Which brand makes the best quality loudspeakers?

[gene]

We'd like to get your opinion on who you feel makes the best built and best sounding loudspeakers in consumer audio. Your opinion should be based primarily on sound quality followed by build quality and durability. This choice should be based on the overall product line of a particular company and not just one or two products that may excel.

If you find a particular brand on this list lacking, please indicate why.

Give us reasons why you chose a particular brand or why you feel that particular brand shines above the others on this list. If your brand isn't listed here (sorry only 10 polling options allowed), please post the brand name in the thread along with your experiences.

 

[MinusTheBear]

Ascend Acoustics should be on that list. At the price points they hit, there are very few speakers that are engineered as well as them. They have proven quantifiable and subjective performance from 3rd parties. From a build quality perspective their crossovers are built to a MUCH higher standard than a lot of their competition. Overall build quality is excellent. As from a durability and quality control perspective you rarely hear of any issues with their products.

 

[templemaners]

No Salk Sound? Given how popular their products seem to be, that's an obvious omission.

 

[sholling]

How did you miss Jim Salk? Or Ascend Acoustics?

 

[TLS Guy]

Judging by what I heard here last Friday, I would say PMC by a mile.

These are not even the current model. They were by far the best commercial speakers I have ever heard.

The BBC use these speakers exclusively and they have a client list any other manufacturer could only dream about.

Superb TL sound with absolutely no blooming in the bass, which is a signature of good TLs. The rest of the range matched the excellent bass.

AH should definitely review some of there domestic offerings. Their bookshelves are interesting, as they are all labyrinths.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

From the list, I picked Harman Internation. Revel Ultima2 & JBL Everest, baby!

Not only that, but the $300 pair of Infinity P362s I own sound so freaking awesome considering the price tag.

As far as just 2.0 Stereo, the Salon2s are the best sounding speakers I have ever heard period.

Of course, when you factor in a great accurate subwoofer, other speakers will sound just as good as the Salon2s. But if we are just talking 2.0 without any subwoofers, the Salon2s are the best.

 

[gene]

Sorry guys, our forum only allows 10 options in a poll so I went with the brands most folks here are familiar with. I meant to disrespect to Ascends, Salk or others not mentioned in the polling options. As enough data is gathered, I will pick the top 3 to assign near future speaker reviews. thanks for your help.

 

[zieglj01]

Right now at its current price point - My vote is for the Boston VS series.
The thought, design and engineering, is the best I have seen and heard,
at the products price point.
If they were still in business, I would put Snell on top. They were and are
some of the best, designed and engineered products, at the price point.
And the sound quality, is witness to that.

 

[dkane360]

I meant to disrespect to Ascends, Salk or others not mentioned in the polling options.

I think you have a typo there.

 

[sholling]

Sorry guys, our forum only allows 10 options in a poll so I went with the brands most folks here are familiar with. I meant to disrespect to Ascends, Salk or others not mentioned in the polling options. As enough data is gathered, I will pick the top 3 to assign near future speaker reviews. thanks for your help.

Gene, you may want to break the poll up a bit if you're fishing for review suggestions. Two ways to do it are A-M and N-Z, or better yet do it by price. Under $500, 500-900, 900-2000, and OMG. As I've said a few times I'd like to see a > $500 shootout with Ascend's CBM-170SE and Usher's S-520, Axiom M3, and perhaps the Cambridge - $250-400 street prices. I'd also like to see ~$500 shootout with the Ascend CMT-340SE, Axiom M22, EMP E5Ti large-bookshelves/mini-towers.

 

[zieglj01]

As I've said a few times I'd like to see a > $500 shootout with Ascend's CBM-170SE and Usher's S-520, Axiom M3, and perhaps the Cambridge - $250-400 street prices. I'd also like to see ~$500 shootout with the Ascend CMT-340SE, Axiom M22, EMP E5Ti large-bookshelves/mini-towers.

Would also like to see, some KEF thrown in there.

 

[GranteedEV]

Sorry guys, our forum only allows 10 options in a poll so I went with the brands most folks here are familiar with.

But is Salk really that unfamiliar on the internet.. and especially here?

I mean over at AVSforum, Salk manages to squeeze its way into just about any speaker thread that isn't focused on HTIBs or $300 Polks. Tom Andry has written like two joygasm reviews of Salk speakers here on Audioholics. Swerd on these forums is bordering on Dennis Murphy fanboyism. Even the picky TLS Guy had mostly positive things to say about the 3-way HT3 driven by a weak tube amp.

Anyways, I voted Harman, because, while true they can be hit and miss (so many different departments making so many different things) i'd genuinely want to see reviews of something like the JBL Pro LSR 6328, Revel Performa F52, Revel Salon2, JBL Synthesis K2, and JBL Pro CBT 70J... to name a few

With that said, I'd also like to point out that Pioneer deserves some love. I would certainly not call it an "unfamiliar" brand and compared to garbage like Polk and B&W it's something i'd be more interested in. The S-1EX in particular I think is a speaker I think deserving of a pro review. And of course their lower end stuff found in best buy.

 

[Swerd]

Swerd on these forums is bordering on Dennis Murphy fanboyism.

Get it right .

Swerd on these forums is a Dennis Murphy fanboy.

 

[zieglj01]

But is Salk really that unfamiliar on the internet.. and especially here?

I am still thinking about this today - how Polk was picked over Salk.
The forums, is a big reason why Salk has grown.

If Pioneer can get their marketing right - they are one to look out for.
I bought their former S-DF2-K speaker off Ebay - that is one serious
sounding speaker (Andrew Jones), for a former list price, of $249.

"With that said, I'd also like to point out that Pioneer deserves some love."

 

[MinusTheBear]

Out of all those brands I would want to see an audioholics review of some Revel speakers. The Ultima2 series would be the pinnacle of speakers to review however the Performa or Concerta lines will do just fine The Concerta line would probably reach the most audience as they are their most affordable speakers and closer to the price ranges you typically review.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I think KEF speakers need to be added to the poll as well.

 

[GranteedEV]

I think KEF speakers need to be added to the poll as well.

Can't we just lump british speakers into one category and then have people choose among them (without including B&W)

 

[sholling]

Would also like to see, some KEF thrown in there.

+1 I'm curious about those as well.

 

[majorloser]

Sorry, none of the above.

Gene, go ahead and get your Winger discs ready for the reviews. I'll make my choice of company just for you.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Can't we just lump british speakers into one category and then have people choose among them (without including B&W)

I guess B&W is pretty popular. The Apple store even sell B&W computer speakers - right next to the ultra-popular Bose speakers.

That's okay. I like rare speakers better anyway. Mystery is good.

One other company I can't believe did not make it on the poll is Definitive Technology. I think they are extremely popular. I also think the Def Tech BP7001SC & BP7000SC sound much better than the B&W 800D, 802D, and 803D.