Dream loudspeaker contest .... what loudspeaker would you take ?

[timetohunt]

Just a little fun survey, yet serious at the same time, give it some thought or a good guess. Lets say there was a contest to win any set (set of mains/fronts) of loudspeakers you wanted.
Any maker. Any country of origin. And you won.
You have to use your winning voucher to buy speakers and nothing else.
1st, 2nd, and 3rd place are awarded. Prices are roughly MSRP.

1st place. Up to $16,000. If you were the 1st place winner what would they be ? Try to use as much cash as you can, no leftovers.

2nd place. Up to $8000.

3rd place Up to $5000.

Pick one set for each or just one of the spots. I realize that you may have to guess on it, given that you can't audition. On the other hand some of you may already own speakers in the loftly 16k catagory, and I'm sure more than a few of you may already have speakers at the 2nd and 3rd place levels. Again, just the 2 mains, maybe they are already the ones you currently own.

Don't ask me why 16k, 8k, and 5k. After thumbing through a buyers guide, it just occurred to me that these might be reasonable figs for a dream loudspeaker contest. Sorry no $100k speakers, too rediculous, even for a dream contest.

 

[mazersteven]

$16000 system

Dynaudio

Contour S5.4 $8000
Contour SC $1900
Contour S1.4 $2800

Parasound Halo A 21 $2000
Parasound Halo A 23 $850

Integra DTC-9.8 $1600

Total $17150

With discounts I'm sure I would be under $16000. Add cable, stands, misc items, and it would be close. But Awesome

 

[timetohunt]

$16000 system

Dynaudio

Contour S5.4 $8000
Contour SC $1900
Contour S1.4 $2800

Parasound Halo A 21 $2000
Parasound Halo A 23 $850

Integra DTC-9.8 $1600

Total $17150

With discounts I'm sure I would be under $16000. Add cable, stands, misc items, and it would be close. But Awesome

Just the 2 main speakers please. Not a system.

 

[mazersteven]

I'm missing power to 1 channel.

I might have to switch amps to the Rotel RMB-1095 $2000 just to stay within budget.

 

[mazersteven]

Just the 2 main speakers please. Not a system.

Oops

$16000--Dynaudio Confidence C4 or B&W 802D
$8000--Dynaudio Contour S 5.4
$5000--?

 

[Tomorrow]

Dream time. Here are some awesome and lovely loudspeakers that come in almost right on the money.

$15,000/pair - Legacy Audio Whispers
http://legacyaudio.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=66&Itemid=196

$7995/pair - Salk Pharos HET
http://www.salksound.com/pharos01.shtml

$5000/pair - Aerial Acoustics 7B
http://www.aerialacoustics.com/html/prods.html

 

[Davemcc]

1. Focal.JMLab Electra 1037Be $14999.00

2. B&W 802D I think these are about $8g.

3. Salk Veracity HT3 Veneered cabinets are $5000.

 

[mazersteven]

2. B&W 802D I think these are about $8g.

About $4K lite.

 

[Davemcc]

About $4K lite.

It's hard to find prices on these things. The manufacturer doesn't provide them. I must have found an outdated or used source for the price. I was going to say 803S, but that leaves me a couple grand short. I don't know which B&W comes in around $8g, but I liked the 803S so I figured I move up a notch for the purposes of this thread.

 

[mazersteven]

I don't know which B&W comes in around $8g,

The 803D's are $8K.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

B&W 802D
Dynaudio Contour S 5.4
Paradigm Sig 6

 

[Davemcc]

The 803D's are $8K.

That's the one, then.

 

[avaserfi]

If I was going for an omnipolar speaker the MBL 111B would fit the bill for first place no questions. I highly doubt there is a better omnipolar speaker in the world [that is commercially produced]. It would have to be used without the grille though MBL figured out how to make a great speaker but couldn't manage a transparent grille .

Measurements: 1 2


If I was looking for a monopolar speaker then the B&W 802D would fit the bill. It is matched by few commercial speakers and outclassed by none.

With the little money left over I would buy a quality equalizer for either chosen unit to insure the sound I like for the media being used is achieved. Despite MSRP on both (MBL $17,000 & B&W $16,000) I am sure as everyone here would do I wouldn't pay close to that .

With any less money I would build myself full range towers. The previous options are me being lazy .

 

[fmw]

The rules are curious. You want the respondent to get as close to the maximum price as possible without regard to what the respondent would actually prefer to have. So I'll respond with what I would prefer to have without worrying about getting close to the max. The $18000 limit isn't enough to get what I would prefer to have but my choice under that price would be the VMPS RM/X towers. I think they are around $15K. I don't know the prices of B&W speakers but I would take whatever fits in the budget that has a matrix enclosure for the second and third options.

The VMPS are true full range speakers with all the excitement in the mids and highs that their planar drivers can provide. You could easily spend twice the price of these and get sound that is inferior to them.

The B&W matrix enclosures are the deadest, not resonant enclosures anywhere near their price point that I have encountered. That allows them to provide amazingly clear and clean sound across the frequency specturm. I've owned matrix enclosed B&W's before (802 and 805) and they were really, really good performers.

There are tons of oustanding speakers at these price points. I only included brands which I have owned and appreciated in the past.

 

[Rickster71]

1st - MBL-111's $15,580 or the B&W 802D $12,000

2nd - Nautilus 802 $8000 or the Salk Veracity HT3a $7,995

3rd - Paradigm Signature S8 $5,000

I've told my wife for years; if we won the lottery I would get the MBL-101 E Radialstrahler $45,900

 

[3db]

C'mmon Mom. Just need 2K more for my 1st choice speaker;
http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/focusaudio_master_25.htm

2nd choice
http://www.psbspeakers.com/products/Platinum-Series/Platinum-T8-Tower
or
http://www.totemacoustic.com/us/products/columns/wind/specifications/

3rd choice
http://www.psbspeakers.com/products/Synchrony/Synchrony-Two

 

[annunaki]

$16K

B&W Nautilus 802D bar none

$8K

I would have to agree with avaserfi, I would probably build.

If I were lazy, B&W N803D.

$5K

I am not totall familiar with speakers in this price range.

Probably a Used pair of B&W Matrix 801's or something

 

[mike c]

well, I'm not familiar with the prices but here are my 3:

B&W 802D
Martin Logan Summit
Monitor Audio PL300

 

[jaxvon]

16K: Awesome Custom Omnis from WmAx
8K: Not quite as awesome Custom Omnis from Wmax
5k: A little less awesome Custom Omnis from WmAx

 

[bandphan]

1. wilson audio watt puppy
2.bw 802
3.martinlogan vantage