Speakers which always sound good


This is brought up because I'm home shopping, but I'm not actually looking for speakers right now, so please don't take this as a request for advice so much as opinions.

As I shop for homes I've realized how few are really equipped for the audiophile.  Too many fireplaces and windows and damn kitchens and bathrooms placed completely inappropriately for us! :-)

And as you may know, I'm a big fan of appropriate room treatments.

So, wanted to step away from this world for a bit and ask, what are speaker brands that you feel always work?  Or at least, work really well without having to think about the room acoustics or placements?  Reminder that this is 99% of the buying public.  We who have laser line levelers, a closet full of measurement microphones and a chair which bolts our head into a fixed location may not believe it is true, but this is the majority of the buying public. 

What do we, the audiophile community recommend to them to actually be helpful in getting them as many positive music listening experiences as possible?

Best,

Erik
erik_squires

Showing 2 responses by rcprince

I was originally going to recommend something like Vandersteens (especially the ones with the powered woofers which can be adjusted to suit room problems) or small monitors like KEF LS50s that can be moved around easily.  But the more I think about it, I think most non-audiophiles that I know don't want speakers sitting out in the room, either on stands or floorstanders.  Something like the Naim Mu-So or the Devialet Phantoms might be the sort of thing they're looking for, not taking up much space, either with amplification or speakers, and giving them music in the house with a minimum of bother.  Just a random thought.
If you want a stable stereo image wherever you are listening, mbl or Ohm would be the ticket.  Don't think the former would be something for the general public, though, at their prices.  I had considered mentioning line arrays, like Sceana or the Pipedreams, as they can be listened to and sound amazing in the nearfield, but I didn't mention them because I don't think most of the public wants speakers of that size in their living rooms.