The best speaker you ever heard?


In my opinion, the speaker is by far the most important part of the audio system. After all, it is the only part you hear. OK, the other stuff really matters a lot, but without a great speaker... No go.

I am a bit 'speaker-obsessed' I guess, and now I am wondering: What are the best speakers you have ever heard, and what made them the best?
njonker
Montana WAS speakers at a friend's house in Fla. this past summer. But at $55K retail a pair it was way over my budget. I settled for the Montana EPS's at $8K retail a pair and don't regret the change a single moment. The B&W 802's and N805's went out the door.
Beveridge Direct Drive Electrotatic 24" Hartley System

This is the dream system over 20 years in the making.

The first set of Bevies were found at a local junk shop, after looking for ten years and cost 1,000$ (totally-toasted). Starting out with 70-watt class"A" Krohn Hite amplifiers. YES...

The sonics were first rate but not the ultimate.

The imaging was "PURE ENLIGHTENMENT.

Going to a pair of modified Altec 1570B's was impressive and powerful with a loss of detail over the KRON's, but an unparalleled acoustic triumph!
Pure chance brought a 150 watt OTL Home Brew amp into the store for repair.
!!WOW!! I told the owner that if he ever wanted to sell the amp that it had a home here. And life was good.

Always thinking of Direct Drive Electrostatic amplifiers eventually we found a pair of Acoustat amps in Hawaii.
Adapting to the Beveridges took several hours, But after 15 minutes we were so far beyond being stunned the imaging and sonic effectivness of the system was and is a revalation.

The advantages of a lo-mass panel with ultra accurate imaging and punishing transient response. They also have the line characteristics of a ribbon source without the coloration of a low impedance interface or transformers of any kind!

There is a final pay off of this topology and that it is what we call a MONOPOLE Acoustic source.

After listening to thousands of systems half way across the globe no....I REPEAT NO OTHER AUDIO SYSTEM CAN COMPARE.

REPEAT........FORGETABBOUTET............

NUFF SAID

HOPE YOU MADE IT TO THE END OF THIS RAMBLING..

Take care.

mike
Mejames: Thanks for mentioning the Mirages, it's been at least 5 or 6 years since I heard them but they impressed me at the time. I'd like to hear the Dunlaveys and some of the other big names. Anyone else ever heard the Shahinian Diapasons?
My Sharp boombox makes my Britney Spears CD sound so real , that I could almost feel her breasts.