Best Speaker You Have Owned.

[oppman99]

What was better, and how much better in your opinion?

After hearing them set up properly, a pair of B&W 802Ds. The first pair I listened to sounded horrible. I totally reversed my opinion when I heard them at a different shop. I'd say maybe 10-15% better. I could hear a little more of the fine details in the music and they seemed to have a little tighter bass. I wouldn't pay double the cost of my S8's for that improvement even if I had the money.

I thought the Magnepan 3.6's were nice and (if I remember correctly) the Martin Logan Vantage as well. Not necessarily better or worse than my 8's, just different. I still preferred the overall presentation of the 8's. Haven't found a place to audition a pair of your Def Techs yet. I've only been able to listen to the ST's, and they really weren't for me.

 

[jp_over]

A thread about the worst speakers people have owned has inspired this thread. What is the best speaker you have ever owned?

I'll go first. The best speaker I have ever owned is the Apogee Stage speaker. They seem almost magical in their ability to reproduce sounds naturally. When I put on a small jazz ensemble, it almost sounds as if they are in my room with me. It is almost as if I have raised Ella Fitzgerald from the dead, and she is in my living room.

But, these speakers are 3 ohms, take considerable space, and are a bother to set up properly. If I listened just to things like Jimi Hendrix (who I like), they would not be worth the bother.

The best easy to live with speaker that I have owned is the Aurum Cantus Leisure 2SE (original U.S. version). They are small, attractive, normal in their placement requirements, an easy 8 ohms and of normal sensitivity, so pretty much any amplifier will work with them, and can be conveniently used for surround systems. The treble is as magical as the Apogee Stage, though the carbon fibor blend woofer, though good, is not as good as the ribbon/planar drivers in the Stage, so the midrange and bass are not as good.

Here are mine (at least, for another 3 or 4 days! )...

 

[Pyrrho]

My beloved Ohm F's are the best I have ever heard, or owned.

But alas!, I must let go of them. They are beyond my means or ability to restore to their proper condition

I presume you have tried contacting various people who might be able to restore them, such as:

http://www.millersound.net/about.htm

Whatever you do, don't throw them away, as someone will almost certainly be interested in them.

Those are a model I wish I heard, but never did.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I'd say maybe 10-15% better

After auditioning speakers, it's kind of hard to tell them apart, except for the ones that have the tight powerful bass. Those are the easiest to discern.

The speakers that have better resolution/detail also stand out, but I think that falls in the 10 - 15% improvement category. A lot of songs will still sound identical once you volume-match. It also depends on your selection of songs and the source material.

I think the Linkwitz Orion will be my "last" speakers for a long time because they can pick up a lot of details/resolution and also play bass. They are accurate full-range speakers which are great for 2.0 music.

I will also keep my BP7000, CLR3000, BP7001, & Trinity forever because I love the way they sound all day & all week long. They also sound great to me for music, but I will listen to music via the Orion.

Everyone's speakers here, regardless of price, are at least very good speakers, if not great speakers. In the end, we just have slightly different tastes in movies, music, and speakers.

 

[Shakeydeal]

The best speaker I have owned would have to be my current GMA Continuum 3 HDs. But my former Piega P-10s are a VERY close second. I still have fond memories of them. Honorable mention goes to the Montana SP2 Signatures, another extremely well balanced and musical speaker.

Now for some overrated speakers, at least in my opinion, that I have owned:

Coincident Technology Super Eclipse - I had high hopes for these, but they just sounded like an average 2K speaker. Nothing to write home about.

Meadowlark Audio Shearwater HR - Nothing special here either, despite the 1st order xover. They had a sheen in the upper midrange and just didn't let go of the music.

Aerial 7B - Again, just an average sounding speaker that one might hear in a big box store. Sounded kind of constipated.

Reimer Audio McCullough - Nice enough stand mounted monitor with good dynamics. But the ribbon tweeter was not integrated and called attention to itself. This could have been an excellent speaker, but missed the mark.

Usher X-929 - Uugh, is all I can say. They lasted about two days.

Roman Audio Centurions - Where did the bass go? No, and I mean nothing, below about 60 hz. But man they were beautiful.


Shakey

 

[swspiers]

I presume you have tried contacting various people who might be able to restore them, such as:

http://www.millersound.net/about.htm

Whatever you do, don't throw them away, as someone will almost certainly be interested in them.

Those are a model I wish I heard, but never did.

Yes, I have a small but dedicated network of Ohm fans, and have been in touch with the two people I am aware of who can take on the job.

Rest assured, they are going to a dedicated F owner who knows how to take care of them, and the resources to make it happen.

And yes- you really should hear them!

-s

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

The best speaker I have owned would have to be my current GMA Continuum 3 HDs. But my former Piega P-10s are a VERY close second. I still have fond memories of them. Honorable mention goes to the Montana SP2 Signatures, another extremely well balanced and musical speaker.

Now for some overrated speakers, at least in my opinion, that I have owned:

Coincident Technology Super Eclipse - I had high hopes for these, but they just sounded like an average 2K speaker. Nothing to write home about.

Meadowlark Audio Shearwater HR - Nothing special here either, despite the 1st order xover. They had a sheen in the upper midrange and just didn't let go of the music.

Aerial 7B - Again, just an average sounding speaker that one might hear in a big box store. Sounded kind of constipated.

Reimer Audio McCullough - Nice enough stand mounted monitor with good dynamics. But the ribbon tweeter was not integrated and called attention to itself. This could have been an excellent speaker, but missed the mark.

Usher X-929 - Uugh, is all I can say. They lasted about two days.

Roman Audio Centurions - Where did the bass go? No, and I mean nothing, below about 60 hz. But man they were beautiful.


Shakey

The only brand I recognize is the Usher.

Towers without good bass won't find their way into my house either, but some folks will just match those towers with a subwoofer.

 

[Docks]

+1 for S8's. The way a violin sounds at higher SPL still gives me goosebumps.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I have listened to the Revel Salon 2, B&W 800D, RBH T3R/P, Linkwitz Orion, Martin Logan Vantage, and other speakers.

I think all great speakers will sound alike, regardless of technology (monopole, dipole, bipole, omnipole, etc.).

The biggest difference will be

1) the bass output, and

2) the amount of detail they can pick up from the song (resolution).

 

[Hocky]

I have listened to the Revel Salon 2, B&W 800D, RBH T3R/P, Linkwitz Orion, Martin Logan Vantage, and other speakers.

I think all great speakers will sound alike, regardless of technology (monopole, dipole, bipole, omnipole, etc.).

The biggest difference will be

1) the bass output, and

2) the amount of detail they can pick up from the song (resolution).

Monopole vs dipole vs omnipole makes a huge difference in the presentation of the sound.

My current and best owned are ML Summit. There are only a few speakers at any price point that I would consider trading for.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Monopole vs dipole vs omnipole makes a huge difference in the presentation of the sound.

Not to me.

The difference seems more like "hype" than anything.

 

[Kitsum]

There is something about wide baffle, open back mids, dipole tweeters that i really like. Eight other pairs follow closely behind.

 

[Shakeydeal]

Not to me.

The difference seems more like "hype" than anything.

Planars and electrostatics typically image "out of the box" better than dynamic speakers.

Dynamic speakers tend to have more SS depth than planars.

Dipoles don't usually have the pinpoint imaging of dynamic speakers.

The best of the best combine the virtues of all of the above, regardless of technology.

However, I don't understand how someone can say "all speakers sound the same". Aren't you taking that OB stance just a little too far. You "it all sounds the same guys" used to state that speakers were not included in your mantra.

So by your theory, a 500.00 monitor with a decent sub = a well designed full range (insert your favorite here) speaker? Just trying to clarify....


Shakey

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Planars and electrostatics typically image "out of the box" better than dynamic speakers.

Dynamic speakers tend to have more SS depth than planars.

Dipoles don't usually have the pinpoint imaging of dynamic speakers.

The best of the best combine the virtues of all of the above, regardless of technology.

However, I don't understand how someone can say "all speakers sound the same". Aren't you taking that OB stance just a little too far. You "it all sounds the same guys" used to state that speakers were not included in your mantra.

So by your theory, a 500.00 monitor with a decent sub = a well designed full range (insert your favorite here) speaker? Just trying to clarify....


Shakey

I just ordered the ~ $9K Linkwitz Orion.

I never said ALL speakers sound the same.

I said "all great speakers will sound alike" - they all sound great regardless of technology.

 

[Shakeydeal]

I said "all great speakers will sound alike" - they all sound great regardless of technology.

Now "all sounding great" and "all sounding alike" are two totally different concepts. I have had some great speakers come through my home, but none of them ever sounded alike.

Shakey

 

[enrique]

The SA1750’s listening-window response (a five-point average of axial and +/-15 degree horizontal and vertical responses) measures +1.88/-3.44 dB from 200 Hz to 10 kHz. The -3dB point is at 64Hz, and the -6dB point is at 57Hz. Impedance reaches a minimum of 3.88 ohms at 241 Hz and a phase angle of -43.57 degrees at 126 Hz.

http://www.hometheater.com/content/system-audio-sa1750-speaker-system-ht-labs-measures

Are you going to buy the SA subwoofer?

Not sure how to interpet this, but no i'm satisfied with my present sub ML Grotto.
Also curious, if you dont mind what is your interpretation of the comparison you made between the B&W 803d and the sa1750's.(i dont know how to read the measurements)

 

[walter duque]

I would have to say the most memorable where the Fulton Premiers (they where the size of coffins, very high impact speakers with 3 12" woofers and an array of tweeters from the late 70" and they where build by ear, so not up to todays standards. Also a long defunct company out of Yonkers NY-Fourier. Now these would not fly in todays world but they sure did sound good.

 

[Hocky]

Now "all sounding great" and "all sounding alike" are two totally different concepts. I have had some great speakers come through my home, but none of them ever sounded alike.

Shakey

Agreed. I've listened to a lot of combos from hundreds to hundreds of thousands of dollars and they do not sound the same (or even similar).

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Not sure how to interpet this, but no i'm satisfied with my present sub ML Grotto.
Also curious, if you dont mind what is your interpretation of the comparison you made between the B&W 803d and the sa1750's.(i dont know how to read the measurements)

The 803D has more bass, but the SA1750 is more accurate (has a flatter frequency response).

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Agreed. I've listened to a lot of combos from hundreds to hundreds of thousands of dollars and they do not sound the same (or even similar).

Now "all sounding great" and "all sounding alike" are two totally different concepts. I have had some great speakers come through my home, but none of them ever sounded alike.

Shakey

So Don Henley's voice (or any singer's voice) on the same exact CD sound differently on every speaker?

And the same guitar, bass, and drum sound differently on every speaker?

Speakers should NOT create a sound of their own.

All they should do is accurately reproduce the sounds.

If these speakers are accurate, they should reproduce all the voices and instruments accurately.

Thus, the same CD, the same singer, the same song, the same voice, and the same instruments should sound the very, very alike, if all these speakers are all accurate.