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What's your speaker IQ, and the best speaker?

Please forgive the fact that this is a direct overlap of the popular "The best speaker you ever heard?" thread. However as much as I love the original thread, far too many of the respondents do not list what other speakers they have auditioned, severely limiting the value of that particular answer. For example if you say, "The Dunlavy SC-V are the best speaker bar none" and all you ever heard before that are whatever was at Best Buy, it is hard to give that opinion a lot of weight. But if you say, "The Dunlavy SC-V are the best speaker bar none" and I've listened to Von Schwiekert VR-11s, Avalon Eidolon Diamonds, and the entire Wilson line .. well then NOW you're saying something.

So in my perfect world, the posts would go something like: "Krix Equinox, Rogers Studio 1a, Quad 12L, Quad ESL989, ATC SCM 20SL, Kef C40s, most of the Thiel line, but I have to say far and away the best speaker I've ever hear is ..."

Forgive me again, but I guess this also overlaps the popular "Personal speaker evolution" thread! However if this topic takes on any traction, I think it can be a perfect marriage of the other two threads and very valuable resource.

Try to answer by listing the speakers first, so that when the answers post they will be seen in the 1st line of the post and anyone browsing the thread can then click on those answers that mention speakers that he/she is interested in.

This could be fun, thanks!
studioray
delancey
47 posts
 
Maggie 3.6R, Wilson WP 6, Wilson WP 7*, Kharma 3.2RMe, Kharma Midi Ceramique*, Kharma Midi Exqusite, Von Schweikert VR4jr, Von Schweikert DB99, Zu Cable Druid, Dali Megaline, Pipedreams 15*, Vandersteen 5A*, Von Schweikert VR9*, Audio Note AN-E SE Signature, Avantgarde Duo*, Wilson Maxx*, SAP J2001*

This is a good post. I have added * to the speakers that I have heard in other people's systems, but still at length. The ones without * I have had in my system and therefore carry more weight. I have not listed speakers I have just heard at shows or once at a dealer etc.

My tastes are for tonal purity and dynamics, so my favorite speaker is the Audio Note AN-E SE Signature.

However the best speaker in a audiophile sense, has deep bass, extended top, soundstage etc. etc. is the Dali Megaline.
mechans
3,048 posts
 
I own 8 pairs of speakers at the moment and you want me to give you a list of every speaker I have heard at length. I couldn't even begin to try such a feat.
The best speakers I ever Heard are Arnie Nudell's personal set of 1989 Infinity IRS Vs which were refurbished after being played once to show the world what he could do and then crated and stored for 20+ years. Bill Legall a true master at the craft of speaker repair etc. preparedthem for regular use. There is no one who knows infinity better than him, I say that with certainty. I am not generally impressed with Infinity but his IRS Betas and his two sets of IRS Vs are utterly amazing- if you enjoy big sound which I happen to like very much. He also owns a variety of other great classic speakers. My own are not interesting except for my Vintage 1959 JBL C38s with the 030 package and the C36s with the D-131 driver and the 075 tweeters. I use JMlab Electras 936s and VSA VR2s nothing really interesting, but I have listened critically to dozens. I couldn't posibly list them all.
pragmatist
336 posts
 
Over the years,I have tried to get into audio botiques,so that I've heard most of the stuff out there,even if in a commissioned salesperson's speaker room.

In the "best speakers you've even heard" thread,I said the larger Quads,that are beyond my budget,and that I'm happy with my Maggie 1.6s.

That said,of the boxes I've heard,the ones I've liked best(in no particular order) are the Vandersteen 1cs,the Meadowlark Kestrals,and the Frieds,

In a room where the Maggies would not be an option,I would go with a quarter wave/t-line box.

Two speakers I have not heard that I would like to hear are the Madisound Thors and the Salk Veracity QWs(both two way quarter wavers.).
thaluza's avatar
thaluza
278 posts
 
Merlin VSM-MXe's. Bobby's newest iteration of this magnificent speaker model. I just got these. Hands down, the best speakers that I have owned. The sound is very holographic and dynamic, yet quite natural, which creates a startling real soundscape. My previous speakers include Quad ESL-988, Quad ESL-63, Quad ESL-57, Apogee Stage, and Magnepan IIIa. The Merlins' bass is fuller and more tonally pure than any of these other speakers. It is better integrated than the ribbon speakers that I had, and has much better SPL capability than the Quads. This is JMHO, based upon my personal experience with my system and my listening room, which I am most familiar with. YMMV.
drseid
201 posts
 
A partial list (most recent) is:

Legacy Audio Studios,*Whispers
Dali *Megalines, Euphonia MS5s, *Helicon 800s
McIntosh *XT-28s, 30s
Von Schweikert VR4SRs, *VR4JRs, *DB99s, *VR-11s
*Tyler Acoustics Taylo Ref. Monitors, Linbrook Signature Monitors, *Linbrook Signature System (models I and II), Super Towers, *Woodmeres
*Salk Sound Veracity HT-3
Martin Logans (cant remember the model name, but it was the second to the top of the line)
Audio Note E/SPEs
*Spendor SP3/1s
*Ayon Butterflies
*Acoustic Zen Adagios
*Merlin VSM MXs
...etc the list goes on and on...

My favorites at any price that I can remember from the above list are the Von Schweikert VR-11s. I placed an * next to speakers that impressed me at their various price points.
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