Speakers to hang on for life

[StevenSurprenant]

I've had three different speaker brands which have left a major impact on my life. I was wondering what speakers others have had or still have that have left a life long impression on you.

For me, and in order of when I owned them...

Phase Linear Andromeda/Phase III
Quad ESL 63
DIY Newform Tweeter R45 with SEAS woofers

All of these excelled in transparency and naturalness. The Newform/SEAS have the best soundstaging (by a huge margin) compared to the other two speakers I've owned.

The first two are dipoles and the last one sounds like a dipole with dynamics.

The best I've heard, but didn't own are...

Avalon's flagship model ($70,000) with Spectral gear- These actually fooled me into thinking someone was in the room with me. Amazing soundstaging.

Wilson Watt/Puppy with Pass Labs 45watt amp - This system went over the top with soundstaging. The space between each performer was so distinct that every performer was in their own space. The Avalon's did this too, but the Wilson's seemed to take it a little too far. The music didn't blend into one song, rather it seemed like each performer was playing something different because they were too separated, (Hard to explain). Still, Very impressive! I should also mention that I heard these same speakers with different electronics and they were less than captivating, more wall paper than 3D in that system.

Third would be a pair of Magnepan 2.0 (I believe) that blew my socks off. I'm not sure what electronics were used, but the clarity and soundstaging were very good. I heard these same speakers at other stores with different electronics and room setups and they always sounded lackluster, but not here. I should also mention that Magnepans rarely sound good in stores. Rarely are they set up right with the right equipment. My take on these is that they have great potential but great care has to be taken with room placement and electronics.

I really like the higher end Martin Logans too even though they never had a 3D soundstage to the extent as the speakers mentioned above. They sounded much like the Quad ESL's and the Quad's, at least in my home were not 3D soundstage champs. However, they sounded smooth, detailed, and very natural. I loved the Quads!

There are others, but this is the top of my list for speakers that have grabbed my attention and left a permanent impression in my mind.

Anyway, what floats your boat?

[Mr Peabody]

If anyone knows me here they could probably answer this for me. The Danes and I have been together for at least ten years. I also love the Martin Logan electrostats. If I had to buy new speakers, I'd listen around to be sure but I can't even think of any other speakers than these that might come close.

I heard a pair of Snell several years back that are worth mentioning as a good impression. Thiel wasn't my thing when I heard them but I did find them a pleasant listen and if I was rich enough to have several listening rooms would entertain maybe having a pair.

When I worked at an electronics store in the 80's we sold Electro Voice and they had a pair of 15" 2-way cabinets I loved, the 1503, I believe. Don't let anyone say a horn speaker can't sound good, these were fabulous. I'd like to hear a pair today to see if my taste has changed.

[winston]

QUOTE MR PAEBODY

When I worked at an electronics store in the 80's we sold Electro Voice and they had a pair of 15" 2-way cabinets I loved, the 1503, I believe. Don't let anyone say a horn speaker can't sound good, these were fabulous. I'd like to hear a pair today to see if my taste has changed.

OOH MR P.
had a pair of the 12 inch they got wreck in hurricane Andrew those were some great speaker" for every type of music (subs were not the in thing then. but they would have put them to shame anyway) since then i have only seen the professional ones. your mentioning them sure reminds of some good times i had with those ELECTRO VOICE thank you

[Feanor]

I've had three different speaker brands which have left a major impact on my life. I was wondering what speakers others have had or still have that have left a life long impression on you.
...
Anyway, what floats your boat?

My speaker history over 35 years:

• Dynaco A25
• AR 7
• AR 5
• Braun L710
• Ohm F -- omni-directional, full-range Walsh driver
• B&W DM7
• Paradigm Mini Monitor v.3
• Magneplanar MMG
• Magneplanar MG 1.6QR

I owned the B&W DM7's for over twenty years; they were a sad mistake and I came to really regret selling the Ohm F's. Lack of cash and other priorities kept me from doing anything about it for far too long. Today I'm loving the Maggies -- no mistake there.

By the way, I'd love to hear those Newform Research of yours. A possibility for me some day is the need to move to a smaller room were the dipole Maggies wouldn't work: DIYs with Newform R30 tweeters could be just the ticket in that scenario.

[Worf101]

See title above. Great thread, great responses. The only topic that would ellicit (sp) a greater response from me would be "cars to hang onto for life." I love it when a topic makes me think and remember fondly. I'm only going to list speaks I own, loved and KEPT!!!

1. Ohm Walsh 4's - Just big enough and detailed enough to show me what decent speakers were SUPPOSED to sound like.

2. Epicure/EPI 100's - With a old SS or a good tube these "bookshelves" give great, great sound and masterful soundstage on the cheep.

3. Allison 4's - Beautiful to look at, beautiful to hear when properly placed in the "right" room.

4. Platinum Audio Studio 3's - First and only "modern" speaker I own. I've seen the future and it's slimline.

Da Worfster

[StevenSurprenant]

By the way, I'd love to hear those Newform Research of yours. A possibility for me some day is the need to move to a smaller room were the dipole Maggies wouldn't work: DIYs with Newform R30 tweeters could be just the ticket in that scenario.

Actually, I just moved the Newform/SEAS speakers into a smaller room and they sound very good.

A note on Newform speakers: Many years ago I heard a original pair of Newform speakers with the R45 and even though they sounded good, I could distinctly hear the woofer and tweeter separately. I was very close to them when I was listening. This was a big problem that everyone experienced which led to modifications and a user forum at http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/Newformgroup/ . From what I've read, these modifications fixed the problem. I went a different route and used different woofers (SEAS). With the SEAS, integration between the woofer and the tweeter was perfect. In addition, I think the SEAS are more transparent that the original Newform woofers, but they lack the bass. It's a trade off, but I rarely feel the need for a sub. I am using 2 SEAS W18EX001 woofers per side, but the Seas W18E001 (no X) go deeper.

As for crossover point, I've tried crossing over anywhere from 800Hz to 3,000Hz and it all sounded good. At the present time, they are crossed over at about 2,000Hz.

Another bit of good news is that I using Trends 10.1 T-amps that only output about 5 watts which is enough to play very loudly, so power is not an issue.

By the way, your profile says you live in London, Ontario. I've been there many times, nice town. It's grown a lot since I was first there (1970). I was there about 4 years ago too. I realize that times have changed, but in 1970 I was traveling down the Queens highway and my engine in my Volkswagon quit so they towed me to London. They put in another engine for about $200 which included labor, what a deal!. What impressed me the most is that they offered to pay for my bus tickets to go downtown while they did the work and put me up in one of their homes for the night. They even offered me a job. Well, because of how the people there treated me, that stuck in my mind as a place I would want to live. I realize that times have changed and that there isn't much chance of that happening again (people change), but I still have a warm spot in my heart for London.

Perhaps some day if you're in the area we can get together. Just so you know, I'm still tweaking. (Never ends) I've plans to upgrade my Behringer DCX crossover with a new power supply, clock and input chip. Now if I can do that without destroying the DCX, I'll be very happy. I also plan on graphing the output of these speakers on my computer so I can make any adjustments I need. So far, I've only adjusted by ear. I'm even considering changing the system to a 2.5 where I cross over the upper range of the second woofer on each side lower than the other on the same side (clear as mud). It doesn't cost any money to do this and I've read where other people have heard improvements by doing this. I have to tell you that while it's nice to be able to go out and buy your dream system, It's a lot more fun to DIY.

I also have Magnepans for my surround system and a Panasonic SA-XR25. The Panny isn't being used right now, but I have no intention of getting rid of it, it's a great little receiver. I'm using a Yamaha receiver now because of the HD decoding that it provides for movies.

Well, let me know when you're in the Chicago area. I live about 50 miles south of downtown.

I have to tell you that it makes me very nervous that you might come here someday and not like my system. It's not perfect, but it's a labor of love on a shoe string budget. I'll get over it.

If you're really serious about building your own, SEAS has free plans for building the Odin MK3 with W18E001 Woofers and crossover at 2.5KHz. This would be similar to my system with two woofers per side. All that would be left to do is to add a crossover for the Newform ribbon and adjust levels. Madisound has the Odin kits, but they are $1,745, which is not cheap, but they do come with a tweeter. The woofers by themselves are about $800 (4 of them). Still not cheap. Then you would have to buy the Newform R30 tweeter which is $880 in USD. Throw in another $120 for parts and build your own box and the total cost is about $1,800. Not cheap! At this price point, you would have to justify the price with how it sounds. I guess that you'ld have to hear my system before you'ld even consider spending that kind of money. I would! Well, it's just something to think about.

I was fortunate because I bought the R45 and the 4 SEAS from someone who bought them new and never used them. I paid $550 for all the drivers together.

[Feanor]

Actually, I just moved the Newform/SEAS speakers into a smaller room and they sound very good.

A note on Newform speakers: Many years ago I heard a original pair of Newform speakers with the R45 and even though they sounded good, I could distinctly hear the woofer and tweeter separately. I was very close to them when I was listening. This was a big problem that everyone experienced which led to modifications and a user forum at http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/Newformgroup/ . ....

As for crossover point, I've tried crossing over anywhere from 800Hz to 3,000Hz and it all sounded good. At the present time, they are crossed over at about 2,000Hz.
...

I was fortunate because I bought the R45 and the 4 SEAS from someone who bought them new and never used them. I paid $550 for all the drivers together.

Glad to hear your comments, Steven.

I'm a relative new comer to London, ON, myself; we've been here only 4.5 years having come from Regina, SK, and before that Toronto. Thanks for the invitation; likewise, you're certainly welcome to visit if you make it back to London sometime.

I guess I'm a bit surprised that you're using a 2000 Hz crossover with the R45's. Personally I'd be hoping to take it as low as possible to get all the speed and resolution the ribbons can deliver, but sometime things sound better on paper than they do to the ear.

Of course there are so many options for the DIY designer. And for me the self-design is part of the fun. For that reason building a kit, even a really nice one like the Odin, isn't so appealing. My recent design musing, (all still on paper), contempate a seal box, wide baffle, and close to the wall placement. This to be topped off (so to speak) by a tweeter with good power handling and response extented down to at least 1500 Hz -- or more with a suitable driver such as the Newform or a BG Corp planar.

[E-Stat]

I was wondering what speakers others have had or still have that have left a life long impression on you.

My three are similar:

Magneplanar MG-II
Acoustat X / Monitor 4 / 2+2
Sound Lab U-1

If I reach back 35 years like Feanor, it would also include Advents (have an updated set of doubles in the garage today) and Braun LV-1020s. The first significant ear opening event was while still in high school, I heard Magneplanar Tympani IIIs tri-amplified with Audio Research electronics. These were far and away more natural sounding than the large Bozaks, AR-LSTs and my Brauns (forerunner to A/D/S) of the day. I ended up buying a set of MG-IIs and drove them with an Audire amplifier. I sold the upper drivers of the 1020s and used the powered 12" woofers as subs.

About a year and a half later, I was invited to dinner with two other audio buddies to Dr. Cooledge's (he wrote for many a year at TAS as JWC) house for a listen that began a friendship that lasts today. It was there I first heard the Dayton-Wright XG-8s full range electrostats. They were unusual Canadian made speakers that did not share the power limitation of the early Quads. He drove them with amps including the Yamaha B-1 VFET and Ampzilla. They had a purity that the Maggies of that era couldn't match.

Since that time ('77), I have owned two brands (albeit with multiple flavors) of full range electrostats. I find they still offer a level of purity and coherency not matched elsewhere. The U-1s were made in heaven for me.

rw

[StevenSurprenant]

I guess I'm a bit surprised that you're using a 2000 Hz crossover with the R45's. Personally I'd be hoping to take it as low as possible to get all the speed and resolution the ribbons can deliver, but sometime things sound better on paper than they do to the ear.

I'll probably take it back down to 1000 or even 800. These SEAS drivers are very good and very fast. To be honest, the reason I raised the crossover was because I thought that there might be a possibility that the larger cones of the SEAS would move more air and hence sound a little more dynamic. I have to wait till I set the crossover down again to verify this. Either way, it sounded good.

When I set it at 3000 I lost some of the imaging so I backed it down to 2000.

There are too many variables to know what to do. After I measure the speaker outputs and adjust for a flat response, I plan on moving the crossover around and remeasuring/Listening.

It's a hobbie and if I ever get it perfect I won't know what to do with myself. Well I guess that I could start by hanging my speaker wires from the ceiling, put my gear on cones or rubber feet, and maybe, just maybe, I'll start putting stones on top of everything. I think I have a pet rock somewhere around here that I could start with.

Actually what really peaks my interest is the DEQX,,,

The only thing is that is cost more than double of my entire system and if it's as good as some say it is, then I guess that I'm finished. Now where did I put that rock?

[topspeed]

This is a very thought provoking topic. Well done, Steve.

I'd have to say...all of them! Great speakers never die, they just get refoamed I don't know why, but I have never even considered selling or upgrading any of my speakers. I just look for another room to put them in when I buy something new.

For example, my Mission 780's have been serving me well for nearly 25 years now. Are they that good? No. They are rather bright and don't have the bottom end of a true full range speaker. However, when the wife demanded I take the hulking black monoliths out of the bedroom, I simply moved them down to my office. The crappy Sony's that were in the office became Frankenspeakers (thanks to partsexpress.com) and are now keeping me company in the garage on the weekends.

I dunno, when I went off to college, my dad gave me his old Wharfedales and Marantz 2230. The Wharfies are gone (sold to my roommate so I could buy a pre-amp) but I can easily see myself passing down the B&W's or Von Schweikert's to my kids when they run off to 'SC as well.

This probably isn't the response you were looking for, but it's my interpretation of the question.

[theaudiohobby]

Tannoy Definition D900
IMO, they are essentially pitch-perfect i.e. they sound very tonally correct so much I get to appreciate the music captured by most recordings without much regard for recording quality, It makes me wanna get up and dance Explosive dynamics, stable soundstage, efflortless low bass, uncontested neutrality. This is a very great speaker

ELAC 310iJET
Just a nice little speaker with excellent tonality.

Quad ESL
Perfect for my future bedroom system, I want to hang on to my vintage pair forever, it sounds very sweet with chamber music and voice.

Genelec 8040/8050
I do not own these speakers for ergonomic reasons, but this active speaker has accurate tone and timbre, had the pleasure of listening to them over a couple of days in a huge music shop with a large selection of pianos, gosh did they capture the tone of the Monty Alexander's piano to a Tee.

[Pat D]

[quote=theaudiohobby]It's listening test, you do not need to see it to listen to it! /quote]

But . . but . . but . . . if I can't see it, how can I know what I'm listening to????

LOL--love your tag line.

[mlsstl]

I've got a couple of speakers on my list that I wish I still owned. Right out of college and into my first job my first big purchase was a pair of Ohm Fs. They floated an image in space in a way I'd never heard before. Stupidly, I later sold them while working at a stereo store in the mid 1970s to get a pair of Genesis IIIs. We sold Genesis and I got a great price. I almost instantly regretted the move as a major mistake. About six years ago I auditioned a pair of Ohm 200s and they were just missing the magic I remembered.

In between, I built a set of tri-amplified transmission line speakers with KEF drivers that I used for about 20 years. They sounded great, but I never fell completely in love with them. Of course, kids were smack dab in the middle of that chapter in history so they they were a great placeholder during this period of audio dormancy.

While the Ohm 200s flunked the audition, the Magnepan 1.6QRs passed. They came very close to floating an image in the fashion I remembered from the Ohm Fs and were even a bit more lifelike in the lower midrange. A cello recording on the Maggies was downright eerie.

I would have probably been content to stay put with these had we not moved. The listening room at the new house was simply too small and wrong for a pair of planars. That led to a cruise through several speakers in the Spendor line. I've settled in with the SP1/2Es which are just about perfect for the current digs. When I'm in the sweet spot they are just amazing. I think they are more tonally accurate than either the old Ohms or Maggies, but lack that last bit of holographic sense of space that can be so engaging. However, given the listening room limitations, they are an almost perfect choice.

Of course, this top brings up the corollary question: what speaker purchase do you most regret? As noted above, the Genesis were a mistake for me. Not a bad sounding speaker but just nowhere near what I really wanted. Just a youthful mistake where the prospect of a "deal" overwhelmed my sense of sound quality.

[nightflier]

I've had dozens of speakers go through my home, some of them odd-ball brands. I have rich friends who buy stuff, don't know how to use of it, tire of it, and then let me try it out to see if I can get it to sound better. So I've had the good fortune to audition and learn from gear that I could never afford or that I would never be willing to pay for myself. It costs as much as a car, you say? Well then why didn't you get the car? Lots of it (e.g. B&O, Chord, Gallo) was bought because it looked trendy with little regard for how it sounded and more often than not, I also didn't know how to pair it with the right gear, so sometimes I missed out on good opportunities too.

Anyhow, these are some of the speakers that made an impact on me:

Polk 600i Towers
I know these are cheapo outdated speakers, but they were the first speakers that I purchased with my own money and made me realize that with good electronics, there's more to the music. I didn't have friends with expensive gear that I could compare it to back then, but I'm pretty sure that under some circumstances these speakers would have pulled their own weight - they were not complete duds. I eventually blew the drivers, so they were followed up by the 2000i speakers because I wanted more bass. This lasted until I discovered there were such things as subwoofers. I thought the 2000s were high-end speakers until I bought web-only speakers on practically a whim (see below). They were sold these shortly after that.

SVS subs
I've owned three different types of cylinder subs, two from SVS, one from Hsu. The 16-46Pci with upgraded 500W amp is my current fav. There is simply nothing else out there that can do what this monster can do for under a grand. I used to play the organ in church and swore I would never listen to another organ when I left home - ironically, I now own more organ and organ-based music that anyone I know - funny how that works. My life changed after I discovered SVS (and I stopped blowing speakers out).

Axiom Audio M80
True story: I bought these unheard for two reasons - a single positive review and because they were called M80's (hearkening back to my anarchist rebellious past). When I compared them to the Polks, I was floored. I ended up re-building my whole HT around Axiom speakers; at one time or another I owned every model Axiom had. I very much enjoyed these, blew the midbass drivers (as well as on a pair of QLS4s), and Axiom support / exchange was top notch. I eventually sold and upgraded these with Viennas (see below) but it was hard to see them go.

Quad M22
At almost $2K delivered, these were my first pairs of "expensive" speakers, that looked even more expensive from what I thought was a top-of-the-line manufacturer, LOL. Great speakers, but not much of an improvement over the Axioms. I was sorely disillusioned by the reality of diminishing returns as I moved up in price. I thought I had bought British hi-fi, only to realize that to get good sound I had to go much higher in price. The speakers had great air and unbelievable bass, but lacked in the mids. I sold them shortly after having burned them in.

MB Quart QLS830
Imaged like a laser, awesome sound-stage, and super-tight bass. I unfortunately sold these without using them with better electronics and probably would have been able to cull more performance out of them if I had. They were my first 4 ohm speaker that brought my amps to their knees - I learned a lot from them (even more after I sold them). These were the one speaker that "got away." Sound-wise, they are about as German as the stereotype suggests - perhaps a bit too analytical, but everyone should have one pair of analytical speakers around for reference and these are at the top of the value-vs-performance chart. Had I not sold them, I'd still be listening to them.

Dynaudio 72
Funny story: bought them to try and disprove to myself that I needed to spend $5K+ for a good pair of speakers. I had had a couple of much more expensive speakers in my home such as Vandersteen 3 series and B&O's pyramid speakers, which aside from sounding good don't score high on the WAF/practicality scale. The Dyns sounded like crap until I bought a Pass amp. That's when I realized that a speaker "system" involved a correct pairing with an amp. The Dyns need oodles of amperage to sound right. Now that the MBQs were gone I realized my error. Although they are great speakers, I didn't keep them, I gave them to my father who is using them with NAD ref. gear - great match, but not my cup o' tea. My brother who is into trance, rave and techno loves them, too. They are a true jack of all trades and inexpensive for the performance level, too.

Vienna Webern, Schonberg
When I had to combine my audio room and HT rooms together I needed to downsize. I auditioned tons of on-wall speakers and never heard one that didn't sound like an on-wall speaker. In-wall was even worse. Then I stumbled on a Magnolia fire sale of 7 Vienna speakers. The Schonbergs were part of the deal, but I sold those right away, and kept the Weberns as a 5.1 setup. I believe the inside of these aluminum airplane-fin-looking speakers are actually lined with wood, and these sound nothing at all like you'd expect. A tad bright, but for movies, esp. dialog, these speakers are awesome. And upgrade from these, if I ever would, might cost me many times more. These are keepers for a long time to come. FYI: they do need lots of clean power to sound right.

Meadowlark Kestrel and Swift
I guess this was my mellow period where I was looking for speakers that sounded pleasant and great at low volumes. I also "thought" that a good speaker needed to be carefully made out of solid wood, not MDF or other composite materials. I still own the Swifts - great little speaker and for what I paid for them, a screaming bargain; definitely giant-killers. The Kestrels I purchased with severe water damage from someone who didn't know what they were - paid next to nothing for them, took them to a cabinet maker who fixed them up and sold them for a handsome profit to boot. But because of this, I never got to audition them at length. Considering how much I like the Swifts, that was probably a mistake.

Magnepan 1.6qr and MMG
Despite all the rave reviews I never got what the Maggie sound was all about. Back when I had the 1.6qrs in my home I probably never set them up properly and used inferior amps. Then just recently I tried the MMGs and really gave them a good workout to no avail. Then I found out that it's likely these speakers were defective. So this is not a jab at Magnepan, but I never got to hear what the magic was all about. This may change one day.

Odyssey Audio Nightingale
I've owned lots of Odyssey gear and the Nightingales sing, well, like nightingales. Awesome air and treble. They also look like no other speaker out there - sort of like the B&O Penta, but made of wood. The cabinets were made by an art-trained woodmaker in Canada, exclusively for Odyssey, and I bought them based on these looks and because of my good experiences with other Odyssey gear. They were, however, a bit bass shy, despite the specs, and in my home that's a no-no. I eventually sold these for a lot less than I paid for them, mostly because not a lot of people know how good these speakers are. In hindsight, I probably should have kept them.

Talon Audio Khouros and Khite
I ended up with these mega-expensive speakers because my friend didn't like the fact that they were ugly. True story, and honestly they are. He eventually took the floorstanders back (when it dawned on him how much he paid for them) but let me keep the Khites for a pittance. These are, bar none, the best speakers that have ever passed through my house. The Khouros I didn't get much time with, but the Khites changed my understanding of what a bookshelf can do. They image great, can handle 500W! of power, are 8 Ohm & fairly sensitive, and have fantastic stage depth and width. I've compared them to SF, Vienna, VS, and Dyn bookshelves in their price range and they outperformed everyone of them in spades. Did I mention the bass? I didn't think that was possible from such a small speaker.

There were lots of others, but these where the ones that in one way or another changed my perspective on speakers. The Talon Khites are now my reference. I'm sure there is better out there, but for a $5K bookshelf (new), there is nothing that compares at even twice the price. If there is, I haven't heard it.

P.S. The engineers from Talon are now at a new company called Escalante Design and they seem to have taken much of the design philosophy with them. The speakers are still uber-expensive, but, in a move that is finally getting some traction in this industry, they are hand-made by fair-labor out of all natural and renewable / plentiful materials, while the internal electronics also meet European green standards for electronics. To top it off, they are an American company. This is a company I can believe in. If I upgrade, I will probably purchase one of their models. There was an auction not too long ago for their top-of-the-line Freemonts, but I was outbid. I'm still on the lookout, for a good deal, though.

[audio amateur]

I've had dozens of speakers go through my home, some of them odd-ball brands.
....

There was an auction not too long ago for their top-of-the-line Freemonts, but I was outbid. I'm still on the lookout, for a good deal, though.[/I]

How do you manage to destroy so many speakers?

[nightflier]

Bass, every time.

That and cheap amps. I've learned from this, though. I haven't fried a speaker in years.

Anyhow, I haven't killed that many speakers, have I? The Polks couldn't handle the bass w/o a subwoofer (which I did not own at the time), and the Axioms got zapped watching Nemo, believe it or not. The sub was not set properly, that time, if I remember right. The Maggies were probably bad before I got them (the verdict is still out on what's wrong with them).

[audio amateur]

Ok 2 is maybe not many. Perhaps many in my standards. I've only ever fried a speaker once, that was a 4in driver in a Velo satellite speak. Was playing a 20Hz tone for the sub, forget the speaks were having it fed to them aswell and there it went.
I've put some of my speakers through hell with no results. I guess I was just lucky

[theaudiohobby]

It's listening test, you do not need to see it to listen to it!

But . . but . . but . . . if I can't see it, how can I know what I'm listening to????

LOL--love your tag line.

Thanks, you've got remind folks from time to time that it's not a visual arts hobby

[E-Stat]

It's a listening test, you do not need to see it to listen to it!

Not to listen, but to avoid running into / tripping over components!

rw

[Pat D]

Thanks, you've got remind folks from time to time that it's not a visual arts hobby

I hadn't realized you were a member here, too. I still look in here every once in a while, mostly at Rave Recordings, but I haven't posted much over here for some time.

[theaudiohobby]

I hadn't realized you were a member here, too. I still look in here every once in a while, mostly at Rave Recordings, but I haven't posted much over here for some time.

I post here every now and again when there is an interesting thread, I hardly ever go to Rave Recordings though.

[theaudiohobby]

Not to listen, but to avoid running into / tripping over components!

rw

uh...oh you want avoid thumping your big toe

[runt]

As said, this is fascinating Steve!
And.. after enjoying the Mission 737Renaissance while paying humungous mortgages in th 'eighties and 'nineties (!) I have at last made it to the 770Freedoms that I couldn't afford in those days!
And after grabbing these from ebay and asking Mission Service to 'do the business' I am listening as I write, and loving the definition of the bass, the timing, the textures, the voice, THE MUSIC!
Since I now have brand new drivers, I was advised "no high volume whilst they soak in"..any idea how long I must be patient..?
Keeping them forever!

Paul/runt

[Pat D]

I have heard quite a few speakers that I thought would do for a long time, and I will say something about some of them.

I have owned the following models which were quite good to excellent:

Kef 104 (later modded to 104aB), Quad ESL-63, PSB Stratus Mini, Paradigm Signature S2. The Quad and the Paradigm could certainly be lifetime speakers--assuming they last that long.

Long ago, I heard the original Quad ESL (now often known as the ESL-57) and the Yamaha NS-1000, which also seems to have stood the test of time. Another old speaker that impressed me was the sensitive Altec 19, a large box with a big woofer crossed over to a sectoral horn at 1000 Hz, which could be adjusted to give a very even response (but could be adjusted to sound awful, too). It threw a wide and deep image, very detailed.

The Kef 104 sounded very good on vocals, piano, and most orchestra recordings, but crossing the 8" woofer over at 3 kHz means the off axis dispersion is not so even and the power response would have what John Atkinson would call an off axis "flare" around and above the crossover, since the woofer is much more directional there than the tweeter. This shows up on some choral and orchestra recordings. But they are quite even in response in a listening window and with careful set up, can still sound quite good.

In a proper set up (fairly large room), the Quad ESL-63 is first class, but our living room is far from ideal for them. In a smaller room, they can still be very good, but other types of speakers can work better. The newer Quad ESL speakers have received much praise, but I haven't personally heard them, but in the right set up, I imagine they would sound superb.

In our present living room, I could not get piano to sound as good as I wanted with the Quad. I discovered the PSB Stratus Mini worked better in our living room--after a Quad blew its power supply, I got them with a view to putting them in the family room later. But for a while they worked quite well as the main speakers, and I found I had fewer bad sounding recordings. A very easy speaker to listen to, and they work very well for us on movies.

The Paradigm Signature S2 is a wonderful monitor speaker, even smoother than the Stratus Minis and with more even off axis dispersion. I like them a lot and I have no plans to change them. They are very neutral, and the horizontal dispersion is so wide and even that the exact degree of toe-in is not critical, as long as they are well away from walls. The Paradigm Signature S8 is great, too, but I imagine I would have difficulty get a smooth room response in the bass. I haven't yet heard the second versions of the Signature Series.

I have heard others which are excellent, too. Most recently, I heard the PSB Synchrony One tower which is superb. It might be ever so slightly forward for my taste, but they are very smooth and neutral and throw a great image. I might find the smaller Synchrony Two tower more suitable, since we have a big subwoofer. I was not quite as impressed by the Synchrony One B monitor, which I do not think is quite as neutral or invisible as my Signature S2, but it is very good.

I also recently heard another excellent monitor, the B & W 805S, which was very smooth. I generally like laid back but this was perhaps a bit too laid back for my taste. But it is excellent.

[E-Stat]

uh...oh you want avoid thumping your big toe

Big toe, shin and whole body into seven foot tall monoliths!

rw