The pair you just purchased
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?
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?
2,090 responses Add your response
Funny as I just hooked up my new/used Ayre AX7e integrated with my Proac Supertowers and WOW what a difference. I'm still using the 'tubed' MIT CVTerminator (made for tubed gear). Talk about a HUGE difference. The speakers sound warm and inviting. Huge soundstage pin point imaging. Air around every note and there is a wall of music with depth and even some height, lol. I'm loving them again. I still want the Vandy Treo's, but until I can sell off everything else, I have a great system in place that is musical. I"m hearing things I haven't heard since my Quickie pre/silver mono's were hooked up. |
Back in the 70’s I auditioned the Beveridge, It sounded like the orchestra was inside those speakers beating their way to get out. Too bad I could not afford them at that time. Of the many speakers I have owned the best sounding were my Acoustat 2+2’s. Set up right with good amp’s they disappear. The sound stage and imaging was so good that you could feel the presents of the vocalist and you could follow them even when they slightly turned their head. |
I was 17 years old and wandered into the local Audio Associates in Bethesda, MD. The salesman was quite kind to this scruffy kid and allowed me to demo the JBL L-65 Jubals - WOW, WOW, WOW - "Angel trumpets and devil trombones" to quote my favorite droogie!! I was absolutely smitten. I *had* to have them. And about a year later, having worked hard and diligently saving my nickels and dimes, they were mine!! Woo-effin'hoo, I now had a little slice of heaven right here on terra firma - I owned and loved those speakers for the next 10 years! I had a similar experience many years on when I was privileged to hear the Gallo Reference 3s at Dave Pogue's beautiful home. Man, those speakers *really* did it for me. And Dave's rig was very carefully assembled over many years, the man really knows his stuff! So, once again, I set about saving my money until 8 months had passed and I was able to find a 3 month old pair for 1/2 of retail. I could not get the wallet out of my back pocket fast enough ! I am still digging those speakers after 4 years has passed - I'll probably be buried with them beside me... -RW- |
Redmor, it's funny how that works isn't it? We all have similar stories. Mine were Klipshorns with Phase Linear amps as well as Crown amps. I think the turntable was top of the line Garrard (in 72/3). I was blown away and said that when I can buy the Klipshorns I'll go that route. When the time came to upgrade, I ended pu with the Polk 10's (when Sandy was there) with Moscode/CJ amplification. Looking back, it all sucked, but it was MINE and I felt that I was learning. I heard the original Vandy 2's at Sound Unlimited in SD where I was stationed. They became my dealer when I was there and had money. I met Richard Vandersteen while there as he was down just showing the speakers off with Sota TT. I don't remember the amplification, but it was tubed gear I think. I think it was all Kimber Kable (the brown and black stuff that I also ended up getting with my new amplification. I was at Singer's in NYC many times along with other NYC stores and have heard the TOL Wilson's (actually at many stores around the country). I just have never been impressed. Too analytical for me. It's interesting as we all have different ears but think that what we like is best for all. Not so and that's why there are so many choices. |
Definitive Technology BP8. I was 14years old wondering around a department store while my mother shopped, when i came upon these odd black cylinder Idols on displaced. I asked the salesman what were those strange things used for? He said they were speakers and would I like to hear them? I shrugged my shoulders and said ok, what did I have to loose. When he turned the music on, i was amazed and shocked! The speakers seemed to cast the music into space around themselves. They were effortless, commanding and before i knew it an hour had passed but the seed was planted! I was hooked! And that is why I will always have love definitive technology, they popped my cherry!.. |
With all ayre and it wasn't top of line. Just so musical. I have heard many of the esoteric stuff over the years and many are very revealing etc but I want honest and musical. I listen to live music all the Time and want to hear it the way it sounds at a venue. I think too often we get wrapped up in the equipment and not the music. I've been a tube guy most of my audio life and that's since I was 11 or so. I'm now 53 and the hearing is still good. I'm hoping to get to audio connection to meet Richard Vandersteen and hear his new amp with the 7's. I have a feeling it will be quite the treat. I'm about to purchase the Treo's as I was blown away by them. Naturally relaxed but still detailed and not rolled off. I can't afford more bass as that's where so much of all the extra dollars go for in speakers. |
I have owned Altec Lancing's "Voice of the theater series" in the 70's -80's. I have been in a couple of recording studios and heard powered monitors that blew me away. They had names like Adam and A.I.R. approved speakers that I can not remember. Check out Mojo's speaker reviews. I heard the Vaughns and they were as good as anything made any where. Problem, I could only afford a 2 speaker system. Now, lets get to best for the money. I wanted the Audiophile 2-channel and also the 5.2 Theater. I found Tekton Design. They are custom made. They take 4-8 weeks to get. I received mine 2 weeks ago. Red 5.2 Pendragons. They sound as good as anything I have ever heard. Let me be clear. I an not an expert. Don't know audio engineering. I do have a demanding ear. I will stop here. Read the reviews. Play the soft and they are full and clear as a bell. Turn them up a little and I am at a "live" performance. You do not just hear the loudspeakers, you FEEL THEM ! Now,I will stop. |
Doug99: The Celera sounds just smaller than System Max, but with the same ease of portraying music. I remember the dealer using only the top part of System Max as a full range speaker, and I guess the Celera comes very close to that. Obviously, System Max could not be bettered in the bass department, but the Celera certainly has quite the propelling energy of it's larger brother. |
Ever had for me. Never heard anything expensive. As for me on a BUDGET .. Proac super towers,,MAGGIE 1.6,KEF 104/2,PINNACLE GOLD TOWER,DAHLQUIST DQ10,ADS L910/L980.STAN WHITES SHOT GLASS/FULL SHOT.ALL UNDER 1K. NHT 1.6 or 1.5?,Large advent,b&o rl40 large snell towers. green mountain entry level bookshelves. And I ALWAYS have had two powered 15"/18" subs with a velodyne udl18 box to put between the subs and fronts with conrad johnson tube amp or a 555 or parasound amp large amp. with a hybrid tube /SS PREAMP. Also a theta data basic .benchmark dac. Vinyl basic set up as well. I love music just never had anything more than this. Looking at this post and can't believe all the pages wow. What to try next. I live for my kids and then audio,lol. |
I have always enjoyed the effortless power of Fried's G3, and Ohm Acoustic's Walsh 5000. Their dynamic presentation they put forth in such a matter of fact, non-intimidated way reminded me of the Snell Type A also. Ballsy command and authority, or supple gentleness, whatever your pleasure, these masters of sonics have always been my all time favorites. I'll never forget the privilege I had listening to them. |
Fredless, how do the the ARS Acoustica Celera compare to the ARS Acoustica Gravitas Max? Arthur at http://www.high-endaudio.com/ thought only the Coincident Pure Reference Extreme Speakers were better then the ARS Gravitas Max. I heard the ARS Gravitas Max at the Stereophile show in 1996 in NY. They were being played on Lamm Amps. The speakers were fast with a nice midrange and the bass was fast and tight. The speakers were really good. They were designed by Irv Eisenberg Here's a pic of the ARS Gravitas Max http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/speakers/messages/31/319947.html |
Congrats Jmaffia, My favourite of this long line of Wilson speakers. What are you using to drive them? They are one of the tougher Wilsons to drive, and specifically (i recall) have a very low impedance around 80hz which can cause some amps to have a bit trouble full controlling the speaker. They are a great sounding speaker...enjoy! |
Doc77, or can I just call you Ryan? What do you do for a living? I have been in the HVAC industry for 26 years in the Reno NV area. Care to share? With all the cheer leading you have done for Vapor I think the right thing to do here is to give us some more detailed background. You have zero feedback and you are not a registered user here which is very odd. Especially for someone who has been in the hobby for 20 years and has posted for years! You can only post to threads? |
I have a very full time job that's not at all related to Audio. I'm just a very enthusiastic owner, 20 years of Hi-Fi merry-go-round, and now I'm off thanks to the Cirrus. And yes I have helped Vapor at a couple shows, but no favors or payment ... just happy to help, and it gives me a reason to attend the shows. I've even visited Ryan's house a couple times to hear his other creations. If people can't share the experience of products they're excited about, what's the point of this forum? Every quality brand has their cheer squad. |
After owning so many ultra speakers, so much ultra-fi, I have been hesitant to say any one thing is the best. Part of it is that I have been so picky about the smallest of flaws. I end up saying "I can't say this is the best I've heard, on this particular record I wish the snare had just a little more weight....". After a great amount of thought, the best I have ever heard is not the most expensive I have ever heard, but reminds me of real music, in many different genres, more often than any other speaker: The JBL Everest DD67000. |
JP1208: I believe that you hit the speaker on the head. 'Ole Doc77 seems to hawk everything made of Vapor in his other posts. I've never heard them, quite probably never will. They may be a good or even a great speaker but someone who sneaks the name of equipment into forums, while representing it, should let us know. More power to him if he is a rep. or a dealer, but it seems rather small of someone to disguise himself as a forum blogging consumer. Most people would like to know if they are seeking the advice (of a rep or dealer) beforehand so they can calculate any bias that may be injected into the persons opinion. My 0.026 cents Tubeears Oh, my best speaker: I don't believe that I have heard it yet. In my younger years.... everything was the best ( even the bad), I wish that I could get that feeling now. |
There are probably many speakers available which outperform the ARS Acoustica Celera (taken into account retail price), but I have yet to hear them. I especially like the way they disappear sonically, and the sheer clarity and directness of the portrayed musical image. Every single note appears to be amplified individually, without pulling apart the music as a whole. Sadly discontinued, but very, very high on my wanted list, and hopefully available secondhand in the main future. |
BP7000sc OK,OK I have not heard any speakers over $16,000, but I have heard most of the more available speakers under that number. I owned Linaeum Model 3s for years (Sad story about that company and technology). I tried Def Tech Mythos when I thought I was going into "Home Theater". The theater idea was a joke but I discovered that I did like the Mythos as standalones for music. Moved them into the listening room and liked them very much. Broke an input and called Definitive for a replacement. Had a great discussion and asked them what was the best speaker they had ever made. "The BP7000sc" they said. We talked some more and it turns out they still made that model even though they don't advertise it much. Long story short (too late for that, I see), I bought a pair. WOW! I have a large-ish room (5400 cu. ft.) and these guys fill it up. I like the bi-polar approach. And get this - because of the built in 1500w bass amps, they are so efficient (92db I think) that they can be played with 8 watt tube amps! The midrange is superb - great layering and depth. Spot-on timbre. Treble is goes way up, no sibilants. Unforgiving on bad CDs. Bass is prodigious yet tuneful when dialed in. Only weakness I hear in this speaker is that the bass and the rest is not quite as seamless as it could be on some material. Still working on this. Seriously, open your minds and give a listen. |
There's something worth paying attention to, as we talk about "best" as relates to speakers there's a big difference between those costing over $50k, under $10k, and somewhere between. Yet there are those notable speakers that don't break the bank and we find guys having tens of thousands in components due to the fact that the speakers fully reward the extreme gear. Look at the level of cable that seems "right" for an $80k set of speakers, we think nothing of that audiophile spending ten or twenty grand on speaker wire and the interconnects are no price bargain either. Yet the same system and wire can be put to any level of speakers and you will never hear them sound better, you will never hear more audiophile qualities out of them. Big guns audiophile sound can be had with some of the sleeper speakers out there like Magnepans, and there is an array of components that perform way beyond their price point, same for wire. I used to put a giant killer system together for less than the cost of a set of the monster speakers typically associated with six figure systems. Even my best value wires that cost a fraction of what they outperformed still put the wire at over the cost of the components. Heck, I was using $3500 power cords on $4000 monoblocks. But here's logic for you that's inescapable, if you are going to put a $4000 amp up against a $30k amp and that amp sounds better with a $3500 power cord the $4000 amp has to get the same power cord and wire to be fairly compared. So what if the power cord costs as much as the amp, where does your logic sit on which you'd rather have, the $30k amp and $3500 power cord or the amp and power cord as a combo that soundly out performs the more expensive combo? For some people it's more about how much it cost, for others it's about what it sounds like. Audio gear doesn't lie, and the only way stellar sounding speakers can compete with those costing vastly more is to be on an equal system footing. So we find ourselves working systems up from speakers that have huge performance reserves, and there are a lot of them out there. The best speakers I ever heard were on the best systems I ever heard. |
I worked at Radio Shack for 5 years or so back in its hifi heyday. Those were my least favorite popular RS speakers. Tried to talk people out of buying them, except maybe when a good sale ran. They always sounded like all the bad stereotype things you hear about horn speakers, boomy bass, shouty and shrill. Maybe with the right tube amp that RS no longer sold. That was the heyday of the SS receiver/amp, mostly made in Japan. |
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Since numerous responders have mentioned Sound Lab electrostatics as their choice, I would like to add that they have only continued to improve over the years. The latest improvement is the Toroid II transformer in the back plates, which has increased their efficiency and resulted in a noticeable step-up in everything they were always acclaimed for. |