Which brand makes the best quality loudspeakers?

Who makes the best speakers

  • Aperion Audio

    Votes: 22 3.1%
  • Axiom Audio

    Votes: 18 2.6%
  • B&W

    Votes: 154 22.0%
  • Harman (JBL, Infinity, Revel)

    Votes: 155 22.2%
  • Klipsch

    Votes: 106 15.2%
  • Martin Logan

    Votes: 59 8.4%
  • Paradigm

    Votes: 79 11.3%
  • Polk

    Votes: 40 5.7%
  • PSB

    Votes: 24 3.4%
  • RBH Sound

    Votes: 42 6.0%

  • Total voters
    699
M

MrBoat

Audioholic Ninja
All this JBL talk made me break out the S38s from a forum member. First time hooking them up with bass management and my dual 12" subs, point blank like. What a fun setup. High-end, Schmi-end. JBL makes fun with taking a kick-ass speaker and put it in a mediocre cabinet and sell a million of them. This is that killer mid-bass thump and low enough distortion to where you keep pushing that volume cntrl.

Steely Dan - Aja.

 
C

curmudgeon47

Audiophyte
Many manufacturers make high quality speakers that will stand up to years of use. Many manufacturers make
speakers which sound good. The two groups do not have complete overlap. B&W makes high quality crappy
sounding speakers. Magnepan makes lovely sounding speakers which can be somewhat fragile if not handled
somewhat gingerly. So I suggest the question be rephrased in one of two ways: 1) who makes the most
physically durable speakers; (2) who makes the best sounding speakers.
 
MaxInValrico

MaxInValrico

Senior Audioholic
Many manufacturers make high quality speakers that will stand up to years of use. Many manufacturers make
speakers which sound good. The two groups do not have complete overlap. B&W makes high quality crappy
sounding speakers. Magnepan makes lovely sounding speakers which can be somewhat fragile if not handled
somewhat gingerly. So I suggest the question be rephrased in one of two ways: 1) who makes the most
physically durable speakers; (2) who makes the best sounding speakers.
Why would speakers be subjected to physical abuse?
 
M

MrBoat

Audioholic Ninja
Just for so many speakers using rubber surrounds instead of foam, ends up checking the box for longevity, for me personally, as long as they are a reputable name. Anything else that could go wrong with the passive components, I could repair. Good surrounds and suspension aren't going to let cones sag or internal parts to rub, which was usually the death of older types. Save for some major electrical malfunction, Speakers should last much longer than they used to.

As far as brand loyalty, I am not so picky these days, because just about any brand with a relatively flat response with adequate frequency range for my purpose, I can, and have been able to make work satisfactorily. Same with neutral amplification. All have been pretty much like starting with a clean slate, with my usual tweaks and countermeasures being pretty much predictably the same across brands. The most common question mark with brands ends up being tweeters being roughly 1db too hot, too cold or just right. All of which is easy enough to fix without much fuss.

My selections tend to be more about size and headroom as always. I don't care how good a speaker is. If it has less than a 6.5" woofer, I will be left hanging (with full range use, at least) on the edge of clipping for as long as I own it unless it is extremely close listening, and even then, I will always be audibly aware of the limitations.
 
AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
My selections tend to be more about size and headroom as always. I don't care how good a speaker is. If it has less than a 6.5" woofer, I will be left hanging (with full range use, at least) on the edge of clipping for as long as I own it unless it is extremely close listening, and even then, I will always be audibly aware of the limitations.
I gotta have dual 12" woofers on my towers, at least dual 10" woofers. :D
 
Revelation

Revelation

Junior Audioholic
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.
There is no such thing as the best loud speakers. There are many very good companies out there. It all depends on what character of speakers you are looking for and what type....book shelf, tower, in ceiling or for outdoors.
 
M

mdinno

Junior Audioholic
Ascend Acoustics for sure with all the data they provide for all their brand new line of speakers and making them upgradable. It's actually unprecedented.
 
C

curmudgeon47

Audiophyte
The best sounding loudspeakers are : Magnepan, Sound Labs, Sanders, Martin Logan, and in the box speaker category it's Avalon. Mostly, box speakers sound boxy, even the really expensive ones.
 
haraldo

haraldo

Audioholic Spartan
I am never forgetting the French Leedh Aura 2 speakers I listened to at an audio fair way-way-way back
Pure magic, and a bass precision to die for (if I remember correctly), they certainly don´t move mountains but it is quality over quantity....

The 4 5" woofers at the bottom are compound driven with an internal 8" woofer

Extremely hard to find now and I don´t see any products like these at the market.
A lot has happened since way-.back so I assume there are much better products on the market today....

I still regret that I did not buy them then, but at that stage these were very expensive speakers
(not according to today+s market craziness though)

763153.jpg

763155.jpg
 
M

Mike Up

Audioholic
Very surprised by the results.

I've had Infinity Reference, Sterling Silver, Entra and Primus models. I also have had some Klipsch and Boston Acoustics and auditioned JBL along with a slew of other speakers.

My Polk TSI100 bookshelf speakers sound more neutral and realistic tonally while having great imaging and soundstage. My Polk TL1s speakers as well. They just don't sound better than the Infinity speakers and Klipsch I've had, they put the other speakers to shame.

I got rid of my Reference Infinity speakers but kept my Entra (which don't sound that great) and Primus which sound good but not nearly as good as my Polk speakers.

Now Klipsch, I don't think they are accurate or realistic sounding at all. In fact, most I've heard give me listeners fatigue. So I was shocked to see them voted so high, as well as JBL and Infinity.

Now B&W speakers, IMO, sound great and if I had unlimited money to spend on toys, I'd buy them.
 
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M

MrBoat

Audioholic Ninja
I was put off by JBL when it became trendy to bash them. I genuinely thought they had been turned to crap or something, like so many brands had been during the '70s and '80s. I arrived back on the audio scene hearing terms affixed to them like Junky But Loud etc. I had not really been interested in them since the early '80s but there were plenty others to choose from so, no matter to me.

I finally got to hear some by surprise while blind to what the gear was and was hooked by it. I recall thinking, now that's alright and I could live with that. My brother has the L100T and those damn things sound killer in his amply furnished room.
 
Squishman

Squishman

Audioholic General
Now Klipsch, I don't think they are accurate or realistic sounding at all. In fact, most I've heard give me listeners fatigue. So I was shocked to see them voted so high, as well as JBL and Infinity.
Not sure what Klipsch you heard. My first Klipsch were made in China I think, before I had a clue. 2 way towers with two 8" woofers. Those were brutal. Super harsh. Klipsch Heritage are a whole 'nother scenario. I have Heresy III's and in another room '75 La Scalas. Both not harsh. I like to play them loud, so I would know. I also had Forte' II's prior to getting the La Scalas and also not harsh on the ears. I have not heard every model of Klipsch (actually haven't heard that many!), but it seems to me that Heritage models are far, far better than most of the towers. Although I'd love to hear KLF 30's some day. I sometimes wonder if KLF 30's are like Heresy but with bass.
 
M

Mike Up

Audioholic
Not sure what Klipsch you heard. My first Klipsch were made in China I think, before I had a clue. 2 way towers with two 8" woofers.
It was their Reference speakers.

I don't know to many people who'd sell their first born to afford Klipsch's vintage series. I have heard their vintage speakers sound completely different in a good way. You just have to build your house around them as they need very specific placement in your listening room.
 
}Fear_Inoculum{

}Fear_Inoculum{

Senior Audioholic
This poll is ~12 years old. I'd think Perlisten would be the top speakers now.
 
mono-bloc

mono-bloc

Full Audioholic
Really your pole, speaker listing,or what's best list, is total inadequate. At the moment your comparing something in a card board box [ MDF ] to something in a hand crafted cabinet, And expect a valid response. Which is never going to work.

What your doing in effect is attempting to compare an el'cheapo with a top of the line High end speaker. In your list of un'likely contenders, you fail to supply details of what's required, by holding a vote or a pole. What you need to do is revise your survey to state the price blocks involved. i.e. Priced between say 1000 to 3000, and 5000 to say 50000 thousand. Also to complicate it further list the type of speaker in the survey. i.e. Tower, bookshelf, etc,etc. Then and only then will you get some sort of accurate result.
 
Squishman

Squishman

Audioholic General
It was their Reference speakers.

I don't know to many people who'd sell their first born to afford Klipsch's vintage series. I have heard their vintage speakers sound completely different in a good way. You just have to build your house around them as they need very specific placement in your listening room.
I was guessing that you might be referring to the Reference line, which was what my 8" towers were btw. I am not a fan of all that copper or the sound for that matter (for the models I have heard). I do have two 10" Klipsch subs in my bedroom with the Heresy III's in a 5.2.2 system. The system sounds pretty terrific in that not-large room. I would not go with Klipsch subs in my living room however because of the size of the room and there are waaay better subs available. They have copper drivers, but I keep the grills on! ha
 
Kingnoob

Kingnoob

Audioholic Samurai
I was guessing that you might be referring to the Reference line, which was what my 8" towers were btw. I am not a fan of all that copper or the sound for that matter (for the models I have heard). I do have two 10" Klipsch subs in my bedroom with the Heresy III's in a 5.2.2 system. The system sounds pretty terrific in that not-large room. I would not go with Klipsch subs in my living room however because of the size of the room and there are waaay better subs available. They have copper drivers, but I keep the grills on! ha
Yeah and they sold under 3 or more names , icon was best buy’s version until they discontinued them and called them Reference but used same exact drivers as synergy and icons. How clear is the bass from those subs ? I’ve heard of them going on sale for pretty cheap . For rooms were you can’t crank bass levels up . Are those Klipch the bottom tier period , how does other budget gear compare ?
As for the best speakers, many are stuck getting the best set they can afford, but some brands that are expensive aren’t worth it .
diminishing returns, and some gimmicks?
 
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