What Are the Best Sounding Speakers You've Ever Heard.?

[Kimo]

I have to think of this in two ways. Best that I have heard in my listening room, and best that I have heard somewhere else.

 

In my room and in no particular order.

 

1. Omega Alnico: Very smooth sound from a crossover free speaker. Nice midbass response.

2. Tannoy dual concentric: Lovely open midrange and nice dynamics. May be a bit too special for the sake of reality, but with the right amp the design can really shine.

3. Alta Audio Celesta frm: Best tweeter that I have heard. Excellent bass for a small speaker. The Black Keys will overload the room with a bit too much volume. Nothing negative to report.

 

In other rooms.

 

1. Quad 57: Bi amped with 150 tube watts on each side. Pretty large room. Amazing sound.

2. Bose 901: Have a laugh, but Tom Petty never sounded so real as when I heard a pair cranked up in a concrete and wood paneled basement. I wasn't drunk either.

3. Celestion 700s: I am not entirely sure it wasn't the 600s, but in the dealer's room the sound was fantastically large and open. Little weak on the bass, but so what.

4. Dynaudio Crafft: Needs a small room and lots of power, but plays very clean.

[mayhem13]

JBL M2 Master Reference monitor

 

http://www.jblpro.com/www/products/recording-broadcast/m2#.V_w3yOgrKUk

 

Constant directivity down to 800hz so the room 'doesn't' matter.

 

Those that think they've heard what they feel is the pinnacle owe it to themselves to audition these...............

[mozes]

Best sound I heard was Magico S7 driven by Tenor pre/power electronics

[DuckToller]

..

[TubeLover]

+1

Those and McIntosh's big integrated MA8000 are a "set it and forget it" system that just flat out rocks! I could VERY happily listen to that combo well into the future and could see it being a destination combo. LOT'S of wayyyyy more expensive combos can't touch the pure musicality and gestalt that they effortlessly put out.

 

+1 on the 3.7i's, and that MA8000 is one component that simply looks both awesome, and like it could take names!

 

JC

[17629v2]

In general I like 2 way designs the best because the integration of different drivers is never perfect as are full-range drivers

 

Well designed time and phase correct speakers take care of that problem. My Vandersteen's are more coherent than both my Magnepans and Martin Logan's.

[semente]

JBL M2 Master Reference monitor

 

http://www.jblpro.com/www/products/recording-broadcast/m2#.V_w3yOgrKUk

 

Constant directivity down to 800hz so the room 'doesn't' matter.

 

Those that think they've heard what they feel is the pinnacle owe it to themselves to audition these...............

 

I would have to listen to them but I have trouble understanding how one can get good sound from a two way "compression driver + large woofer" system.

 

I also disagree with the room doesn't matter with constant directivity unless the speakers have a narrow dispersion pattern above 2-300Hz...

Unless you don't mind constant reflections.

 

R

[r_w]

Or these ATC SCM 300ASL Tower with Active 4 way 850W monoblocks.

 

 

 

JBL M2 Master Reference monitor

 

http://www.jblpro.com/www/products/recording-broadcast/m2#.V_w3yOgrKUk

 

Constant directivity down to 800hz so the room 'doesn't' matter.

 

Those that think they've heard what they feel is the pinnacle owe it to themselves to audition these...............

[mourip]

+ 1

I have the Omega super alnico monitors powered by 8 watt tube amp. Probably the last speakers I will buy.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I thought that these would be my endgame speakers until Omega came out with a newer 99db "High Output" version of their Alnico floorstanders. I got a good deal on a pair and now have my current speakers for sale.

 

If you want to boost their performance a bit try rewiring them using some Duelund DCA16 hookup wire as speaker wire soldered directly to the driver terminals and bypassing the binding posts. You can run the wire out the rear port. PartsConnexion sells the wire.

[monteverdi]

Well designed time and phase correct speakers take care of that problem. My Vandersteen's are more coherent than both my Magnepans and Martin Logan's.

 

Time and phase correction works only perfect at a specific point in space. If the acoustic center of these drivers is coincident (e.g.some Kef speakers) it would works to a large extend but different sound sources will have an interference pattern which can not be corrected at all points in space. That pattern is dependent on the wavelength so low frequencies are less problematic.

[beetlemania]

In no particular order:

 

TAD Ref1

Vivid Giya

Vandersteen 7

 

I would need to hear them all in the same room/system to pick a favorite. If I had the cash, I would just go with the Vandies - made in USA and can't go wrong.

 

Also, it's been many years since I've heard them but the Avalon Ascent was a great speaker that I think would hold up well against more recent designs.

[Priaptor]

In no particular order:

 

TAD Ref1

Vivid Giya

Vandersteen 7

 

I would need to hear them all in the same room/system to pick a favorite. If I had the cash, I would just go with the Vandies - made in USA and can't go wrong.

 

Also, it's been many years since I've heard them but the Avalon Ascent was a great speaker that I think would hold up well against more recent designs.

 

The Ascents were great. I owned them with Rowlands stuff. My only issue with them was they quickly ran out of steam at high SPL or big bass recordings. Similar to the old MBL designs.

 

I do find it amusing how most of us define our speaker preferences based on certain specific characteristics; hence why no one size fits all; good thread.

 

Not that I have any desire to purchase anything, but the new big YG (as well as the Carmel) and the Vivid are two speakers I would like to hear, properly set up, in rooms that can handle them.

[jcn3]

the speakers that i've loved the most, miss the most, and moved me the most were my aerial 10ts. matched with a mark levinson 331 amp and 39 cd player, i was transported!

 

and then kids came along and listening spaces went away . . . .

[semente]

The Ascents were great. I owned them with Rowlands stuff. My only issue with them was they quickly ran out of steam at high SPL or big bass recordings. Similar to the old MBL designs.

 

I do find it amusing how most of us define our speaker preferences based on certain specific characteristics; hence why no one size fits all; good thread.

 

Not that I have any desire to purchase anything, but the new big YG (as well as the Carmel) and the Vivid are two speakers I would like to hear, properly set up, in rooms that can handle them.

It's interesting to see that we have different needs and expectations depending on which side of the Atlantic we live.

 

Due to the larger size of the rooms in North America people over there tend to look for speakers that play louder and go deeper, this perhaps because of the lossier construction methods which I presume produces less room gain.

 

R

[tapatrick]

I thought that these would be my endgame speakers until Omega came out with a newer 99db "High Output" version of their Alnico floorstanders. I got a good deal on a pair and now have my current speakers for sale.

 

If you want to boost their performance a bit try rewiring them using some Duelund DCA16 hookup wire as speaker wire soldered directly to the driver terminals and bypassing the binding posts. You can run the wire out the rear port. PartsConnexion sells the wire.

 

Thanks for the tip off Mourip and there was I thinking my search was over ...

 

Love to hear your listening impressions when the new ones arrive.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Abtr]

KEF LS50 speakers & a Sunfire HRS12 subwoofer, where the (active) sub and power amp for the KEFs are fed the same full range line signal from two Y-connectors at the output of the preamp (RCA left & right channel). No crossover filter is used, only the phase (+90°) - and volume settings of the sub.

[sphinxsix]

 

I would need to hear them all in the same room/system to pick a favorite..

Such an attitude makes a deep sense!

 

It's interesting to see that we have different needs and expectations depending on which side of the Atlantic we live.

I agree that (on average) bigger American rooms demand more low end while the Europeans don't need it so badly. The overall systems dynamics is I believe also more important for Americans than for some other nations. I would describe my personal sound preferences as quite 'American' on one hand - I love huge dynamics and low end being really low (now that my room allows it), a bit 'French' on the other - I like 'finesse', detail and bass speed and precision is for me more important than its groundshaking power and in addition I expect the sound to be smoooth as silk and timbrally 'true' (ok, let's say believable..) which I believe can be called quite 'British' attitude.. Of course I simplify things a little bit but my purpose is to show that IMO the 'regional' audio characteristics are not caused by the room sizes alone but by some national qualities - I mean if you look at the English, French, German or Americans and qualities traditionally attributed to these nations and think about the 'traditional' characteristics of audio gear coming from these countries you can quite often (but not all audio brands confirm it obviously) find interesting parallels.! Simplifying things slightly again - our audio gear mirrors ourselves! I believe - on a personal level too..

[sphinxsix]

On THE personal level would be proper English, I think but no more editing..

 

If in your opinion I have gone too far (after one beer too much:)) - let me know but I believe the sentence 'Show me your gear and I will tell you who you are' is true in a way. And this thread and the diversity of opinions (frankly quite unexpected for me) on its subject proves it.

[witchdoctor]

I would have to listen to them but I have trouble understanding how one can get good sound from a two way "compression driver + large woofer" system.

 

I also disagree with the room doesn't matter with constant directivity unless the speakers have a narrow dispersion pattern above 2-300Hz...

Unless you don't mind constant reflections.

 

R

 

Here is why the M2's are probably the best speaker out there in terms of accuracy:

 

[semente]

Here is why the M2's are probably the best speaker out there in terms of accuracy:

 

 

Come on Mr. Druid, I thought you knew me by now?

 

Sorry, I don't buy into infomercials or magazine reviews; I have my reasons.

 

R

[Confused]

The best sounding speakers I have heard are the KEF Blades. I think they are good in all areas, but it was the laser like accuracy of the bass, and bass depth that put them ahead of obvious rivals for me. There is so much personal taste with this one though. Some folk love stand mounts, some floor standers, some think the key to audio nirvana is an army or subwoofers, maybe with room correction. Others think room correction and subwoofers are the work of the devil! Then you have the subtle stuff, in that some individuals appear to be far more sensitive to factors such as phase and time alignment.

 

It's perhaps interesting to note that I did hear the Blades in a hifi show demo once and they sounded dreadful. Was this partnering equipment? The room? (most likely I think) Or some other factor. Who knows. This was a manufacturers room at the show and KEF were also demonstrating the LS50's. The little LS50's actually sounded terrific in the same room. So it's a fickle business this one! This gives the other obvious problem of what speaker will work well, with a particular room, listening level etc. But, when set up correctly and with the right front end, I think the Blades are unbeatable. So with an endless list of perhaps obvious caveats, the KEF Blade takes the top spot for me.

[semente]

Here is why the M2's are probably the best speaker out there in terms of accuracy:

 

OK, bit the bullet.

The PR guy from JBL is saying that this speaker was developed for filmsoundtrack engineers and it's goals are Loud and Low...explosions.

[rodrigaj]

OK, bit the bullet.

The PR guy from JBL is saying that this speaker was developed for filmsoundtrack engineers and it's goals are Loud and Low...explosions.

 

I stopped going to the Met Opera Theatre presentations because the sound system in my local theatres was awful. I don't know what the local theatres use, but I have never been impressed by them.

[MikeJazz]

Despite Linn's position, I think speaker/room synergy is the most important aspect of audio enjoyment. That said, the Goldmund speakers with DSP are amazing.

Linn are at the race of speaker/room interaction, with their Exakt technology.

[semente]

Linn are at the race of speaker/room interaction, with their Exakt technology.

I was never impressed with their speakers, although I did own a pair of Helix 2's back in the day...