Name the finest pair of loud speakers you have heard

NIGHTFALL1970 · « **Reply #240 on:** 22 Oct 2013, 03:58 pm »

Quote from: DaveC113 on 21 Oct 2013, 10:23 pm

Frank, I'm sure there's plenty of people that would rather drive a Honda Accord and have a $100k system than a cheap system and a fancy car.

Frank,
I drive a ten year old min-van so I can buy excellent AVA components to drive my Magnepan speakers.

JLM · « **Reply #241 on:** 23 Oct 2013, 09:37 am »

I've spent roughly $17,000 on stereo/audio but less than $2,000 on all my other pastimes in the last 40 years (and have my eye on another $1,000 worth of gear).

From that, I've got roughly $8000 worth of audio gear in use but less than $500 on all other pastimes.

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #242 on:** 23 Oct 2013, 09:51 am »

Carver Amazing (outbest maggies in soundstage).
Sonus Faber Concerto Domus (it emit sound only to front, but are very transparent).

bdp24 · « **Reply #243 on:** 23 Oct 2013, 11:44 am »

Quote from: JLM on 21 Oct 2013, 11:26 pm

Accounting for taste, sensibilities, and understanding of the physics involved; nearly all of the 'top-end' speakers have their 'issues'...

Quads are wonderful but don't do bass and have limited dynamics.

But at the end of the day, there is no perfect speaker.

In my choice of the original Quads I put in the stipulation/qualification/proviso: "For those to whom reproducing the human voice is a loudspeaker's first and most important job". Yet, whenever the Quads are mentioned, without exception someone always has to bring up them having their well know limitations. Uh, yeah, we know, that's why the stipulation/qualification/proviso.

catastrofe · « **Reply #244 on:** 23 Oct 2013, 11:52 am »

Quote from: avahifi on 21 Oct 2013, 08:32 pm

I told him, well I would spend the first $80,000 on a loaded Audi R8 and then the rest to buy gas, maintenance, and insurance for it, and keep the audio system I now own, which is just fine for me and most others.

My local dealer has a loaded R8. . .the sticker is $169K. . .not sure what $80K will get you.

http://www.parktownimports.com/web/new/Audi-R8-2014-St-Louis-Missouri/1413237/

bdp24 · « **Reply #245 on:** 23 Oct 2013, 12:01 pm »

Another house in which to create a "dedicated listening room".

rockadanny · « **Reply #246 on:** 23 Oct 2013, 03:01 pm »

Classic Audio T-1.4 (I think, or else it was the T-3.4, not positive which, driven by Atma-Sphere MA1's, I think ... I need to increase my Ginkgo intake 10x

). Even these had limitations though - poorly defined bass (although room was enormous, cavernous, at audio show). But from mid-bass/mids on up, they were excellent.

avahifi · « **Reply #247 on:** 23 Oct 2013, 03:04 pm »

Audi R8 for $169,000? Darn it there goes my car budget too.

It looks like I will need to keep driving my old 2002 Audi S6 Avant for a few more years. Just put a new set of Blizzaks on it yesterday for the winter.

Frank Van Alstine

James Romeyn · « **Reply #248 on:** 23 Oct 2013, 03:22 pm »

Quote from: jimdgoulding on 22 Sep 2013, 06:38 pm

Well, I suppose it was a pair of Acoustat 1+1's driven by some Spectral separates and a Linn front end in a dealer showroom with a Mark Levinson recording of some choral music playing. I remember that last part cause I bought the recording: Mark Levinson, volume one.

My friend had the same speakers driven by huge Threshold Stasis mono blocs, IIRC SA-1 model nomenclature. Small sweet spot, but definitely one of my audio high points. Thanks for reminding me!

JLM · « **Reply #249 on:** 23 Oct 2013, 03:44 pm »

Quote from: bdp24 on 23 Oct 2013, 11:44 am

In my choice of the original Quads I put in the stipulation/qualification/proviso: "For those to whom reproducing the human voice is a loudspeaker's first and most important job". Yet, whenever the Quads are mentioned, without exception someone always has to bring up them having their well know limitations. Uh, yeah, we know, that's why the stipulation/qualification/proviso.

Sorry, didn't read the entire thread. But isn't it nice that someone agrees with you?

launche · « **Reply #250 on:** 23 Oct 2013, 09:39 pm »

I'm with Frank on this one.

girls like nice cars + boy buys nice car = boy gets girls.
boys like nice stereo systems + boy buys nice stereo system = boy listens to stereo system alone or with other boys.

Hate to say it but a nice ride does wonders for a man and if you've ever had one you know there's no comparison.
Drive a Honda but have a statement stereo system rather than drive a Ferrari and have a decent stereo system now personally that is one of the most amusing things I've ever read.

Devil Doc · « **Reply #251 on:** 23 Oct 2013, 09:45 pm »

You forgot the sad part. Girl wants baby, boy gives up nice car to afford same.

Doc

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #252 on:** 23 Oct 2013, 09:46 pm »

Launch, There's a LOT of truth in that!

EDIT: Doc, I never got to that level, so I can't speak for that one.

rockadanny · « **Reply #253 on:** 23 Oct 2013, 09:54 pm »

Quote

You forgot the sad part. Girl wants baby, boy gives up nice car to afford same.

And the obvious follw up ... Girl births baby, boy sells blistering hot tube amps and teetering towers on spikes for trade on a nice, child-proof/safe Bose radio!

bdp24 · « **Reply #254 on:** 24 Oct 2013, 12:06 am »

Quote from: JLM on 23 Oct 2013, 03:44 pm

Sorry, didn't read the entire thread. But isn't it nice that someone agrees with you?

zybar · « **Reply #255 on:** 24 Oct 2013, 01:25 am »

Quote from: Devil Doc on 23 Oct 2013, 09:45 pm

You forgot the sad part. Girl wants baby, boy gives up nice car to afford same.

Doc

First baby + first house at the same time meant Audi S4 went bye-bye...hello used Camry.

Glad those days are behind me.

George

James Romeyn · « **Reply #256 on:** 24 Oct 2013, 06:12 am »

Apologies for the self serving nature, but it's the truth. The finest pair of loudspeakers I have heard is the pair in my sound room now, AudioKinesis Dream Maker LCS (Late Ceiling Splash). The sound is better than what we had two weeks ago at Rocky Mountain Audio Fest.

This is the first I've heard these in my own room. I'll post images in Duke's circle later. Tomorrow we test these to see how LCS works in a huge room with 16' ceiling.

Disbeliever · « **Reply #257 on:** 18 Jan 2014, 11:51 am »

Firstly the most important consideration is the Listening room. In my room 12.5 ft wide by 26ft lenght Height 8 ft, I have tried many well known British speakers B & W KEF Monitor Audio, PMC, Spendor Harbeth and easily the best are the new Focalstage Floorstanders for natural reproduction without any listening fatigue for both Stereo & mch SACD & Blu-Ray IMO these speakers are a Best Buy.

JLM · « **Reply #258 on:** 18 Jan 2014, 01:28 pm »

Quote from: Disbeliever on 18 Jan 2014, 11:51 am

Firstly the most important consideration is the Listening room. In my room 12.5 ft wide by 26ft lenght Height 8 ft, I have tried many well known British speakers B & W KEF Monitor Audio, PMC, Spendor Harbeth and easily the best are the new Focalstage Floorstanders for natural reproduction without any listening fatigue for both Stereo & mch SACD & Blu-Ray IMO these speakers are a Best Buy.

I'm so with you on importance of the room and single driver/transmission line speakers.

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #259 on:** 18 Jan 2014, 03:26 pm »

Boy, how I miss the days when you could go to a store and hear speakers of the caliber under discussion. Dunno about where you live but hi-end stores where I live have all closed. I was in San Francisco recently and didn't visit a single store

. WTF was I thinking. Haight Street had cute cafes and novel shops and yet the panhandlers looked the same and there was still a large number of them. Only way you could tell them from their 60's counterparts was the abundance of tattoos.

Help me remember the name of some high end cylindrical and very tall speakers with a waveguide that was top to bottom on one side. Heard those in a shop and a colleagues listening room a ways back. They qualify imho.