Your thoughts on best audiophile speakers in $10,000 neighborhood?

@mglik I know this is an older thread but you claimed to have already purchased the Quad ESL-2812X in April yet even today the X version of this speaker is not available and has not even been announced by Quad yet. I have spoken to the distributer and a popular Quad dealer, and they confirmed this. They have announced its bigger brother the ESL-2912X but even that is not yet available. Did you make a mistake and just get the ESL-2812, or did you have some special connection within Quad to get the X version before they announced them or even acknowledged them? Just interested because I'm considering this speaker if it is ever announced and released. Also, I'm being told the X version of the 2812 won't be sold at $10K but at a higher price, possibly $2-3K higher.

Borresen X3 at 11k - its not even close

For new speakers I have to agree. Haven’t encountered anything close to as good for around $10K. The closest performing B&W, Perlisten, Sonus Faber and Revel all retail for at least twice as much. Some of those reach deeper in the lowest octave but the X3s match or outperform them on every other level to my ears. They X3s are the only remotely affordable speaker I know of that can match the speed and transparency of panels/planars, but without the typical drawbacks of panels. Some other dynamic-driver speakers can do this but none I’ve heard under $20K, especially among speakers that can be bought new.

It’s my understanding that Borresen set out to create a new benchmark for performance in this price class. IMO they more than succeeded.

Just so everyone's clear, I purchased the Vandersteen Treo CTs, not Quads or the Borresons or any other brand. Thanks.

Greetings

 Congratulations on a well-chosen speaker. just to enlighten you as to why these were probably an easy choice for you

Most folks are not aware of the faithful nature of Phase and time correct and how we need to take advantage of this by simply listening in the proper til back zone most speakers today sound pretty good everywhere but Great nowhere this is why many are confused when properly set up with proper performed tilt back the Vandersteens seem in sinc or grab the time of the music easily to hear. this is because their 6 DB crossover allows all drivers to move as a perfect piston together

This to many will seem more faithful to what the Microphone picked up at the recorded event preserving Time by comparison to other speakers having one  or more drivers some going forward and some going backward

 Hey, it's not for everybody but at least you listened and made a fine choice.

 Best JohnnyR

Audio Connection Vandersteen dealer Verona NJ USA

Well-said, Johnny R. I’m quite familiar with the sound of musical instruments so the Vandersteen Treo CTs matched what I’ve heard "live" many times...and were the closest match to my Mark Levison 5909 headphones that I listen to passively through a Class A phono preamp. Of course, the Vandeersteen’s deliver more bass than the headphones but also deliver extraordinary detail and musicality in the mids and treble.