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
Gerry

Not sure if it was a typo BUT there never was a Wilson Grand Slamm (proper spelling) VII. Prior to my X-2's I owned the latest version of the Slamm which was X-1 Series III which was pretty spectacular but not in the league of the X-2. Once the X-2 came into production the X-1 was discontinued because for the money the MAXX series II was just such a better speaker for 1/2 the price. For those who kept their X-1's Wilson did make available a Series V upgrade (no Series IV because of Asian belief that number 4 is an unlucky number). Gerry you have stood me up several times for a listening audition. I still want to meet you
I second Gary (Grr6001), after 4 years of listening to high-end speakers in Europe and the USA ranging from $10,000-100,000+ I too thought the Evolution Acoustics MM3 speakers are the absolute greatest speakers for the money out there. I only wonder if the Rockport Arrakis at $165,000 could be better sounding or not...
Some great answers. I love the guy with the optimus preference! This quote makes me wonder ""nearly 100% of all professional recording studios use the B&W Nautilus 801 as their reference for the best quality sound". Can't say I'd ever want to work at a place where that was the reference monitor. Yes studio's have different needs, kleenex taped to Yamaha NSM-10 tweets and all, but when it comes time to go home, have a drink, and just listen, my fantasy would still be a pair of Westlake Audio Tower SM-1's. A "real world" second choice is a used pair of Tannoy Churchills. Somebody ealier lamented the evolution towards "monitor" speakers instead of the big old boxes we used to have. I couldn't agree more. from pipe organs to modern techno there is a need for stuff around 20hz that a beautiful little box just can't do quite right.
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The Linn Komri is the best speaker I have ever heard. Compared to Acapella Audio's giant horns and McIntosh's humongous line arrays, it is the Komri that stole my heart. Only the Vandersteen 5a powered by Ayre's AX-R monoblocks comes close. I have never heard a system of such resolution and naturalness working in perfect symbiosis as the Komri.

Revelatory.

The tweeter's exquisite attack releases high frequencies into the room from the ether and not from any particular driver. The crash and sizzle of symbols decaying eminates from a general direction, but sources from no absolute location. This attack and decay behavior can be followed through the frequency range to the lowest octaves. This is a revelation for me and I have not before or since heard anything like it.

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