Speakers 10 years old or older that can compete with todays best,


I attend High End Audio Shows whenever I get a chance.  I also regularly visit several of my local High End Audio parlors, so I get to hear quite a few different speaker brands all the time.  And these speakers are also at various price points. Of course, the new speakers with their current technology sound totally incredible. However, I strongly feel that my beloved Revel Salon 2 speakers, which have been around for over ten years, still sound just as good or even better than the vast majority of the newer speakers that I get a chance to hear or audition in todays market.  And that goes for speakers at, or well above the Salon 2s price point. I feel that my Revel Salon 2 speakers (especially for the money) are so incredibly outstanding compared to the current speaker offerings of today, that I will probably never part with them. Are there others who feel that your beloved older speakers compare favorably with todays, newfangled, shinny-penny, obscenely expensive models?

kennymacc

Not to unnecessarily stir up the "why no DSP?"-question that appears to have been aimed your way already as an option with your system, but have you - in the analogue domain with an electronic crossover - experimented with an outboard active configuration at some point?

@phusis

no, i have not done dsp in my 2 channel room. years ago i decided instead to fix the room; building a room without limits. then tune it to work with ultimate speakers. which over the last 20 years i have done.

when you write about dsp, replacing passive crossovers, i don’t think you imagine passive crossovers that are inside the top level speakers. what that looks like, or sounds like. and when you write about driving each separate driver with it’s own amp and dsp crossover, you forget what that means in terms of choices of amplification. my darTZeel 468 mono blocks are crazy spendy and the best amps i have heard......how is that going to fit (physically and $$$) into active crossovers for each driver? the answer is that is does not fit at all. i would have to settle for less capable amplification. a compromise.

reality is that dsp does make a great deal of sense doing particular things. fixing rooms, powering more modestly priced gear, enabling DIY’s to build interesting projects. integrating subwoofers. doing multichannel such as Dolby Atmos.

i have a never opened box unused XILICA XP-2040 upstairs in my storage attic that i bought 3 years ago intending to use it to integrate 3 subwoofers into my Home Theater. i get what dsp can do. turned out my 3 Funk Audio 18.0 subs came with their own dsp engines, so never needed the XILICA. so i’m not anti dsp.

@mijostyn ​​​​​​

Re "There is no such thing as a perfect room."

 

I’ve followed the evolution of Mike Lavigne’s room for over a dozen years, and I doubt that many people will ever get closer to a perfect room. I’d love to visit it. Hat tip to Mike!

 

Robert Harley has a really good room (and system) , I’ve read and seen in videos. Either one are to die for. Dreams. 

Had the chance to snap up a pair of Equation 7 speakers a few years back. The original owner proclaimed they were "Harbeth Killers". Tall order but I was actually using 7es 2 so thought they must be something worth grabbing. Was told they should run with tube gear, of which I have plenty so took them home, plugged them and gave then a shot. Beutiful speakers in Spanish Birdseye Maple finish but I really wasn't expecting them to outplay the Harbeths. Wow, I was wrong. Simple two way with HQ drivers and a hand spun crossover. Actually the entire package was hand made in Belgium. I play them with better tube gear front to back and still haven't found a speaker I enjoy as much. These were $3K in 2003 and are now up on 20yo but they are special speakers. If you spot a set in the used market (maybe $14-$1500) I suggest you buy them especially if you like Spendor, Harbeth, Falcon and the like. The Equations do everything right in a med size space. Image like champs, unpack all the music throw a nice balanced sound stage; very nice. Just my opinion.  

I’m not saying because I just discovered 6 yrs ago the greatest speaker ever made at any price after spending 500k on audio and are still in another league under 20k and blows away the best today at any price but are hard to find used and I want another pair so I’ll keep them a secret