Unusual Speakers for the rich and famous

[Eppie]

If I had the time, I would love to go through that list and explain the fundamental design problems of each and every one of those speakers. There is so much wrong with so many of those designs...

Oh so true. More bragging rights than common sense there.

 

[Pogre]

His employee reported back that he loved them, but they just weren't expensive enough.

That's a very common theme among boutique speaker buyers.

 

[Mikado463]

Yeah, don't forget about the $5 mil turd shaped gold speakers "Aural Pleasure"... snicker.

View attachment 46667

Hart Audio D&W Aural Pleasure Speakers

Barrister-turned-speaker-maker David Hart had the human ear in mind when he designed this unique speaker—but I see a giant molar turned on its side. I’ll let you decide what to make of it and whether it’s worth the asking price of $64,000 per pair in bronze, $300,000 in silver, or upwards of $5...

www.soundandvision.com

,my turds are much better looking that those .........

 

[shadyJ]

Yeah, don't forget about the $5 mil turd shaped gold speakers "Aural Pleasure"... snicker.

View attachment 46667

Hart Audio D&W Aural Pleasure Speakers

Barrister-turned-speaker-maker David Hart had the human ear in mind when he designed this unique speaker—but I see a giant molar turned on its side. I’ll let you decide what to make of it and whether it’s worth the asking price of $64,000 per pair in bronze, $300,000 in silver, or upwards of $5...

www.soundandvision.com

The irony here is that those speakers are likely better performers than any of the others on that ultra-expensive speaker list. It looks to still have a problem; that woofer is just too large to mate well with that tweeter. That woofer looks like an 8" or 10", so that speaker will have a significant directivity error.

 

[Pogre]

Focal make some really eye catching speakers for the filthy rich and are known for making legit, great sounding speakers. I'd love to own a pair of the Grande Utopias. At over a quarter mil/pair it's just pie in the sky for me...

Grande Utopia EM Evo - Focal

Grande Utopia EM integrates the Utopia III Evo line, with its legendary technological heritage. This exceptional high-fidelity loudspeaker boasts the latest exclusive innovations from Focal, and remains the ultimate choice...

www.focal.com

 

[Pogre]

The irony here is that those speakers are likely better performers than any of the others on that ultra-expensive speaker list. It looks to still have a problem; that woofer is just too large to mate well with that tweeter. That woofer looks like an 8" or 10", so that speaker will have a significant directivity error.

I think I read that's actually a dual concentric driver paired with a Vifa supertweeter. There's more going on than just a big woofer and tweeter.

 

[edgewound]

Not particularly unusual, but Andrew Jones' masterpiece before his departure from TAD/Pioneer. Everything made in-house. The finest speakers I've ever heard.

TAD REFERENCE ONE　-　TAD-R1 — TAD LABORATORIES

TAD REFERENCE ONE　-　TAD-R1

www.technicalaudiodevices.com

 

[Pogre]

Not particularly unusual, but Andrew Jones' masterpiece before his departure from TAD/Pioneer. Everything made in-house. The finest speakers I've ever heard.

TAD REFERENCE ONE　-　TAD-R1 — TAD LABORATORIES

TAD REFERENCE ONE　-　TAD-R1

www.technicalaudiodevices.com

Yeah, those look like actual high end sounding speakers. I'll bet they're amazing.

 

[shadyJ]

Focal make some really eye catching speakers for the filthy rich and are known for making legit, great sounding speakers. I'd love to own a pair of the Grande Utopias. At over a quarter mil/pair it's just pie in the sky for me...

Grande Utopia EM Evo - Focal

Grande Utopia EM integrates the Utopia III Evo line, with its legendary technological heritage. This exceptional high-fidelity loudspeaker boasts the latest exclusive innovations from Focal, and remains the ultimate choice...

www.focal.com

View attachment 46668View attachment 46669View attachment 46670

I have heard some of the Utopia speakers, those are legitimately good loudspeakers, despite their cost.

I think I read that's actually a dual concentric driver paired with a Vifa supertweeter. There's more going on than just a big woofer and tweeter.

Ok, that concentric driver should solve the directivity problem at least. The dumb thing is the compartment for the supertweeter is large and weird looking and is a bit distant from the coaxial driver. They shouldn't have made such a big deal out of the supertweeter and merely given it a small mounting on top of the coaxial driver mounting. That would have looked better as well as functioned better. This speaker didn't have to look like a turd as mikado eloquently stated. What the hell was the designer thinking?

 

[shadyJ]

Not particularly unusual, but Andrew Jones' masterpiece before his departure from TAD/Pioneer. Everything made in-house. The finest speakers I've ever heard.

TAD REFERENCE ONE　-　TAD-R1 — TAD LABORATORIES

TAD REFERENCE ONE　-　TAD-R1

www.technicalaudiodevices.com

I have heard the Reference Ones as well as the stand-mont version. I also heard the TAD Stand-mount Evolution speakers. All were quite good, of course. Those are terrific speakers.

 

[Irvrobinson]

Focal make some really eye catching speakers for the filthy rich and are known for making legit, great sounding speakers. I'd love to own a pair of the Grande Utopias. At over a quarter mil/pair it's just pie in the sky for me...

Grande Utopia EM Evo - Focal

Grande Utopia EM integrates the Utopia III Evo line, with its legendary technological heritage. This exceptional high-fidelity loudspeaker boasts the latest exclusive innovations from Focal, and remains the ultimate choice...

www.focal.com

I've heard these. They're awesome. 600lbs each. And just to make @TLS Guy shake his head, they have an 80Hz passive crossover to that 16" subwoofer driver.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Focal make some really eye catching speakers for the filthy rich and are known for making legit, great sounding speakers. I'd love to own a pair of the Grande Utopias. At over a quarter mil/pair it's just pie in the sky for me...

Grande Utopia EM Evo - Focal

Grande Utopia EM integrates the Utopia III Evo line, with its legendary technological heritage. This exceptional high-fidelity loudspeaker boasts the latest exclusive innovations from Focal, and remains the ultimate choice...

www.focal.com

View attachment 46668View attachment 46669View attachment 46670

Man, I think focal makes some of the most beautiful speakers around. But every time I see those I can’t help but think of these guys.

 

[Pogre]

I've heard these. They're awesome. 600lbs each. And just to make @TLS Guy shake his head, they have an 80Hz passive crossover to that 16" subwoofer driver.

I spent a while one afternoon looking up info on them and determined that if I ever have a spare quarter mil to spend on speakers they'd be on my short list. I love the way they look, and they review really well.

 

[TLS Guy]

I've heard these. They're awesome. 600lbs each. And just to make @TLS Guy shake his head, they have an 80Hz passive crossover to that 16" subwoofer driver.

And that is still very bad engineering. The whole problem with many of these exotic speakers, the design principles are just so often wrong, and defy basic principles and logic.

 

[Verdinut]

And this is also an unusual speaker, but for the poor

 

[Irvrobinson]

And that is still very bad engineering. The whole problem with many of these exotic speakers, the design principles are just so often wrong, and defy basic principles and logic.

Maybe so, but three of my favorite speakers have bass crossovers you say include bad engineering practice. This Focal, the KEF 207/2 (crossed at 120Hz), and the Revel Salon2 (crossed at 150Hz). I will say this, after all of your lectures on subject, when I'm reading the specs for a speaker one of the first things I look at is what frequency the bass crossover point is, and I think of you.

 

[Trebdp83]

Maybe so, but three of my favorite speakers have bass crossovers you say include bad engineering practice. This Focal, the KEF 207/2 (crossed at 120Hz), and the Revel Salon2 (crossed at 150Hz). I will say this, after all of your lectures on subject, when I'm reading the specs for a speaker one of the first things I look at is what frequency the bass crossover point is, and I think of you.

Hmmm, you seem to be showing signs of PTLSD.

 

[Irvrobinson]

Hmmm, you seem to be showing signs of PTLSD.

Whatever that is, nope. Sometimes I just like to tease Mark a bit, and I think he knows that. Even Mark has to admit, there are no grays in his world, only black and white.

 

[Gmoney]

And this is also an unusual speaker, but for the poorView attachment 46676

Hey, one mans trash is another mans treasure!.. or women and or Pansexual

 

[rebulx]

Above 2k this business is just nonsense. ok maybe 5k. but still it's just nonsense. Perhaps not, maybe it's just more artwork or wood working?