What Are The Best Speakers You've Heard?

[Pio]

I'm wondering if there's a consensus on "must listen to" speakers on the forum. Which speakers have you listened to that you would buy if money where no object? I have not been able to listen to the $200k plus MBLs and JM Utopias, I bet they sound incredible.

For me it has to be:

Wilson MAXX I heard in 2004 and most recently a pair of B&W Nautilus (the snail speakers).

I've heard many great and not so great speakers in between those - but those two stand out in my mind as the very best.

[Industrial]

So "best I liked" was the 805Di B&W speakers. Ive heard fancy tens of thousands $$ Ribbon speakers which sound all smooth and sweet and I still like the combo of sweet/warm yet still enough detail to keep the excitement going.

[aarsoe]

Best to me was my old, old, old setup. Perfect combination of right room size (80+ M2) and the B&W 801 Series 80 mixed with Krell equipment. Wonderfully sweet midrange and perfect highs coupled with deep lows... and could play most records/cd's without them sounding to horrible..
However the speakers where modified a lot and not stock version. Also the heat from the Krell gear was a bit over the top for me - so would not want to go back from my current setup..

Have heard many speakers at expo's and at dealers but always with less than perfect room symbioses so the end result have always been a bit disappointing.
However I would argue that the best speaker in the world is the one you have..

[Burke Strickland]

... I would argue that the best speaker in the world is the one you have..

... if you enjoy listening to it.

Actually more precisely, that would be if you enjoy listening to what is played over the speakers you have -- the speakers themselves should "disappear" and not have a "sound" of their own. If you do not enjoy them, it is time to listen around for something to replace them.

I have heard many fine speakers over the years, but am always happy to return home to listen to music played via my Magnepan MG 3.6 speakers. Some of the most highly praised (and uber-expensive) speakers I have heard do not provide nearly as satisfying a listening experience, even when associated with components in the "if you have to ask the price you can't afford it" category in specially designed surroundings set up by "experts".

[Chris D]

Best I've ever heard have been Martin Logan's flagship CLX's. There may be better out there, but I haven't personally heard it. (I haven't personally listened to a lot of exotic speakers)

I seriously considered buying myself a pair over the last few years when they were first released, but I just couldn't bring myself to spend $20k+ on any speakers, no matter how good they sounded. Maybe someday when I'm rich.

[Hdale85]

I bet those are a joy

Same here I personally couldn't imagine spending 20k on just a pair of speakers? Maybe an entire setup...

[Bob]

I am partial to the Wilson Watt Puppy 8's, not so much the Sasha. And the Vandersteen 5A's.

[Theresa]

The Rediscovery ScanSpeak kit.

[Ovation]

Best "money no object" speakers I've heard were from Gershwin Acoustics (about 36K/pair, IIRC) at an audio show in Montreal three and half years ago. At that same show, I'd listened to a pair that cost 75K, another that cost 150K, several hovering around the 50K-60K mark and the Gershwins were far and away better than any of those. So, should a lottery ticket prove fruitful, no matter how many millions I win, if I had to choose among speakers I've actually heard--the Gershwins would be the hands down favourites.

[dyazdani]

I've heard the larger Wilsons and Avalons, but in both cases I was unimpressed (qualifier: for what they cost). I believe the rooms they were in were not very good. A modestly priced speaker in a good room with a good recording is a contender no matter what, IMHO.

I did hear a pair of Amati Guarnaris (monitors) in a smallish room once - best playback of a violin concerto I've experienced thus far...

[twitch54]

I've heard the larger Wilsons and Avalons, but in both cases I was unimpressed (qualifier: for what they cost). I believe the rooms they were in were not very good. ...

Interesting.....for one of the best setups I've listened to was @ Acoustic Sounds, Salina, Ks where Chad Kassem has the Avalon Sentinels being driven by Pass Lab gear and being fed by an SMEt30/12 TT, to this day the most incredible soudstage I've ever heard, yes the room was perfect

[dyazdani]

Interesting.....for one of the best setups I've listened to was @ Acoustic Sounds, Salina, Ks where Chad Kassem has the Avalon Sentinels being driven by Pass Lab gear and being fed by an SMEt30/12 TT, to this day the most incredible soudstage I've ever heard, yes the room was perfect

The room was not the best...

[twitch54]

The room was not the best...

the thought of putting a six figure pair of speakers in anything other than a top notch enviroment is pure stupidity wouldn't you agree ?? I'm assuming you listened to them at a less than knowledgeable dealership ?

[audioqueso]

Hmmm.. first was the B&W Nautilus 800. I was in a music store in Japan called Audio Union. They have a bunch of audio gear. I was listening to some speakers, and I heard someone play the piano in the other room. I thought he was good, so I went over there and was shocked to see it was not a real piano. That was the first time I ever heard the 800 series.

Some time after that I heard some Dynaudio speakers (don't remember the model), but they were soooooooo awesome! I remember the look, but I've never seen them after that day. Those were the best speakers I ever heard!

[dyazdani]

the thought of putting a six figure pair of speakers in anything other than a top notch enviroment is pure stupidity wouldn't you agree ?? I'm assuming you listened to them at a less than knowledgeable dealership ?

No, it was actually in a house - they were doing the best they had to work with. Heavily treated, but could only do so much without basically a new house.

[David Meek]

Some time after that I heard some Dynaudio speakers (don't remember the model), but they were soooooooo awesome! I remember the look, but I've never seen them after that day. Those were the best speakers I ever heard!

Were they possibly these guys - Dynaudio Sapphire's?

[audioqueso]

No, David. They were not shaped like that.

[Pio]

Thanks for the replies - I try to listen to as many speakers as possible to get an idea of what's what out there - even speakers that are out of my price range to hear what I'm <might> missing.

I'm making notes based off whats been posted here to go for a listen and I'm actually going to get that Scan Speak kit, never put together a speaker kit, sure it will be fun, thanks Theresa.

BTW - in my original post I mentioned Wilson MAXX and B&W Nautilus as favs - Failed to mention why they stood out - the MAXX just sounded like I was in front of an orchestra! The sheer scale, power and presentation is something I still remember 6 years later!
The B&W Nautilus is the most revealing speaker I've heard - the layering / 3 dimensionality of that speaker is ridunculous! I was just flat out floored that a speaker could sound that good.

If money where no object - it would probably go to the Nautilus...

Thanks again!

[HedgeHog]

I have not experienced as many quality speakers as most of you but in my limited experience, the one set that wowed me most were a Dick Sequerra full system. Met7, Met 10/11...can't recall all the different parts but it was the pyramid like woofer, Met 7, and line ribbon tweeters. Powered by Sonic Frontier tube amps. The imagine was to die for. The Sheffield drum track where either Keltner or Tutt played the rim, one can feel the distance change as brush moved around.

My $0.02

-H

[2gumby2]

I heard Sanders Sound speakers at the Rocky Mountain Audio Festival this year and thought they were the best speakers I've ever heard.

[twitch54]

I heard Sanders Sound speakers at the Rocky Mountain Audio Festival this year and thought they were the best speakers I've ever heard.

Great speakers...one sweet spot only, but oh my it is sweet !!