After 9 years with my Proac Response 3s, I recently decided to change speakers. As you can tell, I'm not an upgrade fever patient. I want something I can live with for years & I think the best advice I'm gonna get will be from those who have & are still living with their speakers for an extended period of time. Please tell me why too. Thanks.Bob.
I've enjoyed Apogee Duetta Signatures for years (17?) with a pair of Hsu Research subs carefully placed to fill out the bottom end. Hard to beat sound, but a pair of B&W DM600's set up with the same Hsu subs comes incredibly close with my same upstream electronics. It is amazing how good well designed, simple, inexpensive 2-way monitors can sound driven with quality electronics! They were less than a tenth the cost of the Duettas with about 90% of the sound quality at moderately loud volumes.
Vandersteen 2Ce Signatures.....IMO still the best bang for the buck. You get waaaaay more speaker than you payed for in the under $2k category. I'm running mine off of a $5k Mac integrated and hve no desire to upgrade any time soon.
That question is the sort of which I would myself ask when we are constantly seeking for the most satisfying audio performance. However, I think, to hang on for life, we should really look for speakers that is more towards the natural ends... I prefer spendor, pro ac and perhaps the liuto (SFBR) clan of speakers. Fancy things like the avantgarde horn will have some downside at somepoint of time because it emphasises only in some strength rather than universality. However, if we are willing to spend for life.. that is another option.. go for kharma or latest B&W as reviewed recently in the TAS.. Happy seeking..Cheers and Merry Christmas
A Set of Magneplanar Typani IIIA's or IV's. Buy something else, as you prefer, but set aside a listening room for these beauties...and don't give them up until you're really sure.
I have 3 generations of large Martin Logan culminating with Prodigys. My loyalty is to electro statics, the sound of anything else is somewhat turgid by comparison. During my 30 years of ML I have never felt the urge to move Even Maggies cant compete at less than 40Hz. Donald
Possibly my B&W Matrix 802 series 3. Thinking of upgrading to the Nautilus 802, but might consider getting outboard xovers first. I have the stands so not much to push the envelope. Have a Classe DR25 and ARC tube linestage. Im very happy with the sound and have heard the N802, but never thought they were much better. Cant afford the Diamonds yet. 8 yrs with them so far. Anyone know where I can get the outboard Xovers
A recently acquired pair of CLS iiz's, in satin black, one of the final pairs ever produced by ML in '01 when ML was still the ML we all knew. I've come full circle since its been 10 years since owning my last pair. And having now experimented with many a speaker over the past 10 years I can finally say I'm done. I snagged a Plinius SA100mkiii to drive 'em to sufficient volume levels that meet my needs. I've an alternative speaker I'll be keeping as well, a pair of Cain & Cain Abbys...driven by a small 300B SET integrated less than 10 watts, and that's all the occasional optional listening I ever need to experience.
Wow, I've put it in print...I'M DONE! How sweet it is to finally be able to say that and mean it because I know it's true.
IDK about for life, but two years before my son was born, i bought some Polk Audio SDA 1c's brand new. Back when Polk was something special (1985). My son is now 23 years old making my Polks 25! They serve duty in my HT system (i also have a much newer dedicated two channel music only system). My son and all his friends want to steel the Polks because they still kick a**!
My son (who also inherited the audio bug) auditions many brands, (like PSB, Def Tech, Monitor, Paradigm, Klipsh to name a few) but he always comes home disappointed and says "i want ones that kick butt like your Polks". Then proceeds to try and talk me out of them.
I would have to list 3 speakers from a single manufacture, Vandersteen. The Quatro Wood, Model 5a Carbon, and Model 7. All these speakers are repairable by the manufacture for probably longer then anyone will own them as well as are upgradeable so they won't become obsolete.
These speakers are natural, neutral, and very live. Personally I have not heard a better speaker then the Model 7 for any amount of money that is as Live, Accurate, Disappearing IE as close to a Live performance as I have ever heard.
Holy crap, I just realized this thread started back in the Middle Ages. The guy who started it may be dead by now. Hope somebody can benefit from my comments about going from ProAc to Verity.
VERITY! Well, with over 500 responses you'll be spending so much time reading you won't have time for listening, BUT... I went through about 20 speakers, INCLUDING PROACs, which were always my favorites. In fact, I STILL own the Response 2 and use it in a smaller room. I LOVED the Response 3 because it got to the emotional core of the music, along with all the audiophile stuff, and it BOOGIED. So what did I finally settle on "for life". Well, 6 years ago I came upon a demo VERITY PARSIFAL ENCORE, bought it, and I have not desired another speaker since. I mention this story because if you like your ProAcs, you will LOVE the Verity. Now, Verity has moved beyond the Parsifal Encore to the Ovation and several other models, which I've not heard, but if you can get ahold of a used Parsifal Encore or get a chance to hear their newer models, I think it would be worthwhile for you. The Verities are voiced very similar to the ProAcs but have more inner detail, really pull off the disappearing act, are fairly easy to drive and never leave me wanting. After 6 years, I still look forward to firing them up. They are also great as you change associated equipment, they are revealing but maintain their agreeable nature.
Gershman Sonogram - just purchased these and I think I will be their owner for many years to come.
I do not have the luxury of a large room, but wanted floor standers and as it turns out these are one of the best I have heard in a very long while. Easy to place (i.e. they don't mind corners), very fast, reasonably sensitive, nice frequency range, gorgeous sound stage and extremely musical.
After playing on the music-go-round for a number of years I've settled on the Shihinian Arc's. I don't have a large space to fill with music and am not interested in pin point accuracy. The soundstage is marvelous and I've yet to tire of my set-up. Altough Shihinian has recently, for the first time ever, upgraded the Oblisk's. I've very tempted.
I would go with the B&W matrix 800's as well, I sold a set and am really sorry. Some other fine ones are the EPS Montana line (from what I remember hearing)
I was fortunate enough to find a pair of Ocellia Tilias on Audiogon, and they are music incarnate. I am not even slightly tempted to try their more expensive fare since I know that just because a particular product has the right "magic" it doesn't mean that the higher priced models are better. Often the opposite is true. Not much later I got a pair of Diatone P610MA drivers in Wood B. Lansing BR enclosures (from EIFL, Japan) that I have been using in my video rig, mated to two Carver Original Subs, to watch TV, listen to music, and burn in any amp I get before I decide if the amp is a keeper. Both of these speakers portray a very natural tone and image, qualities extremely hard to find in this world of ours. The greatest fun I get from these speakers when they make me turn around to listen when I am at my desk trying to get some work done, or backtrack a movie to make sure what I heard was what I heard. It always makes me laugh. Be well, and thanks for reading...
my acoustat SPECTRA 33 electrostats since it's no longer manufactured and the company is no longer U.S. not impressed with the chinese company that bought it. They downsized the original design. all of my OHM ACOUSTICS are worth preserving especially the pyrmaid cabinets.
After having the Mission/Cyrus 782's for over 20 years I looked for a second set just in case something happened. I did find a pair of 781's so I picked them up for parts (same drivers and crossover). Then I heard the Dynaudio C1's after some B&W's and Sonus Fabers. For the first time in my life I felt I could justify cost. At over 9 times the cost of the 782's I got them. I think I'll have the C1's for another 20 or more years (Ok maybe unless Dynaudio comes up with an evidence series monitor).
I just swapped out my Spendor S8e Speakers with some Zu Druid speakers. I found the Zu Druids to sound much more open and dynaic and impart more musical richness than the Spendors to me, particularly with vocals and guitar.
The highly efficient Zu Druids have very good midrange bass and are only lacking in the lower sub frequencies from around 40hz down. The are fast and they come up to speed quickly as they can be played well at low volume levels or can be driven hard. A sub easily fills in the lower sub frequency levels, yet they sound respectable without a sub. Expect them to sound terrible when you first get them as they improve dramatically over time in spite of factory break in.
In all fairness the Spendors are also great speakers. I seem a little clearer and more accurate than the Zu Druids and have bass deep into the sub frequencies. However, if you drive them real hard, they can cut out and make a buzzing sound. I imagine it is because they are puting out so much bass already.
I've a pair of Chario Constellation Ursa Major, these are my seventh pair of Chario speakers, and I'm looking for the Serendipity, top-of-the-range brand speakers. Never owned other speakers.
In 2004 I posted Canton Karat M70 loudspeakers. I still have them!!! Every other component in the system(main home theater) has been changed several times over,but the Cantons and their matching center channel speaker are still here!
For a secondary system, these small speakers are sublime! Look (glossy black, small and nice proportions) and Sound. Despite cheap components being used. The guy who calculated the enclosure and the crossover is a genius.
zaikesman...i purchased my last pair of allisons during (what appears to be)their final incarnation. slightly more refined than the late seventies models I owned at the time. it still amazes me that my 3 is my prefered speaker over anything i've heard when it comes to 'putting you in the venue' or 'studio'. the last pair of ones and fours i owned were excellent as well, but like many stereo nuts, i thought moving on was moving up.
Oh well. Two years ago I sold the speakers amp and preamp I posted about on 6/3/06. For the last two plus years I've had a BAT amp and preamp with Hansen Prince speakers. I'm not sure about the BAT gear, but the Hansen's were bought with long term goals in mind. They are the perfect size for the room they are in now. If I eventually down size my home I'm not dealing with 400 pounds of speakers. The Hansen's are the best speakers I've ever heard!
I don't know about hanging on to my current Mordaunt-Short Performance 6's for life, but I do regard their physical form factor as being among the best ever -- a unique modern classic that won't seem dated-looking way beyond what the vast majority of designs manage: a virtual Eames chair of 'box' speakers, a pair of Oakleys among Foster-Grants. (Though I appreciate a fine wood finish as much as the next guy, when these metallic-painted, extruded-foam beauties first came into my listening room, their wholistic, curvy elegance instantly made my beloved Thiels look faintly ridiculous, like clumsy dinosaurish contraptions a few millenia past their extinction date. Just make sure you leave the rudimentary grilles in the cartons. And after a very lengthy break-in and a couple small tweaks, the sound quite nearly lives up to their stunning looks and technology -- which, thanks to Chinese manufacture, already far exceeds their price in typical high-end terms.)
Jaybo, although I sold the Allison:One/Allison:Three pairing I inherited from my father (which I'd helped him choose as a teenager back in '77, winning out over K-horns by a nose for sound and a mile for livability), as well as previously selling my own less minty used pair of Ones (plus two pairs of CD8's), I think you're right however and would've kept them if I was into collecting vintage speakers and had the space. Although the Ones/Threes can't compete in many of the expected ways compared with today's speakers, I still never hear any designs that can charge a whole room with panoramic energy practically even before the needle drops the way that these did, so effective were their room-loading and driver-disperion concepts. I would've liked to have heard the resurrected reinterpretation of the One from a few years ago before they went extinct again -- the cabinets and crossovers must've been vastly improved -- but to my knowledge those didn't carry over drivers with the same unique diaphragm designs of the originals.
i own a few pair of speakers totem winds , tetras , aurum cantus , plus infinity 2000A's i put new caps in the infinty crossover plus 2 new woofers , and removed lampcord power cord and installed iec plug and wow took these to another level
Rbaker, welcome to the sound of ohm speakers. When I read your thread, I felt I had to respond. I too, just discovered the unique character of Ohm speakers. I feel they give you a sensation of being "bathed in sound". I worked for Acoustic Research in the 70's, and used their speakers, as well as listened to all the speakers that passed through their sound room (we got loaners from everyone). I got a pair of the Micro Talls last September and have never been this happy with a pair of speakers, but they continue to delight and amaze me. I just got to the end of my 120 day trial, and there's no way they're getting these back unless I upgrade. I suggest that you contact John Strobeen at ohmspeakers.com (718) 422-1111 and talk to him . He personaly answers the phones on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and will advise you on upgrades, ect. I'm so glad I took the chance and auditioned these speakers. I've listened to many speakers over the years, and the micro talls are bringing out details that I never heard in familiar recordings that I've listened to hundreds of times. It took me a while of moving them around until the sound "bloomed" from the speakers, and the soundstage obliterated the walls, but it was worth the effort. I still can't wipe the smile from my face every time I listen to them. Good luck with your ohm 2's and your AR amp. Sounds like a killer combination. Joe
I traded a pair of klipsch heresy's to a young kid who had a pair of ohm walsh 2-he wanted the loudness of the klipsch and I have always wanted to check out the ohm.I use the ohm's in a second system-powered with a 35 year old acoustic research amp and a very old onyko cd player,basic cables-basic speaker connects--in the small room they are in they are INCREDIBLE sounding-I am wondering if they have had the ohm upgrade-I will have these forever.
Hey, Grant! I'm glad to hear that you've found a speaker that pleases you. May you now go forward with musical enjoyment and bliss. And all the people said... (o:
I listened to KLH model 5's and 23's for 32 years and liked what I heard. I bought ribbons (soundline SL-2's) 8 years ago and will never go back to a boxed speaker. I have been auditioning Maggies and will be setting up my system around them.
I had the PSB Status Golds for several years. I miss them, and for the price they can't be beat. I went on to Energy Veritas v2.8's (better, but twice the price), and am now into Totems (a whole different ball game). The Golds, are rolled off at the top end, and the bass is a little floppy, but the music flows, and they are a joy to listen to. You will be chasing your tail if you try to upgrade - just keep them and enjoy.
My first hi end speakers, EgglestonWorks Fontaines, have been the cornerstone of my system since 2005. Since their arrival I have yet to hear a speaker I'd prefer as their replacement. Many I've enjoyed, but none as replacement. So for me, by default, I guess I'll have to say, happily, the Fontaines. They require a sub (better two) but I have yet to hear a speaker do voice and piano better.
When I think about it I DONT want to think about how many pairs of speakers I have had. Particularly when I started chasing my tail over the next latest and greatest thing. I was often changing speakers when I heard a difference in the sound rather than a sustained improvement. I was also listening for the speaker rather than the music that played through it. Of all the speakers that I once owned on the audio merry-go-round the pair that was most memorable was the Equation 25s from Belgium. Very rare and hard to find used, the owner of Equation retired, but of all that Ive owned, they were both the best and the ones most missed. Runner up goes to Klipsch Cornwalls, with Bob Crites crossovers and wiring. They are a great, great speaker that stands the test of time and give you infinite possibilities with amplification. I associate them with experiments with all different types of tube gear over a 3-year period.
Speakers that I both currently own and plan to hold onto for the long-haul in descending order of preference:
JBL 4312As Studio Monitors: A wonderful full-range monitor that was the basis for many recording during the 80s. To my ears, they are speakers I keep coming back to for their balance and honesty or reproduction.
Dynaudio 1.3 SEs: Ive had both the SEs and the MKIIs and enjoyed them both. Are they better in absolute terms than the JBLs? Im not sure. I think that I like the JBLs better as they go lower and communicate more detail. Certainly the Special 25s are better but they are exponentially more money too with large diminishing return for incremental gains.
Phillips Spectron SP-40s: Built around the same time as the JBLs they were, I believe, Phillips all out attempt to build a competitor to the JBL 4312s. Like the JBLs they are a 3-way design with a dome midrange. A sleeper of a speaker but some vintage audio collectors are seeking them out, I heard about them from a friend I trust, found a pair a year later and have been amazed by their performance- they come very close to the aforementioned JBLs giving only the slightest away in transparency to the studio monitor.
Dynaco A25s: I have a modified pair with Mundorf caps and upgraded wire and binding posts and they sound incredible. I know that it is a cliché but they get out of the way of the music just like both the JBLs and the Spectrons.
From this list, you can tell that I like vintage monitors but a priority for me for the long-term is a speaker that is as neutral is possible that does not draw attention to itself vs. the music playing though it. Well chosen vintage speakers with modified caps, wiring, and binding posts compete very closely with the most current speakers today in all but imaging, and better many in tonal reproduction.
I still have my Rogers LS2a bought in 1988, but they were in a box packed away from 1995 until about two months ago. I dug them out to pass on to a British friend who has a Naim Nait and can really appreciate the "little beasties," but so far I still have them.
Four or five years ago I bought Yamaha NS-1000x, which I absolutely adore in every respect except looks. I plan to replace (or add to) those with another pair in totally untouched, mint condition if I ever find such a pair. Every other speaker I've tested, including many, many, high-end expensive sets, is lacking something sonically significant in comparison.
I've also had a pair of B&W 805s for a few weeks, but I'm not sure whether I'll be keeping them long.
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