Speakers To Hang On For Life

11/20/2014
Speakers to hang on for life
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01-14-2009, 06:23 PM
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#1
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Editor's Choice Best Floorstanding

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http://forums.audioreview.com/speakers/speakers-hang-life-29344.html
1/18
11/20/2014
tevenSurp
udio casualty
Best Outdoor Speakers

I've had three different speaker brands which have left a major impact on
my life. I was wondering what speakers others have had or still have that
have left a life long impression on you.
Editor's Choice Best Floorstanding

Speakers Under $1000
For me, and in order of when I owned them...

Phase Linear Andromeda/Phase III
Quad ESL 63
DIY Newform Tweeter R45 with SEAS woofers
Audio How To: What To Buy? How To Set It Up?
All of these excelled in transparency and naturalness. The Newform/SEAS

have the best soundstaging (by a huge margin) compared to the other two
speakers I've owned.
The first two are dipoles and the last one sounds like a dipole with
dynamics.
The best I've heard, but didn't own are...
Avalon's flagship model ($70,000) with Spectral gear- These actually fooled
me into thinking someone was in the room with me. Amazing soundstaging.
Wilson Watt/Puppy with Pass Labs 45watt amp - This system went over the
top with soundstaging. The space between each performer was so distinct
that every performer was in their own space. The Avalon's did this too, but
the Wilson's seemed to take it a little too far. The music didn't blend into
one song, rather it seemed like each performer was playing something
different because they were too separated, (Hard to explain). Still, Very
impressive! I should also mention that I heard these same speakers with
different electronics and they were less than captivating, more wall paper
than 3D in that system.
Third would be a pair of Magnepan 2.0 (I believe) that blew my socks off.
I'm not sure what electronics were used, but the clarity and soundstaging
were very good. I heard these same speakers at other stores with different
electronics and room setups and they always sounded lackluster, but not
here. I should also mention that Magnepans rarely sound good in stores.
Rarely are they set up right with the right equipment. My take on these is
that they have great potential but great care has to be taken with room
placement and electronics.
I really like the higher end Martin Logans too even though they never had a
3D soundstage to the extent as the speakers mentioned above. They
sounded much like the Quad ESL's and the Quad's, at least in my home were
not 3D soundstage champs. However, they sounded smooth, detailed, and
very natural. I loved the Quads!
Hot Deals
Sennheiser:
HD 800
$1,499.99
Crutchfield
PSB Speakers:
SUBSERIES 1
$349
$449
www.dmc-electronics.com
There are others, but this is the top of my list for speakers that have
grabbed my attention and left a permanent impression in my mind.
Anyway, what floats your boat?
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Last edited by StevenSurprenant; 01-15-2009 at 04:40 AM.

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01-14-2009, 07:23 PM
#2
KEF X300A Powered Speaker
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Korners
2/18
11/20/2014
Mr Peabody
orum Regular
. Louis, MO,
If anyone knows me here they could probably answer this for me. The
Danes and I have been together for at least ten years. I also love the Martin
Logan electrostats. If I had to buy new speakers, I'd listen around to be sure
but I can't even think of any other speakers than these that might come
close.
MONSTER AND VIACOM

INTRODUCE MONSTER
DNA
HEADPHONES
I heard a pair of Snell several years back that are worth mentioning as a
good impression. Thiel wasn't my thing when I heard them but I did find
them a pleasant listen and if I was rich enough to have several listening
rooms would entertain maybe having a pair.
Pro Audio Technology

Announces V-Series Speakers
When I worked at an electronics store in the 80's we sold Electro Voice and
they had a pair of 15" 2-way cabinets I loved, the 1503, I believe. Don't let
anyone say a horn speaker can't sound good, these were fabulous. I'd like to
hear a pair today to see if my taste has changed.
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KEF X300A Powered Speaker

3 people recommend this.
Mark Levinson #512

Pass Labs XP-10 & X250
Clearaudio Performance DC, Dynavector 10x5, AcousTech Ph-1p
Clarus Crimson loom - AC outlet to speaker terminal
Revel Performa F52 main/center & S30's
SVS PC13 Ultra (sub)
Marantz BD-7003 > AV-8003 > LINN 5125
Transparent cables / Tributaries HDMI
PS Audio Quintet
Pro Audio Technologys Quad-Amplified,

Seven Foot Tall SCR-3215sm Loudspeaker
4 people recommend this.
CEntrance Goes Pro-Audiophile with Release

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#3
01-14-2009, 08:36 PM
QUOTE MR PAEBODY
orum Regular
When I worked at an electronics store in the 80's we sold Electro Voice and
they had a pair of 15" 2-way cabinets I loved, the 1503, I believe. Don't let
anyone say a horn speaker can't sound good, these were fabulous. I'd like to
hear a pair today to see if my taste has changed.
OOH MR P.
had a pair of the 12 inch they got wreck in hurricane Andrew those were
some great speaker" for every type of music (subs were not the in thing
then. but they would have put them to shame anyway) since then i have
only seen the professional ones. your mentioning them sure reminds of
some good times i had with those ELECTRO VOICE thank you
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01-15-2009, 04:10 AM
#4
3/18
11/20/2014
hostakovich
Nice topic
Originally Posted by StevenSurprenant
I've had three different speaker brands which have left a major impact on
my life. I was wondering what speakers others have had or still have that
have left a life long impression on you.
...
Anyway, what floats your boat?
ndon, Ontario
My speaker history over 35 years:

Dynaco A25
AR 7
AR 5
Braun L710
Ohm F -- omni-directional, full-range Walsh driver
B&W DM7
Paradigm Mini Monitor v.3
Magneplanar MMG
Magneplanar MG 1.6QR
I owned the B&W DM7's for over twenty years; they were a sad mistake and
I came to really regret selling the Ohm F's. Lack of cash and other priorities
kept me from doing anything about it for far too long. Today I'm loving the
Maggies -- no mistake there.
By the way, I'd love to hear those Newform Research of yours. A possibility
for me some day is the need to move to a smaller room were the dipole
Maggies wouldn't work: DIYs with Newform R30 tweeters could be just the
ticket in that scenario.
Feanor's Stereo Configuration

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01-15-2009, 05:47 AM
Worf101
gt. At Arms
#5
Absolute Great Thread...

See title above. Great thread, great responses. The only topic that would
ellicit (sp) a greater response from me would be "cars to hang onto for life."
I love it when a topic makes me think and remember fondly. I'm only going
to list speaks I own, loved and KEPT!!!
1. Ohm Walsh 4's - Just big enough and detailed enough to show me what
decent speakers were SUPPOSED to sound like.
oy, New York
2. Epicure/EPI 100's - With a old SS or a good tube these "bookshelves" give

great, great sound and masterful soundstage on the cheep.
3. Allison 4's - Beautiful to look at, beautiful to hear when properly placed in
the "right" room.
4. Platinum Audio Studio 3's - First and only "modern" speaker I own. I've
seen the future and it's slimline.
Da Worfster
4/18
11/20/2014
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#6
01-15-2009, 06:12 AM
tevenSurp
udio casualty
Originally Posted by Feanor
By the way, I'd love to hear those Newform Research of yours. A possibility
for me some day is the need to move to a smaller room were the dipole
Maggies wouldn't work: DIYs with Newform R30 tweeters could be just the
ticket in that scenario.
Actually, I just moved the Newform/SEAS speakers into a smaller room and
they sound very good.
A note on Newform speakers: Many years ago I heard a original pair of
Newform speakers with the R45 and even though they sounded good, I could
distinctly hear the woofer and tweeter separately. I was very close to them
when I was listening. This was a big problem that everyone experienced
which led to modifications and a user forum at
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/Newformgroup/ . From what I've read,
these modifications fixed the problem. I went a different route and used
different woofers (SEAS). With the SEAS, integration between the woofer
and the tweeter was perfect. In addition, I think the SEAS are more
transparent that the original Newform woofers, but they lack the bass. It's a
trade off, but I rarely feel the need for a sub. I am using 2 SEAS W18EX001
woofers per side, but the Seas W18E001 (no X) go deeper.
As for crossover point, I've tried crossing over anywhere from 800Hz to
3,000Hz and it all sounded good. At the present time, they are crossed over
at about 2,000Hz.
Another bit of good news is that I using Trends 10.1 T-amps that only output
about 5 watts which is enough to play very loudly, so power is not an issue.
By the way, your profile says you live in London, Ontario. I've been there
many times, nice town. It's grown a lot since I was first there (1970). I was
there about 4 years ago too. I realize that times have changed, but in 1970 I
was traveling down the Queens highway and my engine in my Volkswagon
quit so they towed me to London. They put in another engine for about $200
which included labor, what a deal!. What impressed me the most is that they
offered to pay for my bus tickets to go downtown while they did the work
and put me up in one of their homes for the night. They even offered me a
job. Well, because of how the people there treated me, that stuck in my
mind as a place I would want to live. I realize that times have changed and
that there isn't much chance of that happening again (people change), but I
still have a warm spot in my heart for London.
Perhaps some day if you're in the area we can get together. Just so you
know, I'm still tweaking. (Never ends) I've plans to upgrade my Behringer
DCX crossover with a new power supply, clock and input chip. Now if I can
do that without destroying the DCX, I'll be very happy. I also plan on
graphing the output of these speakers on my computer so I can make any
adjustments I need. So far, I've only adjusted by ear. I'm even considering
changing the system to a 2.5 where I cross over the upper range of the
second woofer on each side lower than the other on the same side (clear as
mud). It doesn't cost any money to do this and I've read where other people
have heard improvements by doing this. I have to tell you that while it's nice
to be able to go out and buy your dream system, It's a lot more fun to DIY.
I also have Magnepans for my surround system and a Panasonic SA-XR25.
The Panny isn't being used right now, but I have no intention of getting rid of
it, it's a great little receiver. I'm using a Yamaha receiver now because of
the HD decoding that it provides for movies.
5/18
11/20/2014
Well, let me know when you're in the Chicago area. I live about 50 miles
south of downtown.
I have to tell you that it makes me very nervous that you might come here
someday and not like my system. It's not perfect, but it's a labor of love on
a shoe string budget. I'll get over it.
If you're really serious about building your own, SEAS has free plans for
building the Odin MK3 with W18E001 Woofers and crossover at 2.5KHz. This
would be similar to my system with two woofers per side. All that would be
left to do is to add a crossover for the Newform ribbon and adjust levels.
Madisound has the Odin kits, but they are $1,745, which is not cheap, but
they do come with a tweeter. The woofers by themselves are about $800 (4
of them). Still not cheap. Then you would have to buy the Newform R30
tweeter which is $880 in USD. Throw in another $120 for parts and build
your own box and the total cost is about $1,800. Not cheap! At this price
point, you would have to justify the price with how it sounds. I guess that
you'ld have to hear my system before you'ld even consider spending that
kind of money. I would! Well, it's just something to think about.
I was fortunate because I bought the R45 and the 4 SEAS from someone who
bought them new and never used them. I paid $550 for all the drivers
together.
Last edited by StevenSurprenant; 01-15-2009 at 07:01 AM.

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01-15-2009, 07:58 AM
#7
6/18
11/20/2014
hostakovich
Thanks for your comments

Actually, I just moved the Newform/SEAS speakers into a smaller room and
they sound very good.
A note on Newform speakers: Many years ago I heard a original pair of
Newform speakers with the R45 and even though they sounded good, I
could distinctly hear the woofer and tweeter separately. I was very close to
them when I was listening. This was a big problem that everyone
experienced which led to modifications and a user forum at
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/Newformgroup/ . ....
ndon, Ontario
As for crossover point, I've tried crossing over anywhere from 800Hz to
3,000Hz and it all sounded good. At the present time, they are crossed over
at about 2,000Hz.
...
I was fortunate because I bought the R45 and the 4 SEAS from someone
who bought them new and never used them. I paid $550 for all the drivers
together.
Glad to hear your comments, Steven.

I'm a relative new comer to London, ON, myself; we've been here only 4.5
years having come from Regina, SK, and before that Toronto. Thanks for the
invitation; likewise, you're certainly welcome to visit if you make it back to
London sometime.
I guess I'm a bit surprised that you're using a 2000 Hz crossover with the
R45's. Personally I'd be hoping to take it as low as possible to get all the
speed and resolution the ribbons can deliver, but sometime things sound
better on paper than they do to the ear.
Of course there are so many options for the DIY designer. And for me the
self-design is part of the fun. For that reason building a kit, even a really
nice one like the Odin, isn't so appealing. My recent design musing, (all still
on paper), contempate a seal box, wide baffle, and close to the wall
placement. This to be topped off (so to speak) by a tweeter with good power
handling and response extented down to at least 1500 Hz -- or more with a
suitable driver such as the Newform or a BG Corp planar.
Feanor's Stereo Configuration

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01-15-2009, 08:03 AM
#8
7/18
11/20/2014

usic Junkie
I was wondering what speakers others have had or still have that have left
a life long impression on you.
My three are similar:

Magneplanar MG-II
Acoustat X / Monitor 4 / 2+2
Sound Lab U-1
If I reach back 35 years like Feanor, it would also include Advents (have an
updated set of doubles in the garage today) and Braun LV-1020s. The first
significant ear opening event was while still in high school, I heard
Magneplanar Tympani IIIs tri-amplified with Audio Research electronics.
These were far and away more natural sounding than the large Bozaks, ARLSTs and my Brauns (forerunner to A/D/S) of the day. I ended up buying a
set of MG-IIs and drove them with an Audire amplifier. I sold the upper
drivers of the 1020s and used the powered 12" woofers as subs.
About a year and a half later, I was invited to dinner with two other audio
buddies to Dr. Cooledge's (he wrote for many a year at TAS as JWC) house
for a listen that began a friendship that lasts today. It was there I first heard
the Dayton-Wright XG-8s full range electrostats. They were unusual
Canadian made speakers that did not share the power limitation of the early
Quads. He drove them with amps including the Yamaha B-1 VFET and
Ampzilla. They had a purity that the Maggies of that era couldn't match.
Since that time ('77), I have owned two brands (albeit with multiple flavors)
of full range electrostats. I find they still offer a level of purity and
coherency not matched elsewhere. The U-1s were made in heaven for me.
rw
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01-15-2009, 09:43 AM
#9
8/18
11/20/2014
tevenSurp

Originally Posted by Feanor
I guess I'm a bit surprised that you're using a 2000 Hz crossover with the
R45's. Personally I'd be hoping to take it as low as possible to get all the
speed and resolution the ribbons can deliver, but sometime things sound
better on paper than they do to the ear.
udio casualty
I'll probably take it back down to 1000 or even 800. These SEAS drivers are
very good and very fast. To be honest, the reason I raised the crossover
was because I thought that there might be a possibility that the larger cones
of the SEAS would move more air and hence sound a little more dynamic. I
have to wait till I set the crossover down again to verify this. Either way, it
sounded good.
When I set it at 3000 I lost some of the imaging so I backed it down to 2000.
There are too many variables to know what to do. After I measure the
speaker outputs and adjust for a flat response, I plan on moving the
crossover around and remeasuring/Listening.
It's a hobbie and if I ever get it perfect I won't know what to do with myself.
Well I guess that I could start by hanging my speaker wires from the ceiling,
put my gear on cones or rubber feet, and maybe, just maybe, I'll start
putting stones on top of everything. I think I have a pet rock somewhere
around here that I could start with.
Actually what really peaks my interest is the DEQX,,,
The only thing is that is cost more than double of my entire system and if
it's as good as some say it is, then I guess that I'm finished. Now where did
I put that rock?
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#10
01-15-2009, 10:01 AM
opspeed
ust passing
This is a very thought provoking topic. Well done, Steve.

I'd have to say...all of them! Great speakers never die, they just get
refoamed
I don't know why, but I have never even considered selling or
upgrading any of my speakers. I just look for another room to put them in
when I buy something new.
For example, my Mission 780's have been serving me well for nearly 25
years now. Are they that good? No. They are rather bright and don't have
the bottom end of a true full range speaker. However, when the wife
demanded I take the hulking black monoliths out of the bedroom, I simply
moved them down to my office. The crappy Sony's that were in the office
became Frankenspeakers (thanks to partsexpress.com) and are now keeping
me company in the garage on the weekends.
I dunno, when I went off to college, my dad gave me his old Wharfedales
and Marantz 2230. The Wharfies are gone (sold to my roommate so I could
buy a pre-amp) but I can easily see myself passing down the B&W's or Von
Schweikert's to my kids when they run off to 'SC as well.
This probably isn't the response you were looking for, but it's my
interpretation of the question.
"If you can leave black marks on a straight from the time you exit a corner till the time you
brake for the next turn, then you have enough horsepower." Mark Donohue
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01-23-2009, 06:51 AM
#11
9/18
11/20/2014
heaudioho
s just a hobby
Some keepers
Tannoy Definition D900
IMO, they are essentially pitch-perfect i.e. they sound very tonally correct
so much I get to appreciate the music captured by most recordings without
much regard for recording quality, It makes me wanna get up and dance
Explosive dynamics, stable soundstage, efflortless low bass, uncontested
neutrality. This is a very great speaker
ELAC 310iJET
Just a nice little speaker with excellent tonality.
Quad ESL
Perfect for my future bedroom system, I want to hang on to my vintage pair
forever, it sounds very sweet with chamber music and voice.
Genelec 8040/8050
I do not own these speakers for ergonomic reasons, but this active speaker
has accurate tone and timbre, had the pleasure of listening to them over a
couple of days in a huge music shop with a large selection of pianos, gosh
did they capture the tone of the Monty Alexander's piano to a Tee.
It's a listening test, you do not need to see it to listen to it!

Reply With Quote
#12
01-23-2009, 09:45 AM
orum Regular
But . . . .
[quote=theaudiohobby]It's listening test, you do not need to see it to listen
to it! /quote]
But . . but . . but . . . if I can't see it, how can I know what I'm listening
to????
LOL--love your tag line.
"Opposition brings concord. Out of discord comes the fairest harmony."

------Heraclitus of Ephesis (fl. 504-500 BC), trans. Wheelwright.
Reply With Quote
01-23-2009, 11:53 AM
#13
10/18
11/20/2014
orum Regular
I've got a couple of speakers on my list that I wish I still owned. Right out of
college and into my first job my first big purchase was a pair of Ohm Fs.
They floated an image in space in a way I'd never heard before. Stupidly, I
later sold them while working at a stereo store in the mid 1970s to get a
pair of Genesis IIIs. We sold Genesis and I got a great price. I almost
instantly regretted the move as a major mistake. About six years ago I
auditioned a pair of Ohm 200s and they were just missing the magic I
remembered.
In between, I built a set of tri-amplified transmission line speakers with KEF
drivers that I used for about 20 years. They sounded great, but I never fell
completely in love with them. Of course, kids were smack dab in the middle
of that chapter in history so they they were a great placeholder during this
period of audio dormancy.
While the Ohm 200s flunked the audition, the Magnepan 1.6QRs passed.
They came very close to floating an image in the fashion I remembered
from the Ohm Fs and were even a bit more lifelike in the lower midrange. A
cello recording on the Maggies was downright eerie.
I would have probably been content to stay put with these had we not
moved. The listening room at the new house was simply too small and
wrong for a pair of planars. That led to a cruise through several speakers in
the Spendor line. I've settled in with the SP1/2Es which are just about
perfect for the current digs. When I'm in the sweet spot they are just
amazing. I think they are more tonally accurate than either the old Ohms or
Maggies, but lack that last bit of holographic sense of space that can be so
engaging. However, given the listening room limitations, they are an almost
perfect choice.
Of course, this top brings up the corollary question: what speaker purchase
do you most regret? As noted above, the Genesis were a mistake for me.
Not a bad sounding speaker but just nowhere near what I really wanted. Just
a youthful mistake where the prospect of a "deal" overwhelmed my sense of
sound quality.
Reply With Quote
01-23-2009, 12:12 PM
#14
Great Thread
I've had dozens of speakers go through my home, some of them odd-ball
brands. I have rich friends who buy stuff, don't know how to use of it, tire of
it, and then let me try it out to see if I can get it to sound better. So I've had
the good fortune to audition and learn from gear that I could never afford or
that I would never be willing to pay for myself. It costs as much as a car,
you say? Well then why didn't you get the car? Lots of it (e.g. B&O, Chord,
Gallo) was bought because it looked trendy with little regard for how it
sounded and more often than not, I also didn't know how to pair it with the
right gear, so sometimes I missed out on good opportunities too.
Anyhow, these are some of the speakers that made an impact on me:
Polk 600i Towers
I know these are cheapo outdated speakers, but they were the first speakers
that I purchased with my own money and made me realize that with good
electronics, there's more to the music. I didn't have friends with expensive
gear that I could compare it to back then, but I'm pretty sure that under
some circumstances these speakers would have pulled their own weight they were not complete duds. I eventually blew the drivers, so they were
followed up by the 2000i speakers because I wanted more bass. This lasted
until I discovered there were such things as subwoofers. I thought the 2000s
were high-end speakers until I bought web-only speakers on practically a
whim (see below). They were sold these shortly after that.
SVS subs
I've owned three different types of cylinder subs, two from SVS, one from
Hsu. The 16-46Pci with upgraded 500W amp is my current fav. There is
simply nothing else out there that can do what this monster can do for under
a grand. I used to play the organ in church and swore I would never listen to
another organ when I left home - ironically, I now own more organ and
11/18
11/20/2014
another organ when I left home - ironically, I now own more organ and
organ-based music that anyone I know - funny how that works. My life
changed after I discovered SVS (and I stopped blowing speakers out).
Axiom Audio M80
True story: I bought these unheard for two reasons - a single positive
review and because they were called M80's (hearkening back to my
anarchist rebellious past). When I compared them to the Polks, I was
floored. I ended up re-building my whole HT around Axiom speakers; at one
time or another I owned every model Axiom had. I very much enjoyed
these, blew the midbass drivers (as well as on a pair of QLS4s), and Axiom
support / exchange was top notch. I eventually sold and upgraded these with
Viennas (see below) but it was hard to see them go.
Quad M22
At almost $2K delivered, these were my first pairs of "expensive" speakers,
that looked even more expensive from what I thought was a top-of-the-line
manufacturer, LOL. Great speakers, but not much of an improvement over
the Axioms. I was sorely disillusioned by the reality of diminishing returns
as I moved up in price. I thought I had bought British hi-fi, only to realize
that to get good sound I had to go much higher in price. The speakers had
great air and unbelievable bass, but lacked in the mids. I sold them shortly
after having burned them in.
MB Quart QLS830
Imaged like a laser, awesome sound-stage, and super-tight bass. I
unfortunately sold these without using them with better electronics and
probably would have been able to cull more performance out of them if I
had. They were my first 4 ohm speaker that brought my amps to their knees
- I learned a lot from them (even more after I sold them). These were the
one speaker that "got away." Sound-wise, they are about as German as the
stereotype suggests - perhaps a bit too analytical, but everyone should have
one pair of analytical speakers around for reference and these are at the top
of the value-vs-performance chart. Had I not sold them, I'd still be listening
to them.
Dynaudio 72
Funny story: bought them to try and disprove to myself that I needed to
spend $5K+ for a good pair of speakers. I had had a couple of much more
expensive speakers in my home such as Vandersteen 3 series and B&O's
pyramid speakers, which aside from sounding good don't score high on the
WAF/practicality scale. The Dyns sounded like crap until I bought a Pass
amp. That's when I realized that a speaker "system" involved a correct
pairing with an amp. The Dyns need oodles of amperage to sound right. Now
that the MBQs were gone I realized my error. Although they are great
speakers, I didn't keep them, I gave them to my father who is using them
with NAD ref. gear - great match, but not my cup o' tea. My brother who is
into trance, rave and techno loves them, too. They are a true jack of all
trades and inexpensive for the performance level, too.
Vienna Webern, Schonberg
When I had to combine my audio room and HT rooms together I needed to
downsize. I auditioned tons of on-wall speakers and never heard one that
didn't sound like an on-wall speaker. In-wall was even worse. Then I
stumbled on a Magnolia fire sale of 7 Vienna speakers. The Schonbergs were
part of the deal, but I sold those right away, and kept the Weberns as a 5.1
setup. I believe the inside of these aluminum airplane-fin-looking speakers
are actually lined with wood, and these sound nothing at all like you'd
expect. A tad bright, but for movies, esp. dialog, these speakers are
awesome. And upgrade from these, if I ever would, might cost me many
times more. These are keepers for a long time to come. FYI: they do need
lots of clean power to sound right.
Meadowlark Kestrel and Swift
I guess this was my mellow period where I was looking for speakers that
sounded pleasant and great at low volumes. I also "thought" that a good
speaker needed to be carefully made out of solid wood, not MDF or other
composite materials. I still own the Swifts - great little speaker and for what
I paid for them, a screaming bargain; definitely giant-killers. The Kestrels I
purchased with severe water damage from someone who didn't know what
they were - paid next to nothing for them, took them to a cabinet maker
who fixed them up and sold them for a handsome profit to boot. But because
of this, I never got to audition them at length. Considering how much I like
the Swifts, that was probably a mistake.
12/18
11/20/2014
Magnepan 1.6qr and MMG

Despite all the rave reviews I never got what the Maggie sound was all
about. Back when I had the 1.6qrs in my home I probably never set them up
properly and used inferior amps. Then just recently I tried the MMGs and
really gave them a good workout to no avail. Then I found out that it's likely
these speakers were defective. So this is not a jab at Magnepan, but I never
got to hear what the magic was all about. This may change one day.
Odyssey Audio Nightingale
I've owned lots of Odyssey gear and the Nightingales sing, well, like
nightingales. Awesome air and treble. They also look like no other speaker
out there - sort of like the B&O Penta, but made of wood. The cabinets were
made by an art-trained woodmaker in Canada, exclusively for Odyssey, and
I bought them based on these looks and because of my good experiences
with other Odyssey gear. They were, however, a bit bass shy, despite the
specs, and in my home that's a no-no. I eventually sold these for a lot less
than I paid for them, mostly because not a lot of people know how good
these speakers are. In hindsight, I probably should have kept them.
Talon Audio Khouros and Khite
I ended up with these mega-expensive speakers because my friend didn't
like the fact that they were ugly. True story, and honestly they are. He
eventually took the floorstanders back (when it dawned on him how much he
paid for them) but let me keep the Khites for a pittance. These are, bar
none, the best speakers that have ever passed through my house. The
Khouros I didn't get much time with, but the Khites changed my
understanding of what a bookshelf can do. They image great, can handle
500W! of power, are 8 Ohm & fairly sensitive, and have fantastic stage
depth and width. I've compared them to SF, Vienna, VS, and Dyn
bookshelves in their price range and they outperformed everyone of them in
spades. Did I mention the bass? I didn't think that was possible from such a
small speaker.
There were lots of others, but these where the ones that in one way or
another changed my perspective on speakers. The Talon Khites are now my
reference. I'm sure there is better out there, but for a $5K bookshelf (new),
there is nothing that compares at even twice the price. If there is, I haven't
heard it.
P.S. The engineers from Talon are now at a new company called Escalante
Design and they seem to have taken much of the design philosophy with
them. The speakers are still uber-expensive, but, in a move that is finally
getting some traction in this industry, they are hand-made by fair-labor out
of all natural and renewable / plentiful materials, while the internal
electronics also meet European green standards for electronics. To top it off,
they are an American company. This is a company I can believe in. If I
upgrade, I will probably purchase one of their models. There was an auction
not too long ago for their top-of-the-line Freemonts, but I was outbid. I'm
still on the lookout, for a good deal, though.
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#15
01-23-2009, 12:37 PM
Originally Posted by nightflier
orum Regular
I've had dozens of speakers go through my home, some of them odd-ball

brands.
....
There was an auction not too long ago for their top-of-the-line Freemonts,
but I was outbid. I'm still on the lookout, for a good deal, though.[/I]
How do you manage to destroy so many speakers?
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13/18
11/20/2014

#16
01-23-2009, 03:04 PM
Bass, every time.

That and cheap amps. I've learned from this, though. I haven't fried a
speaker in years.
Anyhow, I haven't killed that many speakers, have I? The Polks couldn't
handle the bass w/o a subwoofer (which I did not own at the time), and the
Axioms got zapped watching Nemo, believe it or not. The sub was not set
properly, that time, if I remember right. The Maggies were probably bad
before I got them (the verdict is still out on what's wrong with them).
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#17
01-23-2009, 03:23 PM
orum Regular
Ok 2 is maybe not many. Perhaps many in my standards. I've only ever

fried a speaker once, that was a 4in driver in a Velo satellite speak. Was
playing a 20Hz tone for the sub, forget the speaks were having it fed to
them aswell and there it went.
I've put some of my speakers through hell with no results. I guess I was just
lucky
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#18
01-23-2009, 04:02 PM
heaudioho
thanks
s just a hobby
Originally Posted by Pat D

Originally Posted by theaudiohobby
It's listening test, you do not need to see it to listen to it!
But . . but . . but . . . if I can't see it, how can I know what I'm listening
to????
LOL--love your tag line.
Thanks, you've got remind folks from time to time that it's not a visual arts
hobby

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01-23-2009, 04:19 PM
#19
14/18
11/20/2014

usic Junkie
Not to listen, but to avoid running into / tripping over components!

rw
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#20
01-23-2009, 07:12 PM
orum Regular
Thanks, you've got remind folks from time to time that it's not a visual arts
hobby
I hadn't realized you were a member here, too. I still look in here every
once in a while, mostly at Rave Recordings, but I haven't posted much over
here for some time.

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#21
01-24-2009, 11:56 AM
heaudioho
Originally Posted by Pat D
I hadn't realized you were a member here, too. I still look in here every
once in a while, mostly at Rave Recordings, but I haven't posted much over
here for some time.
s just a hobby
I post here every now and again when there is an interesting thread, I
hardly ever go to Rave Recordings though.

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#22
01-25-2009, 02:59 AM
heaudioho
s just a hobby
Originally Posted by E-Stat
Not to listen, but to avoid running into / tripping over components!

rw
uh...oh you want avoid thumping your big toe

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15/18
11/20/2014
01-25-2009, 06:25 AM
orum Regular

#23
As said, this is fascinating Steve!

And.. after enjoying the Mission 737Renaissance while paying humungous
mortgages in th 'eighties and 'nineties (!) I have at last made it to the
770Freedoms that I couldn't afford in those days!
And after grabbing these from ebay and asking Mission Service to 'do the
business' I am listening as I write, and loving the definition of the bass, the
timing, the textures, the voice, THE MUSIC!
Since I now have brand new drivers, I was advised "no high volume whilst
they soak in"..any idea how long I must be patient..?
Keeping them forever!
Paul/runt
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01-25-2009, 12:29 PM
#24
16/18
11/20/2014
orum Regular
I have heard quite a few speakers that I thought would do for a long time,
and I will say something about some of them.
I have owned the following models which were quite good to excellent:
Kef 104 (later modded to 104aB), Quad ESL-63, PSB Stratus Mini,
Paradigm Signature S2. The Quad and the Paradigm could certainly be
lifetime speakers--assuming they last that long.
Long ago, I heard the original Quad ESL (now often known as the ESL-57)
and the Yamaha NS-1000, which also seems to have stood the test of time.
Another old speaker that impressed me was the sensitive Altec 19, a large
box with a big woofer crossed over to a sectoral horn at 1000 Hz, which
could be adjusted to give a very even response (but could be adjusted to
sound awful, too). It threw a wide and deep image, very detailed.
The Kef 104 sounded very good on vocals, piano, and most orchestra
recordings, but crossing the 8" woofer over at 3 kHz means the off axis
dispersion is not so even and the power response would have what John
Atkinson would call an off axis "flare" around and above the crossover, since
the woofer is much more directional there than the tweeter. This shows up
on some choral and orchestra recordings. But they are quite even in
response in a listening window and with careful set up, can still sound quite
good.
In a proper set up (fairly large room), the Quad ESL-63 is first class, but
our living room is far from ideal for them. In a smaller room, they can still
be very good, but other types of speakers can work better. The newer Quad
ESL speakers have received much praise, but I haven't personally heard
them, but in the right set up, I imagine they would sound superb.
In our present living room, I could not get piano to sound as good as I
wanted with the Quad. I discovered the PSB Stratus Mini worked better in
our living room--after a Quad blew its power supply, I got them with a view
to putting them in the family room later. But for a while they worked quite
well as the main speakers, and I found I had fewer bad sounding recordings.
A very easy speaker to listen to, and they work very well for us on movies.
The Paradigm Signature S2 is a wonderful monitor speaker, even smoother
than the Stratus Minis and with more even off axis dispersion. I like them a
lot and I have no plans to change them. They are very neutral, and the
horizontal dispersion is so wide and even that the exact degree of toe-in is
not critical, as long as they are well away from walls. The Paradigm
Signature S8 is great, too, but I imagine I would have difficulty get a smooth
room response in the bass. I haven't yet heard the second versions of the
Signature Series.
I have heard others which are excellent, too. Most recently, I heard the PSB
Synchrony One tower which is superb. It might be ever so slightly forward
for my taste, but they are very smooth and neutral and throw a great
image. I might find the smaller Synchrony Two tower more suitable, since
we have a big subwoofer. I was not quite as impressed by the Synchrony
One B monitor, which I do not think is quite as neutral or invisible as my
Signature S2, but it is very good.
I also recently heard another excellent monitor, the B & W 805S, which was
very smooth. I generally like laid back but this was perhaps a bit too laid
back for my taste. But it is excellent.

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01-25-2009, 02:15 PM
#25
17/18
11/20/2014

usic Junkie
uh...oh you want avoid thumping your big toe
Big toe, shin and whole body into seven foot tall monoliths!
rw
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Speakers To Hang On For Life

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Speakers to hang on for life

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Speakers to hang on for life

My speaker history over 35 years:

Feanor's Stereo Configuration

Absolute Great Thread...

oy, New York

2. Epicure/EPI 100's - With a old SS or a good tube these "bookshelves" give

Speakers to hang on for life

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Originally Posted by Feanor

Speakers to hang on for life

Last edited by StevenSurprenant; 01-15-2009 at 07:01 AM.

Speakers to hang on for life

Thanks for your comments

Glad to hear your comments, Steven.

Feanor's Stereo Configuration

Speakers to hang on for life

My three are similar:

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Speakers to hang on for life

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This is a very thought provoking topic. Well done, Steve.

Speakers to hang on for life

It's a listening test, you do not need to see it to listen to it!

"Opposition brings concord. Out of discord comes the fairest harmony."

Speakers to hang on for life

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Speakers to hang on for life

Speakers to hang on for life

Magnepan 1.6qr and MMG

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I've had dozens of speakers go through my home, some of them odd-ball

How do you manage to destroy so many speakers?

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Speakers to hang on for life