The best speaker you ever heard?

Labtec, I think most of us who have been around this for years agree with you, however on a thread like this of fun, you typically assume that folks are feeding the top speakers a top signal. I would disagree that a great speaker will sound like the worst with poor quality fed to it. It won't sound it's best, but it can still sound better than a terrible speaker being fed with a great signal. Both would sound poor obviously, but I'll take the speaker as being the most important part of the chain with the font end being second. JMHO

Haven't heard that many speakers, but the KEF LS50 is spectacular. There may be a number of better speakers out there (its always a matter of taste) but I believe it will be very hard to find one that matches the sound, form and price of the LS50s.

Hi Tvfreek
Did you try JBL studio 530?
You should.... :))
$600 VS $1500

A well set up MBL 101 (E and onward) radialstrahler is the most impressive speaker I've ever heard. At certain shows, wandering into the MBL room makes every other speaker sound like drivers and boxes. Their top end was unique IMO. I've never heard cymbals truly sound just like drum cymbals in a room, vs "hey, those tweeters are pretty good" type sound. (And I don't just find them spectacular in terms of the obvious soundstaging: I found their reproduction of a kaleidoscope of believable timbral colors to be incredible).

I also heard them at some more controlled set ups. Finally got hold of the small stand mounted 121 version, which aren't of course as spectacular, but they still have to my ear almost uniquely natural upper frequencies.

I've never heard Magicos though, and would really like to.

Best speaker I have ever owned, it's got to be REGA RS5.
Why? imaging is extraordinary, left to right, back to front. Tonality, transparency, detail is spot on. Not too forward, not too bright, the presence is awsome. Voices are palpableVery Dynamic, but not too thunderous. Bass is just right. Super easy to position! Easy to drive. Enormous qualities, within this $1.5k budget of course...
Before, I have had in chronological order bose 301, polk rt-12, b&w 601, my own (scanspeak/vifa/dynaudio), dynaudio active bm5, martin logan aerius i, magnepan mmg, magnepan mg12, b&w cdm-9nt, vandersteen 2 signature, paradigm studio 40, psb image t5, and the Rega.
I usually swap speakers once a year; I have had those for the past 4. Next stop will be totem. Unfortunately, it is hard to go somewhere and listen these days, but I would like to give totem a listen. If anyone has had the opportunities to compare the rega rs5 and preferred something else, I would be interested to hear your comments.