched left and right, they were free!!!!!!!!
2, Electro Voice 12TRX in a custom walnut cabinet
3. JBL L 110
4. Magnepan 1,6 ?
5 Magnepan 3
6. Acoustat 3
7. Totem model 1
8. Marin Logan Aries
9. Wilson Watt Puppy V
10. Wilson Maxx II

I have used two subs, the Muse 18 and then the Watch Dog.

1970's-homebuilt horribles, Infinity Qb, little metal Infinities/Ohm subwoofer, BW DM220/two giant kit subwoofers, Vandersteen 2Ce,temporarily with a Sunfire subwoofer. Found with Krell amplification, no sub needed with Vandys. Probably forgot some others. As you can see I am not a "this years model" trend follower. Finally got into a "now it sounds good, leave it the hell alone!" groove.

1967 Jensen? 12"+ cone tweeter around $200
1975 DCM Time Windows
1982 Celestion SL-6
2007 Vienna Acoustics Beethovan Baby Grands

First amp was a Scott intergrated tube amp, then Sansui, then Bryston 1B/2B combination that I'm still using.

Turntables, were Dual changer, Lux DD table and now Pro-Ject RM10 with Sumiko Blackbird.

Dave

The first I remember was a pair of 2 way Ampex circ 1968-70. Then AR 3a's for about 7 years. Then rectalinear III's. Then powered advents. Then stacked advents. Then McIntosh XR 5's (till 95). Then KEF Q 70's. Klipsch Chorus II's followed. Then Totem Staff's (maybe the best all around) Then Thiel 3.5's (mistake, too much high freq energy)
Then Magneplaner QR10's w/ B&W sub. And then Totem Model 1 sigs. Platinum Audio Solo's replaced the Model 1's. Then Energy 2.2's followed the Solo's. Then a return to the Solo's (realized they were the best!). Then took a flyer on PSB Stratus Gold's. Then Maggie MMC and then the 1.6's and currently Soliloquy 5.0i's. Oh, and a vintage system that has had JBL L100's for years.

Wow, what a sickness!

Would have to say that the Staafs and the Solo's were the best in my rig. Electronics were changed out a lot less.
Mostly these speakers were used with McIntosh, Conrad Johnson and Anthem gear.

Fisher -> Pioneer -> Sound Dynamics -> Apogee CenTaur Major -> Apogee Diva -> McIntosh -> Avalon Ascent -> Legacy Focus -> Apogee Scintilla -> Apogee Fullrange

cheap Akai speakers (can't remember model)
Bose cubes w/"subwoofer module" (model?)
Spendor S5e (nice)
Vandersteen 2Ce Signature (nicer)
Gallo Reference 3.1 (yeah, baby!)

I have been into audio since the early 70s. My first truly high end pair of speakers were my beloved Quad 63s. When they became available, I purchased the Gradient 63s for them. But alas, when I moved, my new listening area just didnt have room for the space taking quads. I couldnt part with them and they have been in storage. My present listening area therefore has a pair of Watt/Puppies, 4s on each end, driven by a pair of Jadis JA80s, a Nagra preamp and a VPI HRX turntable. I also have a Muse Universal Player tied in for what digital I play.

I finally talked the other half into allowing me to put some decent sound in the entertainment room. In addition to the surround system, I have a pair of the NuForce amps, an Aethetix Janus pre/phono stage and a pair of Vandersteen Quatros which appealed to the WAF. On top is an SME/20.

At my office I use an integrated Cayin tube amp, Project RM9 and a lovely pair of Stirling LS3/5a V2.

The HRX and SME both use the Red Koetsu. The Project the Shure M97.

But what to do with the wonderful Quads? I never could part with them but almost did a few times. Couldnt pull the trigger. Recently I purchased a vacation home a few hours from my house. It has the perfect area for the Quads. I needed some equipment for them and didnt want to spend lots of $. I wanted them to be tube driven. Solution? I had a VPI upgraded Scout not being used with a Grado cartridge and a Sutherland Phd phono stage. I purchased a pair of the PrimaLuna Sixs. For the preamp I went with the Cayin SC 5LC. I threw in a Creek cd player for the digital. In the master is a Sugden amp, a pair of Devore Gibbons and an IPOD.

So my evolutiion and current systems are Quad/Gradient 63, Watt/Puppies 4, Sterlin, Vandersteen Quatro and Devore Gibbons. Different speakers for different uses. It doesnt get any better.

Let me add that the PrimaLuna Sixs and the Cayin pre blen perfectly with the Quads. I have over the years paid much more for preamps and amps, some of which i still have (Jadis, Aexthetix, Nagra). Maybe its my age, too much loud rock in roll in the earlier days, etc., but I would put this combo against any.

Good topic and responses. Curtis

PS, while I could make several corrections to misspellings on my post, the major correction is the Watt/Puupy should be "6" and not "4". curtis

Smaller Advents
Larger Advents
Ohm Walsh 2s
Ohm Walsh 4s
Maggies?
Maggie 3.5r

LSA (Laboratoires des Sciences Acoustiques), don't remember the model anymore, but they served me well as a student
JBL something (VX, I think), anyway they were really bad and left within a few months
Arcus TL200 (the longest serving)
Infinity Kappa 8.2i
JBL Ti 250
Tidal Contriva
(second system: Chario Constellation Cygnus, may be replaced by LUA Con Fuoco 3.3)

Clbaudio:
"Watt-Puupy"? Sounds like a bass integration problem. Repositioning or revising room acoustics should make'm sound less Puupy.
(I realize that it is in dreadful form to jape on a typo. But I just couldn't resist. Punish me.)

:Magneplanar MG1cs (1986-2000)
:Do Grado HP-2s count? (1992-present)
:Audio Physic Virgo (2000-2007)
:Rockport Syzygy

Wilson Watch Dog (Rocks&Dog are in the house but not yet hooked up.)
~Thinking about: Duntech Sovereign
What I really want:
!Audio Physic Medea

cheers apo

Bose 501, for the first 12 years, Infinity RS6 w/EMIT, for the next 25 years to present, which is the speaker for the foreseeable future, because I can't afford the B&Ws I desire.

Cerwin Vega used
Design Acoustic PS-10 new $300ish
Klipsch Forte new $800
KEF 101's? new $600 w/stands
Linn Keilidh used $1100
Martin-Logan Arieus new $2100
Magnepan 1.5 used $800
Vandersteen 2ce Sig new $1500
Vandersteen 3A used $900

Hmm, let me see if I can remember...

Pioneer 3-way towers that came with the "stereo" $Cheap
Sony 5" Two-way bookshelves $50 New!
B+W DM-301's $350 New
Legacy Audio Studio bookshelves $1500 New
Legacy Audio Signature III's $4600 New
Home Made 6.5" Bookshelves $140 New
Totem Acoustics Hawk (the best so far) $2675 New

JBL L-26, 1976,
Bose 901 series I, 1976,
JBL L-166, 1978 or 1979,
sold system, quit music, got cheap noise maker with $100 AAL speakers, got re-acquainted with old friend who borrowed some records, and never returned them. Got me thinking about it again,
Bose 901 series II, 1997, very briefly,
JBL 4312, 1997,
Found Audiogon,
Meadowlark Audio Ospreys, 2003,
Wilson Audio Witts, 2006,
Dates are approximate. I'm sure I missed some, like the Advents, the Altecs, etc. Can't remember when I had them. The time when I quit music was the time in my life that was overtaken by the need to be in a constant party atmosphere. Quit that expensive habit for another one....

Hmm,

Radio Shack Bookshelves
Realistic
Pioneer
Wharf dale Diamond Bookshelves (great little speaker)
Vandersteen 1C
Vandersteen 2C
Snell
Mirage (good bass and midrange)
Vienna Acoustic Hayden (just a killer speaker)
Dali 300s (another killer book shelve speaker with a ribbon tweeter)

Future Speaker: Avalon Indra or Quad 2805? Jsut not sure at the moment.

Well...It all started when I was about 15 yrs old. My dad and I built a pair of speakers from some scraps of plywood left over from the new garage he had just finished.
Next came my first real quality speakers...Acoustic Research AR-12 circa 1977...kept those until about 1986 when I fell in love with some Polk Monitor 10B's a friend of mine was wanting to sell.Kept those for a few years-Then I upgraded in the Polk line-up to SDA1 (really liked the imaging of those). Next came my first real hi-end speakers....Dunlavy SCIII....next...Legacy Focus (to much bass- was a constant sruggle to get them to sound right). Then, I went vintage and bought a real nice pair of upgraded Bozak B-4000 Symphony's in 2004, which I am using now.
My next speaker is being built for me, as I write this..Tyler Acoustics Woodmere...Probably wont need to upgrade for quite some time with these in my system. Here's a link to a pic , if your interested...
http://www.tyleracoustics.com/woodmere.html

Great thread....

Kef C-40s(1985)(music not yet a hobby, plus never home; currently in my basement, along w/Yamaha processor of the same era), then Def Tech Towers(1997)(still watching mostly movies), then Legacy Focus(2000) (starting to listen to 2-channel music with amp and preamp(Adcom)), then Legacy FOcus 20/20(2003) (getting a little more serious; now are the rears in my 2-channel/movie setup), then Legacy Whispers(2005) (2 channel system upgraded drastically once I got these - listening critically at this point - system has quickly outgrown the speakers); FINALLY - Von Schweickert VR-7SE's (due in a few days). Don't imagine I'll be "upgrading" these anytime soon.....

As the song goes, what a LONG, strange trip its been.........dates are approximate. Have also upgraded through 3 Velodyne subs(for movies), now with DD-15.

This may be nonlinear in spots, as sometimes I had several speakers at once (Hello everyone, my name is Chris - "Hi Chris" - and I'm an audio addict)

Boston Acoustics Sub Sat Six
Magnepan MG-2B
SOTA Panorama
Acoustic Energy AE1 Mk. II
Joseph Audio RM7 Signature
Audiostatic ES300RS
Entech (forgot the name - 2-way floorstanders)
Sonus Faber Electa Amator
Sonus Faber Guarneri Homage
Wilson Watt/Puppy 5.1
Avalon Ascent Mk. II
Sonus Faber Extrema
Gallo Nucleus
Gallo Nucleus Micro
Gallo A'Diva
Gallo Reference 3.0
Peak Consult Princess System
Peak Consult Princess Floorstander
Peak Consult InCognito-X
Peak Consult El Diablo
German Physiks HRS-120 Carbon/Titanium DDD
German Physiks "The Carbon" Mk. III/Titanium DDD
German Physiks "The Carbon" Mk. IV/Carbon DDD
German Physiks PQS-202 Carbon/Carbon DDD

... and coming soon: Lansche 4.1

From Peak Consult through Lansche - these are speakers that I owned or now own (or am about to own) as the distributor for these brands.

Lastly - these are just the commercially available speakers that I've had. I've built a bunch, as well ... and that may best tell the tale of why I've stuck to distributing! ;-)

Chris

Dynaco A 25's
ADS's
Bose 301,501,901
JBL century 100's
Altec valencias
DCM time windows
Dalquist DQ 10 & sub
Quad electrostatics
numerous polks
roger Ls3 5a's
Kef 105's
Thiel CS 3.5's

Polk M5
Martin Logan Aerius i
Martin Logan Vantage
Verity Audio Parsifal Encore
Piega C8 LTD