Which pair of speakers changed your Hifi life?


*** I am not trying to create a debate or a quarrel with anyone. My discussions are purely having a talks and to express one's experiences. Also to learn fellow audio lovers passion. Please do not disrespect with hurtful words or expressions. Please be more forgiving and understanding in this discussion thread. Thank you." ***

Hopefully one day, someone would say "Mon Acoustic speakers were the turning point in my Hifi life".  😃

My 2ch-audio journey began when my uncle bought his BOSE system at his home (don't even know the model or never really heard it) in early 90s. Bose was rear and expensive in Korea(South) back then. So I started my own system with Bose Cinematics 2.1. Then moved on to Goldenear Triton 3, then to Triton 1. But more utilizing the speakers for AV set ups, not 2 ch stereo.   

When I had my first house, I bought a pair of Revel M105 speakers and I think these are the pair that really changed my audio life. My initial paring with M105 was Yamaha receiver. Then I tried goofie set up with center speaker 3.1 to see if it improves vocal in the songs I liked. We went through many combinations of system set up. I ended up with Chord Electronics set up. 

I still own them. Always struggle time to time, whether to sell them or not due to the number of pairs I own(out of a guilt). I cannot argue how many pairs of shoes my wife owns.  I pair them with NAD M10 (version 1) for my bedroom since my wife likes the warm and well rounded sound, and 80% its white design aspect. 

So what are the speakers that have impacted your life? 

 

128x128monacousticusa

Early on maggies sounded impressive...heard Bose 901s in college that made me nauseous...in grad school listened to lots of speakers but only the Acoustats sounded good enough, so bought the Spectra 22s...still have not run across speakers that I love as much...still listen to the 22s every day but do have some Martin Logan Source in a bedroom system that are decent...anyone make something like Spectra 22s today? Maybe for $20K instead of the <$2K I paid back then?

Many moons ago, I sold hi-fi and was fortunate enough to be able to audition hundreds of speakers. But only one pair took me away - Quad ESL 57s. I still have a pair and they are now run by an Audio Note Cobra tube integrated. A very simple system that blows me away every time I listen to it. Quads have a reputation for not having a lot of bass. With its Quad own amp and others I have had, that definitely was the case, but with the A/N Cobra, there is plenty. It's heaven.

@tsacremento Tell me more of your story, please. KEF 104.2 caught my attention long time ago due to its weird design(to my taste), but such great reviews made me curious about them. 

@monacousticusa

By the time KEF released the 104/2, I had been in the audio business for several years and was already acquainted, if not intimately familiar, with many top shelf speakers. But in those days, most speakers were still products arising more from alchemy and the black arts than engineering. This one, however, represented an engineering tour de force.

Whether or not all the research and engineering behind them was the reason they sounded so wonderful, was irrelevant for me. That they did was enough. I was immediately stricken by the 104/2’s rock solid imaging, dynamics, and smooth yet detailed sound, so I had to own this new model from Kent. I still have and use them daily, although they are now fitted with Morel MDT29-4 tweeter upgrades from Madisound, and are currently performing their duties in my bedroom system.

The 104/2’s represented my introduction to an MTM driver arrangement, which I subsequently discovered produces a dispersion pattern that I favor over those generated by other tweeter-midrange arrangements. In fact, the speakers that replaced the 104/2’s in my main system are also MTM’s, and their sound is very similar. The replacements are visually more attractive, but I still enjoy the presentation from my 104/2’s as much as ever.