Has anyone ever heard the Kaiser Kawero. I heard it Rocky Mountain and it was incredible. Pretty small but over 200 lbs a piece. They filled the room with very realistic music. I saw someone from one of the mags or online sites say it was best sound at show and it sounded that way to me too. Best part is my wife thought it was beautiful. Had a modified RAAL tweeter and special wiring by Echole. I have Echole cables and they are phenomenal. Best I ever heard. That's how I found out about the speakers. |
Oris Swing BD-Design
one of the best horn speaker out there
http://www.dagogo.com/Events/2008RMAF/Coverage-XIII.html |
People will rave on for ever about what they think is best and at the end of the day only YOUR ears in YOUR listening environment can decide what is best for YOU. No matter how good the recording, room and system it is still at it's very best only the illusion of the live musical event and that is all it can ever be. The simple fact that Top of the line speakers all sound so different indicates to me that there is a very long way to go technologically and acoustically as far as the ultimate speaker goes. Don't worry, be happy! |
I agree with every word. Well spoken, thanks!
Nice system by the way, I see, like me, you have not followed trodden paths!
Cheers and happy listening, |
Duevel Jupiters... I love their smoothness, warmth and soundstage... |
The Von Schwiekerts I heard were heavenly. If you are on a tight budget,the amp is the most important. |
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My friend just got a pair of SASS "prototype" speakers from a someone who sells on eBay. They are large bookshelf sized. The company reportedly makes speaker for large music halls. Amazing sound. Has anyone heard of this company? |
Vintage SANSUI SP-5500's is one of the best AT ANY PRICE $$$$ |
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Orion speakers (made either by a kit or by Wood Artistry in California). These speakers were designed by Dr. Sigfried Linkwitz, a former HP engineer, and are an open baffle design. I have listened to them for quite some time now and have not experienced the level of depth and clarity in any other speaker system. Music is my passion and I have listened to a great deal of live concerts; the Orions come closest to realizing the true concert experience. |
Past experience leads me to question whether you can separate the performance of the amplifier driving the speaker from the speaker. Case in point, the substitution of the balanced Audio Note Kegons for a pair of Parasound JC-1's has led me to re-evaluate how good the speakers are. |
Excellent point, after going to something like the CES its clear that you can't separate the speaker from other components unless you are probably the designer, or you are intimately familiar with all components and you are a room acoustic expert... and even then! |
The last two commentators give too much credit to components other than the speakers. Most well designed preamplifiers and amplifiers sound very much the same with essentially no input offered by interconnects. Most sound engineers would tell you that the quality of the recording, the listening environment (ie. the room) and the speakers are the main determinants of sound quality. I doubt that most people could really hear the difference between a $2,000 cd player and one for $200. |
Oh boy do I wish this was reality. ^ |
Dunlavy SC5's with ASL Hurricans Amps |
The electronics do matter a lot in the equation but the cost of individual components is not always a reliable indicator of resulting performance. |
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JM Labs/Focal Mezzo Utopia Be's...that was a few years ago. With Simaudio flagship monoblocks. The new EM Utopia is supposed to change high end speakers forever, at least for Focal...until the patent runs out :) |
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A.R.T Deco 20 signature at the last CES show vegas. |
I`d second JM Lab. Nova Utopia BE is by far the best speaker I have heard yet. But JM-s are very picky about upstream components.
Camdenyard,
I think you mean Alto BE. |
I heard the Grande Utopia EM, its good, not perfect but very good. |
The new Diablo Utopia (Utopia III line) is certainly the best stand mounted 2-way I have heard. |
MAGICO MINI 2 MAGICAL WONDERFUL NATURAL BEST IMAGING WARM WONDERFUL MIDRANGE GREAT AIRY HIGHS. |
For a small to medium size room I may have heard some candidates just this past Sunday . . Esoteric M20's driven by a Grant Fidelity integrated and a Koetsu Urushi mounted in a 12" arm on a Nottinghamm Space Deck. Last month in a church abbey, some Daedalus DA1's driven by some Manley monoblocks and a VTL pre with a Linn front end. Both of these speaks are around 7k. Think I could be happy with either of these and the thousands of dollars I would save buying insanely priced whatevers. Think you might be, too. |
Rogers that were highly modified. And Thiels are excellant. |
My company (not in the audio business) is doing research on how the ear/brain system perceives music. We designed and built special loudspeakers to deal with some issues in commercially available systems. Audio has been a hobby of mine since 1951, when my Dad brought home an Altec 757a studio monitor, but these speakers are my favorite. (They have no name, but in-house we call them Wh-3’s.)
They have a very strange design. They look like they came from outer space, and they are huge – only a serious audiophile would consider having them in the living room, but people who hear them are usually amazed. Just for fun, I’ve been recording the sound of very high end speakers and playing it back through the Wh-3’s. It’s amazing. Some of the videos are on my channel on YouTube. Just go to YouTube and search for listiac. Of course, the YouTube audio is not very good, but you can catch the flavor… |
Well, I am an old faithful to the old kef 104/2 speakers. I own two pairs for my stereo A+B and front+surround until recently I replace my Kef C55 by a pair Kef iQ3 (2005 EISA Winner) for surround back. My center is Kef 200C and sub is Velodyne F-1200B.
I am also entertain the idea of "upgrading". I listened to many speakers. So far, I have found many good speakers but just haven't found anything "better". This may not be fair to other speakers for I couldn't give them the chance to burn-in.
I am a firm believer that speakers are like women. They are some very beautiful ones, some high maintenance ones and some cute ones. But, if you define "the best" for a woman that you can marry to and spend the rest of your life with, then "the best" for speakers should mean some speakers you can happily live with for quite some time. Hence, my choice is still Kef 104/2 despite their bad customer service.
Besides biasd by one's personal experience, one can only truthfully distinguish which speaker pair is "better" than the other by placing them side-by-side and driving them by its proper amplifier. Pick and choose the right format of source to play is also important. There is absolutely no so-called "the best" one can claim fairly and squarely. |
A beautiful pair of 20 year old Yamaha TX-1 powered cathedral monitors. |
why are Vandersteen so seldom mentioned???
Aren't their 5A the best at any price point???
almost comitted on a pair of quatro now :( |
I have owned B&W 802, 803 and 805 all N's. I have also owned 801 matrix. I also had the htm 1 and the scms as well. I have owned Merlin, Dali, Wilson watt puppy 6's, 7's and sophias as well as a host of others. I currently own Eggleston Andra II's.
How anybody can even think the B&W offerings compare even remotely to the others I have listed, I'll never know.
The B&W speakers have two things going for them.
1. They look great
2. When you wise up, get smart and sell them, they sell quickly!!
There are so many fine speakers in this world today it just blows my mind. If i had to pick the top 25 I seriously doubt B&W would make the list. Dont get me wrong they sound good but there are far better choices to choose from.
My two cents worth |
aware seems silly to repeat asking:
BUT
qte
why are Vandersteen so seldom mentioned???
Aren't their 5A the best at any price point???
unqte
anyone ..... |
back in the 70's; crown es-224's. |
Banner wrote "I doubt that most people could really hear the difference between a $2,000 cd player and one for $200."
I used to believe that until I purchased a used Cary 306/200. I had a Sony $300.00 cd player and the difference were huge. I didn't have to look hard for the difference they were obvious and not subtle.
Even my son who is not an audiophile said that the cd player made the biggest improvement in sound that he has heard in my system.
I totally disagree with your comment. |
I have heard several brands high end speakers, but not all. I am not an expert on loudspeakers, but since the question is what are the best speakers I have heard, I have to say they are: McIntosh XR290. They have been in my system for 14 years now and I have never lost the love. Why fix what's not broken? |
SP Technology Mini's are truley astonishing in every way!! |
Magnepan MG 3.6R's (09 edition with new crossovers). If you truly know music, there is no other speaker for you. They will unleash your inner audiophile like no other and let the music flow over you like the Holy waters from the audio God's:O ) |
Hard to say since there is no one "ideal" speaker around.
Vivid "Giya' comes close. In addition I would list speakers I love for the "close to the real sound" quality they all have (in some cases it had to be together with the electronics used at the moment),starting with the more expensive and going down:
MBL 101, Original B&W Nautilus, Wilson Benesch "Chimera", Vandersteen 5A Sign. Some Sound Labs should be added as well.
For the "small" speakers it is Sonus Faber "Extrema", Wilson Benesch "Discovery", B&W Silver Sign.
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Paul Hale's Hales Design Group Transcendence 8, powereed by Boulder equipment. Of course I'm a bit biased as we all are in that this is my current system, but honestly I have never heard another speaker this transparent ever. Between it, the Boulder power and preamp, and the Meridian front end, if you put music in, music will come out gloriously. Unfortunately, on the other hand, if you put garbage in, well.... |
Focal (JM Labs) Grande Utopia EM. IMHO challenges the boundaries of modern loud speaker performance |
as previuosly mentioned by some members there is no best speaker -we choose the most important sonic feature to get close to real sound.
from comercial fullrange traditional dynamic speakers mass production (bigger manudacturers,clasical drivers implementation)-
1) the most technical "right" sound Jm Lab Grande EM closely folowed by Stella EM, and not far away other and older 2002year utopia. all of theese bunch are very warm sounding speakers also.
2)the most imediatly , live and dynamic sounding speakers- older Wilson audio speakers. Some of Peak consult and verity audio top line steps in the same sonic features.
3)the best soundstage and calm smooth,soft sound (opoizite to wilsons) MBL 101E with soundstage performer Kharma Eq.
i didnt find comecial speakers which had all theese features in single package.
from small speakers very musical and big sounding(but coloured) speakers Sonus faber Extreema, more precize -Jm Lab Diablo Utopia, average medium between theese both would be dynaudio special twenty five.
i didnt counted many small manufacturers just the main ones. |
Anyone evr hear Royd speakers? |
Sequerra Monitor Speakers NFM driving the Mid & High + 10inch woofer for the Low Mid. These speakers can beat the 6' footer available today. When it comes to classical & dynamic music, you will feel the real meaning of "weight" in your system. |
I would say for nearfield listening the Manger MSW in OB is sublime. Outside of reason for a computer speaker ;-) but then people do spend a lot on good headphones. I wouldn't know where to start with the best monitors ever but if the bass isn't right then there is no hope. |
Maple - weren't they mfr'ed by Hemmer? |
I would list three in no order. Reference 3A Grand Veenas, Sander Sound latest electrostats with their 1000 watt amp, and Acapella LaCampanellas. If could deal with bass below about 38 Hz, I would add the $2500 LSA1 Statement. |
I may have posted this before, but the largest Sunny Cable horn literally blew me away, but that company is in transition to a new entity, and the speakers are the size of closets, so not very practical.
I have heard the latest Scaena 3.2 and thought they did everything extremely well, with tons of detail at even low level playback, without any etch or fatigue.
Anyone else have opinions on the very latest Scaena's? They are much improved over the earlier versions I heard. |
I heard the Scaenas. Excellent speakers. If you can get the bass to integrate properly. Not sure if I heard the latest ones. That is my problem with them. I love the looks and optional finishes. They are close though. Analysis plus is also excellent. Probably the best I have heard ever to date are the Symposium Speakers, but I didn't truly test their bass performance and they need a long wall for setup. For me a limitation for now. Also, they are IMO ugly. There are many excellent speakers though & as mentioned a few times, it is the room/ system as a whole which determines the speakers performance. |
Of course there is no best, but I was most amazed when I heard Quad ESLs for the first time; that was memorable. |
