Speaker that are 'KEEPERS" for the long haul!!!

Choice of a long-term speaker depends on what limitations you are willing to accept. For me the choice was easy.

Quad ESL (the originals). Bought them as a "kit" (frame, transformers and new panels which had to be soldered together) from Q Audio in Cambridge, MA 40 years ago, Still one of, if not the, best mid-ranges available, As Hi-Fi News  & Record Reviews wrote in the early 2000s, Greatest Speaker of All Time.

Limitations: many, including output level, deep bass, high treble, narrow dispersion both horizontal and vertical. But for me, those don't matter much, although I have added a DIY 24" Hartley dipole subwoofer and recently trying out Townshend super tweeters, for a sort of hafl-assed HQD system. The Quads were refurbished a few years ago by Electrostatic Solutions, which does improve their dynamic range somewhat..

Over time, everything in front of them has changed, but those remain constant. I am not alone: Robin Wyatt of Robyatt Audio uses Quads (57s and 63s) at audio shows with equipment costing multiple times the price of the speakers (Butler Monad mono blocks, Technics SP10R and Garrard 501  turntables, etc.), and consistently gets voted top ten best sounding system awards.

For me the JBL 4367 with subs has stopped me from looking at speakers. I don’t even look at the items for sale. Well that is not true I am on the look out for 3 more 4367 or 4349 for a 5.1.4 system. I feel the 4367 does everything as well as any speaker I have heard and somethings like dynamics and bass texture (above 60hz where I bring in the subs) better. 
 

The Revel Salon 2 is a near perfect speaker. It has been a few years since I last heard it. It really has no flaw but could us a few things. #1 wider dispersion of the highs above 10khz, better dynamics, and in absolute maybe exotic cabinet materials. 
 

I think their sister line, JBL brings the dynamics the Revel is missing but you trade the ultra wide soundstage of the Salon for it. The JBL 4367 (and I assume models above too) are just as good as the Salons but different. Though I have never had the JBL and Salon in the same room so who knows. I have A/B-ed the 4367 with my former Revel 228be and the JBL was simply better at everything. 
 

I see there are four other Legacy speaker owners.  I have Signature IIIs in my living room and Focuses in my main listening room hooked up to a high end system in a high end custom listening room.  The Focus speaker, for the price used (even in 2000 when I paid $3600) was/is a bargain.  It has fabulous qualities overall for all types of music.  I have hooked them up to custom 125 w. push pull Class A/B voltage regulated amps-plenty of control for 6-12" woofers.  Great body/tone/dynamics.  These never were meant to be my end all speaker.  

What they lack is significant for me.  They do not disappear (although out of the box sound is achievable with well mastered recordings), dispersion is limited with best seat in the center (I have a big problem sharing music with others due to this limitation) and ambiance retrieval is limited.  My favorite speaker for my system is a Von Schweikert Ultra 7; unfortunately, out of my pay scale at $180,000 despite my listening room costing $150,000 4 years ago.  

So, I have compiled a list of potentially adequate speakers and my requirements listed below.  Comments are appreciated as I have not heard these speakers yet.

Acora Acoustics SC-2      $37K

Zellaton Plural Evo          $70K

Songer Audio S-2            $39.2K or $49K

Aequo Adamantis           $33,450

Rockport Cygnus             $62.5K

Tannoy Canterbury         $17.5K

Tannoy Westminster      $27.5K

What I am missing from – 1. Wide dispersion/seating 2. Speakers disappear 3. Ambience

1. beautiful midrange for voice/body
2. dynamic
3. relatively easy to drive
4. good resolution (not microscopic, not missing musical info)
5. PRAT
6. Full range for piano (27-39 Hz lowest 7 notes
7. Not too far into room (3’ from walls)
8. Good imaging (not oversized, not undersized)

                                  I dislike Wilsons (too intense after 10-15 minutes), Magico (uninvolving), YG, B&W, etc. speakers which are more akin to sonic microscopes than musical reproduction.  I do not want difficult to drive speakers which require massive power (thanks for informing me about Revels).  I do not want single person speakers (akin to headphone listening).  Thanks!  See my audio equipment /room for details

Keepers I still currently use:

Joseph Audio Pearl 3

Altec Flamenco (with upgraded crossovers)

JBL L220 (with upgraded crossovers)

The Joseph give you everything audiophile on a plate, while sounding tonally beautiful. They also give the most beautiful "picture" of a performance I have heard. Not genre specific at all.

The Flamenco just have a dynamic presence that is hard for me, to be without. This box/horn speaker disappears so very well, and is very coherent. Kind of crazy what they can do, and there is no question about what kind of each instrument is playing. It is there, obvious, in the room.

The JBL pop a center image that is hauntingly real, standing there, touchable. Excellent vocal speaker. They remind me of a time I heard some TAD speakers in a studio. You can just touch everything in front of you. See everything that is going on.

Each of these provide emotion first for me, HiFi second, and seemingly easy. That emotion part is the hard thing for a lot of speakers I have heard get right.

My Cornwall 4's are like a cool old uncle who talks a good game but will go to the Great Beyond sooner or later.