Top Ten Speakers of All Time?


Well its time for a new Top Ten Thread. WOW-Have I learned a lot.Thanks to all Audiogon members.Have had several e mail thanking the Top Ten Threads. We have a lot of new members just starting their High End adventure. Info was much appreciated. I will start the thread for the Acoustat 2+2 and Model 2 of which I still own and continue to enjoy. So lets have your top ten members. --- MANY THANKS ---
ferrari
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My top speakers BOSE 301 1ST SET HEY I WAS BROKE AND 22.
THE KLISPCH FORTE LUSTED FOR IT
ML PRODIGY LOVED THESE LUSTED ONLY
PARADIGM MODEL 9 AND THE ORIGINAL STUDIO MONITERS. THE LEGACY FOCUS.THE ESSENCE SUPER GEMS AND MY BEST TO DATE A 10 YEAR OLD SET OF THE SOUND LAB M1.I DO LIKE THE CARVER AMAZINGS BUT SOLD THEM BACK TO MY FRIEND.I GUESS THE BEST I EVER HEAR WERE THE SANDERS SYSTEMS 10C AWESOME CANT WAIT TO GET THE FUNDS.THEY SHALL BE MINE!
Memorable speakers through the years but taken in the context of great set-ups to showcase the possibilities. I have heard MANY highly acclaimed speakers that might have been better than they sounded because of poor or less than optimal set-up, one can't be separated from the other. A good example being Vandersteen which I have heard sound absolutely dreadful, dull and lifeless, at an audio show with Richard Vandersteen in the room no less. If one was to hear them for the first time in that set-up after reading about how great they are he would wonder what all the fuss is about. Almost any speaker can sound good or poor. Great sound, which I have heard from all the speakers on my list, requires a bit more which I'm sure we would all agree on?

Quad esl (including the original, 63 and 2905) These speakers are the BEST IMHO at natural, unfatiguing tonality and midrange purity
Nestorovic 5AS
Dunlavy SCIV
Apogee (Stage, Duetta)
Sound Lab A1 and A3
Infinity Ref 5
Verity Parsifal Encore
Merlin VSM (owned for 12 years)
Vandersteen (2 and 3 series)
Sonus Faber Extrema
I just revisited this thread...I MUST add the Sound Lab speakers. I heard the M-1's ......great!
AR-3a's will always be in the top 100 of all time. I bought a set new in 1969, still have them and the invoice!

I've just purchased a set of AR-9Ls in remarkable condition...looking for amplification recommendations now on the 9Ls. Something in the 300/300 rms pc range.

Thanks!
Green mountain audio !! Pick one ! I prefer the c-2's and they are 10 years old. They now have new stuff out I would love to hear.!
901's please ! You need to get out more.
My speakers Talon Khorus II are the best for the resting of my Life since i update the xover and récently changed the tweeters and replaced them by Audax ref:TW025a8 .They are giving me happiness and pleasure to listen to Music any kind of Music and i just fell involved what ever and whenever i listen to Music ,i just respected the work they pût into them by changent the tweeters. yes i am à happy man...yes i am very happy .
Hands down Dunlavy SCV with the proper Tube amps Pre amp and Cartridge. I would match my 2 channel room with ANYTHING out there.Just my humble opinion
Top ten of all time? Thats a tough one depending what decade your referring to. However..the largest selling speaker of all time that would make them #1 in global sales is the large Advent. In 1976 one out of four speakers sold worldwide were Advent's. No other speaker company to date has matched that record.
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Tubegroover and Wildoats,
I too strongly recommend the Nestorovic 5ASMkIV which I will never sell. The complete speaker. Midrange to die for, potent bass and silky extended highs. And at 91dB sensitivity my 70wpc tube amp drives them perfectly.
Add to this...
Aerial 10T, 20T
Acapella
MBL 101
Dunlavy SC IV, and V
King Sound Stats
Big Wilsons
Maggie 20.1
TAD Reference
Raidho

All great at different things, but musical at heart.
I really don't think this can be done unless one adjusts for the technology at the time. I think dynamic driver technology and tweeters have greatly advanced. I have twice owned Klipsch corner horns, which have to be one of the best compromise speakers of all time. I also owned two pair of Infinity ServoStatics. Two excellent windows to the sound stage. KLH Model 9s. I also had AR-3s, Rectilinear IIIs, Roger's LS3/5as (two pair with one atop the other), Fulton J Modulars and Premieres, Linn Isobariks, Avantegard Duos and Trios, and now the BMC Arcadias. All of these I think merit top rating in their time.

I remember a dealer welcoming me to hear the new Bose 901s, which he assured me would certainly replace my AR-3s. I listened and said I didn't like listening to elevator music coming from everywhere. About six months later he dropped the line.
Joejr, Do you mean unmodified Dahlquist DQ 20's? While I lived on Long Island, I heard many modifications of these and was very impressed, but not with unmodified units. I moved away too fast to ever have a pair. At the time I had double Quad 57s.
Hello Tbg
The DQ 20's when first introduce, where excellent performers.
Since they are over three decades old,It would be very rare to find a pair that is fully functional without some sort of repair or mod. Most of them suffer from woofer surround rot.
My pair was extensively worked on by Mr. Bill LeGall of Miller Sound.It's truly astonishing the way they present the music. Very open and smooth.
no 1 beveridge 2 sw with janis subwoofer and sequerra tweeter
build your speakers system in your sound room.multi amps
and multi channels to setup and flat pink noise setting.
no 2 ......no more
I do'nt have lot of experience in speaker review except from
dealer show room. But the best speaker ever on my system now
are Acoustic Research AR 3 i paid $10 for the pair at a thrift
store... I was that day at the right place in the right
time. This speaker are sold an average of $1500 US on ebay.
And i understand why...

The sound of AR 3 are difficult to explain... My only comment will be, do i will sales them? NEVER, will keep them all my
life.That mean every thing.
I doubt that anyone on this site is listening to speakers that provide a more musical, dynamic, detailed and accurate presentation than the JBL DD6700. Yes good ol' JBL-the company that provides dance music and classical music sound reinforcement--to the world. And they can be driven by any decent receiver of 100 watts to toe tapping delight or symphonic bliss.. Neat.
This question needs to be focused a bit better.
Best panel - Magnepan 20.1
Best 2 way monitor - kharma 3.2FE
Best Full Range Dynamic-Magico Q7, Wilson Alexia properly amplified.
Best HORN - JBL 15" with midrange Lens and Dukane ionovac plasma horn tweeter. (Best tweeter)Very believable and startling dynamics. Beyond subwoofer bass.
Best Omni Directional - Numerous MBL speakers
Best Electrostatic-Quad, Sound Lab depending on room
Best open Baffle - Audio Artistry Beethoven, External Xover Legacy Whisper,
Best Powered Speaker - Vaughn Loudspeakers Triode with restored Plasma Horn tweeters by Dukane. Stunning and giant killers..
honorable mention Dunlavy SCV,
quad 57s........and  note to Viridian from 06/06/2013.....not the
hamburger but the cheeseburger.....easily in my top ten....
what can I say,there's no accounting for taste
So many great sounding loudspeakers and finding that perfect tune. A pair of Infinity RS 4.5 biamped with a couple of Threshold Stasis 2's , room was a perfect fit for those .The song was the Police's "Don't stand so close to me ". that blew my hair back.  I still remember the goosebumps when that first drum kick came out of those bad boys.. Watkins dual voice coil woofers and those EMIT Tweeters were sweet. Such a tough speaker to drive though. Acoustat model 3's playing Joni Mitchell's " Court and Spark" Thru Conrad Johnson gear.
Von Schweikert Ultra 11 is the best I've encountered which is superior in all sound categories.  I had stats including the ML Quests, Monolith IIIs, Acoustat Xs and 2+2s for 20 years.  I am so happy that I don't have them any longer (except for the 2+2s, I should have kept those).   I prefer a large, dynamic sound with excellent bass and wide seating dispersion.  Stats don't do that except for SoundLabs.  I also prefer easier to drive speakers.  Maggies are great for the price and most acoustic and smaller music but not their larger speakers which now cost as much as comparable dynamic speakers.   
Radio Shack rs-50000 the best speakers in the world!!!!!  And you don't
need any MODS. Beautiful fake wood cabinets, I think they called the 
wood (partical board) and top of the line Chinese made crossover. YES SIR top of the line in 79 and when you played the BEE GEE'S on them you thought they was in the same room. NOW THAT'S A SYSTEM!!!

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My vote for Klipsch Lascalas (with sub) due to three things: 1) The sound stage feels big and correct 2) Volume can easily replicate actual live musical venues with relatively inexpensive amplifier push 3) Reproduction is quick and transparent although poorly recorded source will tell on itself. Perfect for small intimate jazz recordings, my current bassa nova phase, and imaging to die for. However, unsuitable for those who don't like to tweek their system. Right speaker cabling, interconnects, amp, cartridge, and on and on....Worth every minute and rewarding