List the top 3 best sounding speakers you have ever owned.

[Archguy]

I’m driving two pair of the BA’s in the laundry room driven by a Crown DC300A. Makes doing the laundry an experience I look forward to.

Now that there is good thinking!!

 

[mars_volta]

I'll refine my list:

ADS L1530
Pinnacle Aerogel towers
Ohm Walsh 4

 

[Cspiegs]

current list:

Vandersteen 2Ce
ADS L1290
ADS L710

How do the Vandersteen 2CE's compare to the ADS L1290's? I have a pair of ADS L1290's currently and am thinking about upgrading to Vandersteens I listen to primarily classical and jazz and will be powering them with a Yamaha DSP A1 integrated amp.

 

[cnolanh]

How do the Vandersteen 2CE's compare to the ADS L1290's? I have a pair of ADS L1290's currently and am thinking about upgrading to Vandersteens I listen to primarily classical and jazz and will be powering them with a Yamaha DSP A1 integrated amp.

I've spent the last couple months listening carefully to both. The Vandersteen 2Ce pair is in our living room, and the ADS L1290 pair is in my office/music room, so I can't do an immediate A/B comparison. But both are connected to McIntosh pre- and power amps of the same vintage and condition, and the rooms are about the same sizes.

One of the beautiful things about the Vandy design is that the boxes tend to disappear aurally. This is a big plus with classical and jazz, especially. I feel like the ADS speakers are a little more identifiable in placement — my ears are more likely to notice the speakers there and there. But I'm still experimenting with toe-in (which the ADS manual recommends) vs. the speakers firing straight forward. The latter gives a wider soundstage and I think is more pleasing in general in my space.

The Vandies reach a little lower on the bottom: low organ pipes, five-string bass, and deep synth sounds can be startlingly present. That fits with the 2Ce specs, and their driver complement. The ADSs also sound solid and convincing in the bass — there's just slightly less of the bottom octave. The L1290s might be marginally more forward in the upper mids and treble. But that's minimal, and may be due to room placement differences more than anything. Both the Vandies and ADSs sound accurate to me: not sizzly or mushy or veiled. Men's and women's voices sound natural.

It's telling that I go back and forth between these systems and hear more similarities than differences. To my ears they are both serious musical instruments, and I could live happily with either one as a single system. If I were pressed, the Vandersteens would be the last speakers standing. But it's close.

 

[Apolek]

1. KLH Model Five
2. Energy CS-70
3. Rectilinear XII

 

[DeeCee]

Magneplanar Tympany 1D
Aerial Acoustics Model 10T
Apogee Divas

Based on material, room and synergy. The Tympani 1D came closest to reproducing a full orchestra credibly I've ever heard.

All of the above did well with various genres. No specific order of preference. The tympanies require "breathing room". Ahem.

Yikes! Just noticed the thread said “owned” and for some reason I posted auditioned speakers. Oops! My bad!

 

[Bill Ferris]

In de-sending order of SQ here--

Early 04 bought brand new Mac. XRT-30 in use in my living room, pics already on site no need to fill up A K`s site..

1993, purchased dealer offered show room demo Mac. XRT-18, for use in bedroom, also pics on this site..

Traded brand new super HD flat screen TV mount, with friend early 2003~04, to obtain his, in excellent shape, used DQ 10`s for use in Sun room`s stereo system.

No pics provided yet.
Very happy with all these speaker systems SQ..

 

[will d]

In de-sending order of SQ here--

Early 04 bought brand new Mac. XRT-30 in use in my living room, pics already on site no need to fill up A K`s site..

1993, purchased dealer offered show room demo Mac. XRT-18, for use in bedroom, also pics on this site..

Traded brand new super HD flat screen TV mount, with friend early 2003~04, to obtain his, in excellent shape, used DQ 10`s for use in Sun room`s stereo system.

No pics provided yet.
Very happy with all these speaker systems SQ..

I'm not asking for the best you have heard, but the top 3 in order that sounded the best in your own personnel residence.

Also with each entry, please describe the speakers living environment, EX. (Size of room, and the Amp you used to power it), more details to the situation are always welcome. If you got pictures, post them. Pictures are always a plus.

I'm not asking for the best you have heard, but the top 3 in order that sounded the best in your own personnel residence.

Also with each entry, please describe the speakers living environment, EX. (Size of room, and the Amp you used to power it), more details to the situation are always welcome. If you got pictures, post them. Pictures are always a plus.

Currently, and in no particular order. Completely redone Speakerlab 4's powered by an 800 series Rotel amp and preamp in a medium sized living room. The Magnapan mg-1's in a larger room in the basement, powered by a Parasound 1205 amp and Parasound avc-1800 preamp with an M&K mx-70b sub in the back of the room. And a pair of ADS L-630's that are not hooked up at the moment because the 140 wpc B&K amp needs the left channel repaired, and I have a couple of options for the preamp. And my little dining room system, ADS L-690's with the 300's inverted stacked on top. Nothing exotic really, just what i've been able to procure and afford. Cheers Will D.

 

[will d]

Currently, and in no particular order. Completely redone Speakerlab 4's powered by an 800 series Rotel amp and preamp in a medium sized living room. The Magnapan mg-1's in a larger room in the basement, powered by a Parasound 1205 amp and Parasound avc-1800 preamp with an M&K mx-70b sub in the back of the room. And a pair of ADS L-630's that are not hooked up at the moment because the 140 wpc B&K amp needs the left channel repaired, and I have a couple of options for the preamp. And my little dining room system, ADS L-690's with the 300's inverted stacked on top. Nothing exotic really, just what i've been able to procure and afford. Cheers Will D.View attachment 1114450 View attachment 1114451 View attachment 1114452 View attachment 1114453 View attachment 1114454 View attachment 1114455 View attachment 1114456 View attachment 1114457 View attachment 1114459

P.S. The picture of the Maggie's is older as you see a Harman Kardon receiver in the background, it's been replaced with the Parasound gear. Forgot pics of the dining room system. Will.

 

[Porkloin]

Currently, and in no particular order. Completely redone Speakerlab 4's powered by an 800 series Rotel amp and preamp in a medium sized living room. The Magnapan mg-1's in a larger room in the basement, powered by a Parasound 1205 amp and Parasound avc-1800 preamp with an M&K mx-70b sub in the back of the room. And a pair of ADS L-630's that are not hooked up at the moment because the 140 wpc B&K amp needs the left channel repaired, and I have a couple of options for the preamp. And my little dining room system, ADS L-690's with the 300's inverted stacked on top. Nothing exotic really, just what i've been able to procure and afford. Cheers Will D.View attachment 1114450 View attachment 1114451 View attachment 1114452 View attachment 1114453 View attachment 1114454 View attachment 1114455 View attachment 1114456 View attachment 1114457 View attachment 1114459

The Maggies are crap.
I'll take them off of your hands for what you have into them, unless you included your soul as partial payment along with the paltry cash you forked over.

Nice "Mini Pearl" touch leaving the Value Village price tag on the 300, by the way.

 

[will d]

The Maggies are crap.
I'll take them off of your hands for what you have into them, unless you included your soul as partial payment along with the paltry cash you forked over.

Nice "Mini Pearl" touch leaving the Value Village price tag on the 300, by the way.

Golly gee, thanks.

 

[guitarlvr]

Magenpan 1.7
Magenpan MMG
Elac uni-fi ub5 with SVS sub.

 

[RTally]

Maggies MMG
Paradigm 5se
Paradigm 3se

I am still looking for something to bump off the Paradigms. But I have not been looking long.

 

[Archguy]

Magnepan MMG
Infinity Kappa 6.1 SII
JBL L36

 

[Cspiegs]

I've spent the last couple months listening carefully to both. The Vandersteen 2Ce pair is in our living room, and the ADS L1290 pair is in my office/music room, so I can't do an immediate A/B comparison. But both are connected to McIntosh pre- and power amps of the same vintage and condition, and the rooms are about the same sizes.

One of the beautiful things about the Vandy design is that the boxes tend to disappear aurally. This is a big plus with classical and jazz, especially. I feel like the ADS speakers are a little more identifiable in placement — my ears are more likely to notice the speakers there and there. But I'm still experimenting with toe-in (which the ADS manual recommends) vs. the speakers firing straight forward. The latter gives a wider soundstage and I think is more pleasing in general in my space.

The Vandies reach a little lower on the bottom: low organ pipes, five-string bass, and deep synth sounds can be startlingly present. That fits with the 2Ce specs, and their driver complement. The ADSs also sound solid and convincing in the bass — there's just slightly less of the bottom octave. The L1290s might be marginally more forward in the upper mids and treble. But that's minimal, and may be due to room placement differences more than anything. Both the Vandies and ADSs sound accurate to me: not sizzly or mushy or veiled. Men's and women's voices sound natural.

It's telling that I go back and forth between these systems and hear more similarities than differences. To my ears they are both serious musical instruments, and I could live happily with either one as a single system. If I were pressed, the Vandersteens would be the last speakers standing. But it's close.

I think I'm going to hear the same thing. However I decide, there will be a 15" down firing Mirage subwoofer as well.

 

[doctor fuse]

1. Alternate Audio Planars (with ribbon tweeters and 6.5" woofer); tri-amped with Electrohome SEP for tweeters, Conn PP for Planar, and Nikko Alpha II for the woofer. Used with a Velodyne CHT-10 subwoofer.
2. Linn Sara 9. Bi-amped with a NAD 3020 as pre-amp and tweeter amp, and Nikko Alpha II for the Isobarik woofers.
3. ADC 303AX; used with all of the above amps.

 

[ScottFan355]

Hales Concept Two
80s Polk RT8
Dahlquist DQ8

 

[rctm]

Hi, my top three have got to be:

Pioneer CS-3000A;
Pioneer CS-H9;
Pioneer CS-810.

Cheers

 

[RDSChicago]

Quad 57
Quad 57
Quad 57

 

[Apolek]

1. Rectilinear XII
2. KLH Model Five
3. Rectilinear III