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The best speaker you ever heard?

In my opinion, the speaker is by far the most important part of the audio system. After all, it is the only part you hear. OK, the other stuff really matters a lot, but without a great speaker... No go.

I am a bit 'speaker-obsessed' I guess, and now I am wondering: What are the best speakers you have ever heard, and what made them the best?
njonker
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,198 posts
 
The ones that you continue to go back to and listen to for hours on end and hate to quit.
ctsooner
2,480 posts
 
Mapman, so true. There are a few I've heard recently that I could listen to for hours on end and they aren't always theMOST revealing or the best bass or the best staging, imaging etc... If you hear live music you really don't hear imaging per say. I had this conversation two days ago with a distributor of a speaker line and he said it best....the 3D staging and imaging that we talk about and want isn't real sound. It's not what you year live, but live, you SEE in 3D and it takes it's place. That's kind of the way I'm starting to think of high end audio.
de_irvan
1 posts
 
Now I am using Acapella companille drive with JL3 signature,
sounds 3D holograme , very wide and details .
But I am stil impress my old speaker B&W 801 s3 with Krell MDA300, the bass and mid verry good tonal balance.
reel-2-reel
17 posts
 
The Kabuki Ohaku powered by Audio Tekna tube monoblocks with 35 watts pc at the last Newport audio show.

I heard a drum solo that was "as real" kick drum, cymbals, wow the best I have ever heard. vocals, strings, and big classical were absolutely flawless! I guess having $200K amplifiers and a 50K pre-amp does not hurt! Also, I've never seen a raal ribbon tweeter loaded in a bass horn before but it really worked.

The room seemed to have zero room treatment!

I thought the sound was really open with tons of air, natural tone, and very, very dynamic with huge natural bass!

Lots of other great gear at the show but this was the best to me by good margin.

For a lot less money the Grimm room was really good as was the Vapor audio room and MBL always good!
opus_two
3 posts
 
For me, the best speaker depends on the date.

1967 - Altec Valencias driven by Fisher tube power amp and preamp.

1968 - Bozak Concert Grands driven by McIntosh MC-2505 and C-26 preamp.

1969 - Rectilinear III's driven by Marantz 16 amp and 7T preamp.

1972 - Dahlquist DQ-10 driven by Audio Research D-75 amp and SP-2 preamp. Shook hands with Saul Marantz and Jon Dahlquist at the DQ-10's premier.

1988 - Apogee Diva driven by Krell monoblocks and Krell preamp.

1996 - Avalon Osiris driven by Spectral monoblocks and Spectral preamp.

More recently, Wilson MAXX 3's driven by Dan D'Agostino Momentum amp and Ayre preamp.
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