Best speakers you have ever heard?

[playman]

The last ones I listen to--------- because they are all good in their own little way. I do prefer american made though.


but if I had to throw out a Brand, which I don't want to do. The better models of these brands could share with a bunch of other "bests", it would be DCM, JBL and AR (even liked the AR7s).

 

[djnagle]

I visited Chris Teres' home and this is his system. He makes the Turntable you see in back. The speakers are J-horn midbass with Cogent compression drivers, AH midhorns with Cogent compression drivers, Tube subs, and Ionofone (SP) plasma tweeters. That system just blew me away......and that is hard to do. Cheers.

 

[playman]

Nice water heaters in the corner DJnagel. I bet it blew you away in more then one way. ) ) ) ) ) ) ) like a hurricane.

 

[Infinitoid]

A pair of Dunlavy SC-IVs driven by solid state McIntosh 200wpc amp w/ McIntosh pre-amp. They weren't even positioned correctly in the room(owner was more concerned with looks than sound, but he could afford the good stuff), but still sounded so fine as long as one was in the center of the sweet spot. Dunlavys didn't let you get far from home before noticing a big difference. Must have had something to do with their first order crossovers and tweeters replete with massive felt overcoats.

Greg

 

[heath2832]

I was going to say "Montana Was what?" Then I clicked the link.

Wow. :thmbsp:

(edit) Oh! And welcome to AK!

Thanks, what a great forum this is!!!

 

[avionic]

The 3 pairs I'm listening to..

 

[senna87]

While I'd like to think my new B & W Sig Diamonds are the very best I've ever heard, I would say they pale in comparison to the set of Infinity IRS's that I got to audition at a trade show in the late 80's.

 

[Masonic Man]

For the money I have to say My Dynaudio 42's powered by my Dynaco 400.....for the money. I know there is much better equipment but I say again "for the money" a hard system to beat

 

[jhal]

I'm kinda partial to the JBL XPL-200A's I just acquired this weekend.

 

[Fishstink]

I hooked up a pair of Pioneer HPM 1500's today and am quite impressed.

 

[Rome]

Nice thread with some great speakers & amps mentioned.

While searching for some speakers at a flea market, I heard some Klipsch 5.2's hooked to a B&K amp. Those K's were simply terrific.

My Polk 7b's sound pretty darn good I must say!

Rome

 

[Face]

Dynaudio Sapphires with Ayre gear and my modified HPD 385As hooked up to Mac gear.

 

[seabisquit2]

I have to say (biased) my JBL 4311B's with the marantz 1200.

Simply marvelous!

 

[Evil_Roy]

For me, the best are whatever I managed to listen to from the Von-Schweikert line of speakers.

The VR-1 (my speaker) "ate for breakfast" in several blind shootouts far more expensive speakers and even when I upgrade, they aren't going anywhere.
Best monitors I've heard yet.
The VR-2 (tower version of the VR-1) is fantastic.
The VR-4jr is the highest version of Von-Sch. speakers I was exposed to, and is probably the best speaker I got to listen to although it wasn't in optimal conditions. Maybe someday it will be added to my system.

In the wish list for close inspection are also the Harbeth HL5 monitors, the WLM DIVA monitors, and whatever PCM monitor that is in the future budget. All of them may be even better than the Von-Sch. although that remains to be seen (or heard, actually).

I have also auditioned far more expensive speakers, but they were just not as good.
Actually, the most expensive speaker I have ever auditioned was also the worst: an Avantgarde Duo (15K$ a pair). an absolute cacophony. So price tags do not always mean anything.

 

[jetblack]

Ok guys, you're making me realize that there are so many speakers that I have never heard before.........................................

 

[eljr]

best I ever heard :scratch2:

Wilson: Watt Puppy

 

[Evil_Roy]

Ok guys, you're making me realize that there are so many speakers that I have never heard before.........................................

And for a good reason- among stereo equipment manufacturers, the number of speaker manufacturers is the highest, for a number of reasons. Amongst those are that speakers are the easiest piece of equipment to produce compared with "hard core" electronics, with plenty of inexpensive off-the-shelf components; relatively little technical knowledge needed (in order to produce A speaker, not A GOOD speaker), and good investment/profit ratio. Also, of course, it's much easier to make the speaker sound distinct than any other component in the stereo chain.
This means a lot of versatility in the speaker market, but also a lot of overpriced bad sounding speakers. One thing is certain- it does make this hobby very interesting. :scratch2:

 

[gkimeng]

I knew that there'd be at least one vote of confidence for the AR-3/3a early in this thread.

For me: Sansui 9090 + AR-3a. While u scoff, I'm turnin' it up!

3a's are my vote for the best speakers I've ever heard *that I could afford to buy."

Remove cost, and my entry for best ever heard would be KLH 9's, four of them (two per channel), being driven by a monster array of multiple Marantz tube amplifiers. It literally was a "wall of sound."

 

[Brian]

My vote is also for multiple panels of Nines driven with Matantz 9s in triode mode. When I had the setup, I shoulda just quit. I did use Nines for decades with Mc MC250s.

 

[Jonesy09]

Vandersteen Model 5a's and Wilson Maxx II's.

I've got to second the 5A's. I heard them at a dealer with a pile of beautiful Audio Research gear. Granted, the sum total of the retail cost of the system I heard was more than the cost of my first house (no exaggeration - it was a small house), but the results were amazing. The best detail and imaging I've ever heard.