what is your dream speaker...

[TheHills44060]

Really? Have you heard the Kronos? I have been wondering how good it sounded. I have 2 friends that have the Caldera's. Very nice!!

Yep...I heard them when I visited Hong Kong earlier this year. All I can is wow wow wow. Totally blown away. The only thing is that I wasn't too impressed with the finish choices and wish their were more options but I could certainly let that slide lol.

I've never heard the caldera's but they sure as hell look nice. In fact the only Audio Physic speaker I've heard is the Kronos so that's my only frame of reference.

[eisforelectronic]

Yep...I heard them when I visited Hong Kong earlier this year. All I can is wow wow wow. Totally blown away. The only thing is that I wasn't too impressed with the finish choices and wish their were more options but I could certainly let that slide lol.

I've never heard the caldera's but they sure as hell look nice. In fact the only Audio Physic speaker I've heard is the Kronos so that's my only frame of reference.

All of the Audio Physic models I've heard have been very consistent in tonal quality. I know owners of Caldera's, Avanti's, Scorpio's and I own Tempo's.

[Raj J]

many thanks for all your messages, makes a lot of sense indeed.

you see in all the countries I've lived in, Australia is the most affordable in tems of high-end audio, quality of life and overall sense of happiness! you must be thinking I am crazy because melbourne & sydney actually ranks as being most expensive amongst the top 10 if I am correct..., but when you land a good job here and get paid in $AUD and not $USD, there's a huge difference!

in my home country it would cost MILLIONS of local currency to get to the system I currently have, and those people would still be dreaming! only for the super rich, not even the well off could afford brand new. they all purchase second hand junk that comes from all over the globe, and spend the rest of their hard earned savings reparing the stuff. boy was I lucky to fall in this place!

I even remember when I was living in Chicago, high-end audio was not cheap, nor was it affordable. it was quite expensive even if you still earned in $USD. England & the rest of Europe is even worse, after your basic wages, spending on audio - it would be good enough to be able to afford a new album on cd or dvd for that matter.

in Australia this is not the case. there are a lot of good things that are equally distributed amongst the classess. therefore, if you have the bucks sky is the limit you can go nuts! but according to your means if you do have a budget (as most sane people should have) then there are very good systems that give the best sound for the money.

the importer/dealer where I purchased all my gear from, has the most amount of brands that I have ever seen in a single store. he has stuff all over the place, you'd be lucky not to tread over a small tube amp from Jadis, or silver wires from Nordost. you really have to look where you're going it's like a mine field! but when you finally find your way to the main listening room, ah! now there's so much of space and so many speakers & systems set up individually, that you can only listen to one type of system at a time, which brings out the best quality. he doesn't have much of new stock, you buy what's being demoed because that is what is new!
he's probably got every brand, other than the ultra high-end like Wilson's or similar category.

the great thing is, they are very friendly and willing to listen to your requirements, eventaully end up being good buddies not just another store. therefore, I would then recommend this place to another, and the good word spreads and before you know it they are out of stock! he has sold the most number of Quad ESL 2905's compared to any one in the entire country! why because they believe in good customer relationships, price comes second. I guarantee you will not walk away from this place empty handed!

whereas unlike in some other countries I have lived in, they won't even bother to talk to you unless you drove up in a merc or BMW, & especially high-end!
I remember this store in Chicago when I was a student at the time, I could not afford conrad johnson, but I was very intrigued by its sound and wanted to know more about it & the design. the store manager just laughed and said "even after 20 years you wouldd't be able to afford those monoblocks, forget it pal!" ha! who's having the last laugh now, and yes, that store sadly closed down during the financial meltdown that initiated in the US!

I even offered the store some financial assistance to get out of debt and pay for some of its staff, but he was far too up in the nose to accpet my help and at the end it was too late.
the staff were really nice people, but the manager needed a major brain overhaul.
he was sadly turning away customers every day because of his attitude.

all I can say: whoever you are or whatever you do, do it with honesty, integrity and respect for others & your loved ones. afterall family comes first, & then audio. then yes of course just "enjoy the music".

my friends complain that I still wear the same jacket that I bought in Naperville, who gives a rats, as long as my system is reproducing the absolute sound! if it is winter and you want to keep warm, got a jacket? who cares if it isn't leather or plush lined, just keep warm mate... my priorities are functional and a bit different to most.
now it's late here 7:21pm. need to hit the gym, read a bedtime story to my daughter, enjoy some dinner the good wifey has made, and yes of course enjoy the music at 10pm.
cheers mates!
Raj J

[JoeE SP9]

Hey Raj, you're coming up on Summer anyway. What do you need a jacket for? Spend your jacket money on music. What you folks down under call Winter we call early Fall. Chicago has a real Winter. It's much colder and has lots more snow than Philadelphia. At least usually! Last Winter doesn't count. We had three major snowstorms. One storm dropped more than three feet of snow. I just stayed home and played lots of music. Us retired guys do that.

[Raj J]

Hey Raj, you're coming up on Summer anyway. What do you need a jacket for? Spend your jacket money on music. What you folks down under call Winter we call early Fall. Chicago has a real Winter. It's much colder and has lots more snow than Philadelphia. At least usually! Last Winter doesn't count. We had three major snowstorms. One storm dropped more than three feet of snow. I just stayed home and played lots of music. Us retired guys do that.

good day Joe,
yes! Australia is down unda, and is one bloody crazy country that's all I can say mate.
it is certainly good to live in considering...
the seasons are all topsey turvey! we have summer right now! it started in Oct and will get to 46C degrees between Jan & Feb, USA equivalent to 140F+. we actually do boil over here and have one of the biggest skin cancer rates in the world. last year in Feb we had the worst bush fire season and lost close to 300 lives in melbourne, victoria. it was referred to as "black saturday". this season was not too bad, it has been raining constantly and we have been lucky with the mercury guage so far... but it is getting hotter though.

this intense heat lasts for only a few months, and then gets much cooler right after March. I know about the states, I lived in "the windy city" Chicago for nearly 8 years. boy is it clod over there! minus something usually. here in Australia it never drops to minus, very very rarely, perhaps up in the mountains. coldest weather ever recorded is still bearable with a decent jacket. although you still would need a benie cap that's the most extreme. and yes that is certainly a great time to fire up the system & have a good serious listen for endless hours...

cheers mate!
RJ

[JohnMichael]

And now back to speakers.

[Ajani]

OK, I've changed my dream speakers...

Something about these speakers just calls to me, and I just have to have it:

[GMichael]

OK, I've changed my dream speakers...

Something about these speakers just calls to me, and I just have to have it:

They're so very round..

[Glen B]

I have always longed for a pair of Hales Audio Transcendence 5's or Transcendence 8's, both long discontinued. Fat chance of that ever happening.

[Raj J]

yes, sorry about that folks, back to speakers then!

ah the Hales! very nice indeed. I have listened extensively to these driven with conrad johnson premier 8 monoblocks back in 1996. the sound was glorious, preamp was from burmester, cd player was from classe, all cable/interconnects were from audio quest.
everything was great except one thing, the soundstage is no where equivalent or even close to Quad ESL's. hence they also had the same system driving a pair of Martin Logan CLIIz ESL's - the sound was stunning! that's when I decided to defintely once and for all change from dynamic drivers to panel desings, they are far more open and real, plus the soundstage is top notch, and this is what I want to achieve during playback.

whereas for others Hales and similar designs like Thiel are as good a dynamic design can get. cheers,
Raj J

[MrAcoustat]

Here is an old one, revived by Mr.Jocelyn Jeanson of Kingsbury Quebec Canada Acoustat model 6 J.J.Special

[Ajani]

me? I dream (pray) of a pair of Revel F52

Looks like Mr. Peabody is living that dream...

[frenchmon]

I would love to have these...

[bfalls]

OK, I've changed my dream speakers...

Something about these speakers just calls to me, and I just have to have it:

Nice Cones!

[Feanor]

Since this thread is revived, I'm going to revise my "ideal" speaker choice away from the planars I mentioned almost a year ago.

Nothing wrong with the planar sound, but I, (and I suspect my wife though she rarely says anything), are getting weary of the space requirements -- in our smallish living room, (12'x 22'x 8'), something smaller the could be placed closer to the wall would be nice.


I don't have a sort list of "ideal" speakers but think high quality "pro" speakers might just fill the bill pretty well. Active, (i.e. self-powered), pro speakers can have the following characteristics:

• Relatively small sized
• Custom crossovers designed for the drivers
• Separate amps with power, etc., attuned to the specific drivers
• Bass adjustment depending on placement, i.e. proximity to walls & corners
• Controlled dispersion to minimized wall, ceiling, floor reflections.
• Additionally some have DSP equalization systems to precisely tune response.

On these bases a pair (for stereo) of 8240A (with DSP) look close to "ideal" combined with their 7270A subwoofer (with DSP), plus their GLM.SE EQ system -- this is the combo recommended by Genelec according to my listening room and listening requirements.

[Ajani]

Since this thread is revived, I'm going to revise my "ideal" speaker choice away from the planars I mentioned almost a year ago.

Nothing wrong with the planar sound, but I, (and I suspect my wife though she rarely says anything), are getting weary of the space requirements -- in our smallish living room, (12'x 22'x 8'), something smaller the could be placed closer to the wall would be nice.


I don't have a sort list of "ideal" speakers but think high quality "pro" speakers might just fill the bill pretty well. Active, (i.e. self-powered), pro speakers can have the following characteristics:

• Relatively small sized
• Custom crossovers designed for the drivers
• Separate amps with power, etc., attuned to the specific drivers
• Bass adjustment depending on placement, i.e. proximity to walls & corners
• Controlled dispersion to minimized wall, ceiling, floor reflections.
• Additionally some have DSP equalization systems to precisely tune response.

On these bases a pair (for stereo) of 8240A (with DSP) look close to "ideal" combined with their 7270A subwoofer (with DSP), plus their GLM.SE EQ system -- this is the combo recommended by Genelec according to my listening room and listening requirements.

Looks like a cool option... Pro speakers have a lot of appeal, especially when space (and cost) is a concern...

Another option you could consider, since you already have a small amp would be something like Revel Performa M22 monitors (as they have some basic tone controls on the back for placing near to a wall)...

[Feanor]

Looks like a cool option... Pro speakers have a lot of appeal, especially when space (and cost) is a concern...

Another option you could consider, since you already have a small amp would be something like Revel Performa M22 monitors (as they have some basic tone controls on the back for placing near to a wall)...

Well Genelec isn't especially cheap, e.g. the 8240A's are $1600 each.

The Revel M22's look pretty good; (unlike some people, I don't have an intense hatred of speakers from Harmon International).

[PieterVG]

What if you hook all these speakers on one system and play dubstep on max volume...

[RoyY51]

My "dream" speakers would be a pair of GoldenEar Triton Two loudspeakers. I auditioned them at a local retailer and was blown away by the top to bottom coherence. I thought briefly about buying them, but, after being married for 33 years, the thought of having to start over kept my credit card safely in my wallet.

[RGA]

I'd like to add a few alternates if I had a larger room and cost is no object


Acapella Sphaeron Excalibur
Trenner and Freidle RA BOX
Silbatone Acoustics "Aporia" single driver full range
Perfect 8 Technologies "The Force" loudspeakers - Bass module not shown.

[filecat13]

Since I've already shot my wad (no reference to Ajani's posted picture from MSShifi) on my dream speakers, I'm going to have to stand pat. Fortunately, I'm still in bliss... and apparently still horny.

[RGA]

Rather than just the speakers - what about dream system? I heard something similar here in Hong Kong and I want it. Can anyone lend me ~$400,000 US? And by lend I mean give.

Audio Note Ongaku Kensei - YouTube

[Feanor]

Rather than just the speakers - what about dream system? I heard something similar here in Hong Kong and I want it. Can anyone lend me ~$400,000 US? And by lend I mean give.

Audio Note Ongaku Kensei - YouTube

Well, it wouldn't be any of that Audio Note waste-of-money poop. In the first place, I'd go multi-channel. And I wouldn't need to spend $400k either, (unless you count the cost of a new house & listening room into it).

I'd be looking at, say, the top-of-the-line Anthem prepro plus Genelec active speakers. Complementing these, of course, would be a great TV and video player.

[RGA]

Yeah I understand that Feanor.

A system you've never heard is poop and a system you've never heard is what you salivate after. I have heard Genelec active speakers and Anthem Pre-Pro combinations before and after Paradigm took them over.

Although if you do go that route I would suggest ATC over Genelec. Or I should say - Audition it before you buy the Genelec.

This company is THE company for MC sound IME - so far. ATC Loudspeakers. ATC Monitors. ATC SCM. ATC Speakers. Manufacturers of speakers, monitors, drive units and amplifiers. Granted I have not heard a ton of them - on a budget M&K would be worth a listen as well. It's the speaker of choice of George Lucas - not B&W despite the hype.

[Geoffcin]

Well I've got another "Dream" speaker and it's the new Magnepan 3.7!