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What are the best speakers you have ever owned and why?

I just recently recieved my long awaited Shahinian Diapason 2’s from Vasken And they are absolutely spectacular! This got me thinking about my long journey to get here. Bless my wife for putting up with the many many many speakers that have passed through. The lifelong saga began with Magneoan MG 1’s back in college which were replaced by Dahlquist DQ 10’s. Then we traveled down a long road of speakers and systems. Magnepan Tympanis, Misson 770, Randall Rsch DQ10’s, Quad ESL single and stacked, Acoustat II, rogers LS3/5A’s, Linn Isobarik’s (2 pairs) B&W 801 Matrix, Hales Signature, Martin Logan Monolith2, Apogee Scintilla (1 ohm) Apogee Full Range, Theil SC 5A, Egglestonworks Andra, B&W Nautilius 801,Quad 63 and some I’m sure I forgot! Each speaker had its virtues and flaws but oh what a fun and a times frustrating trek! I think I have finally found my speaker to take me to retirement they do everything that I value wonderfully . They are detailed without sounding so, very dynamic, they have great low end reach, power and detail, are open sounding like a planner, their tonality and timbre seem spot on and they sound wonderful on any kind of music. Tell me about your journey!
hamr
beetlemania
834 posts
 
Since 1980:
Chartwell monitors (nice!)
B&W DM12
Thiel CS1.6
Vandersteen 2Ce Sig II (amazing value!)
Thiel CS2.4SE

With coaching from Tom Thiel, I just built completely new XOs for the 2.4s. I’m quite certain this is my last pair of speakers. Other than low bass, these seriously have most of what I hear from stuff like TAD Ref One, Vandersteen 7, and Vivid Giya (all of which are well out of my budget).

oddiofyl's avatar
oddiofyl
3,841 posts
 
I've been lucky to own a number of modest but very good speakers.   My favorite  speaker that I formally owned was the PSB Platinum M2...    such a great speaker for the money.  I will buy another pair some day,  one of the few speakers I regret selling.  I miss them and thought they were better than the Revel M106 that replaced them.
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Linaeum Model 10, easily the most uncannily real imaging of anything I ever heard. As one who was not usually complimentary of my choices said of the soundstage these things presented, "You were swimming in it."

Made by a small company in Portland, OR, I once brought mine to the designers home for a tweeter upgrade, after which they looked less elegant but sounded even better. The dipole tweeter, sat on top of an otherwise ordinary brick standing on end shaped enclosure, consisted of an ordinary driver that instead of driving a cone had two ribbons of plastic that came together at the coil and curved out and around. The ribbons, instead of being rigid like other drivers was just stiff enough to hold its shape but very flexible, the idea being instead of acting like a piston it flexes with the signal and propagates the wave form along the ribbon. Another identical driver facing backwards and wired out of phase made it dipole. However odd that sounds the music it made was enthralling. The only component my wife ever told me to buy!

Why don't I still have them? Two reasons. One, the old saying sins of commission are worse than sins of omission? Its true. They had a mid-bass hump that I recognized the first time I heard them but was able to put aside for years hearing nothing better until I was offered a killer deal on the Talon Khorus. But I was unable to sell the Linaeums. So why don't I have them? The wife. Or should I say first wife. She took em.

That's how good they were.
roberjerman
4,319 posts
 
KLH Nine electrostats! In use since February 1992. Used with Futterman H3AA OTL mono amps.
hamr OP
56 posts
 
Nice list guys/gals!
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