I’m surprised there are no mentions of vandersteen. My lottery winning speaker is the model 7. In the real world, was totally happy with my paradigms until a visit to audition an amplifier. Bought the Fyne 702 and sold the year old paradigms for a loss.
Which pair of speakers changed your Hifi life?
*** I am not trying to create a debate or a quarrel with anyone. My discussions are purely having a talks and to express one's experiences. Also to learn fellow audio lovers passion. Please do not disrespect with hurtful words or expressions. Please be more forgiving and understanding in this discussion thread. Thank you." ***
Hopefully one day, someone would say "Mon Acoustic speakers were the turning point in my Hifi life". 😃
My 2ch-audio journey began when my uncle bought his BOSE system at his home (don't even know the model or never really heard it) in early 90s. Bose was rear and expensive in Korea(South) back then. So I started my own system with Bose Cinematics 2.1. Then moved on to Goldenear Triton 3, then to Triton 1. But more utilizing the speakers for AV set ups, not 2 ch stereo.
When I had my first house, I bought a pair of Revel M105 speakers and I think these are the pair that really changed my audio life. My initial paring with M105 was Yamaha receiver. Then I tried goofie set up with center speaker 3.1 to see if it improves vocal in the songs I liked. We went through many combinations of system set up. I ended up with Chord Electronics set up.
I still own them. Always struggle time to time, whether to sell them or not due to the number of pairs I own(out of a guilt). I cannot argue how many pairs of shoes my wife owns. I pair them with NAD M10 (version 1) for my bedroom since my wife likes the warm and well rounded sound, and 80% its white design aspect.
So what are the speakers that have impacted your life?
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Having bought and sold a lot of speakers 2 speakers moderately priced impressed me for different reasons. Dynaudio audience 80 had the most amazing bass and at $2400 a pair Vienna Acoustics Beethoven the most tangible treble, My hifi journey has been looking for a speaker with the A80 bass with the Beethoven treble and a natural midrange. I might be there with the Kef Blades, but I really was hoping for audio nirvana at blue collar prices. |
I purchased a pair of 3 way speakers (Thiel's) in the late 80's (I think) after a great dealer room demo. I totally lacked any advance skills in evaluating them but they came in natural Brazilian rosewood and sounded great! That began a very frustrating, but ultimately rewarding 5 years of experience in most things audio. Speak amplification, speaker set up, ancillary equipment, source importance, and even cross over modification. When all was said and done, I moved on to Quads and sonically speaking was much happier but I sure hated to see those beautiful speakers leave! |
Got a couple tips for you that really improved my 3.4s. If your jumper cable to the XOs is the same crappy supplied stock jumpers, upgrade them to something ~ 3ft each. Then get the XOs off the bases, which vibrate like crazy, and get the speakers up with some nice iso devices. Can't wait to hear what they do for you hth
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Magnepan MG 1's. Bought my first pair in 1999 and kept for years before upgrading to the MG 1.4. Then started a 20+ year course of my career that required multiple relocations. Couldn't carry large planar speakers on that path. Now retired, settled, and have Dynaudio Contour S1.4 LE w/ SVS sub which are great, but constantly fight the urge to go back to Magnepans. Almost afraid to go listen to a current version lest the wallet immediately opens! |
The speaker that changed my hifi life is the speaker that changed my wife's attitude. For 25+ years she was tolerant of my hi-fi interest. Sometimes we listened together but mostly she used the system for background music. A couple of days after John Rutan of Audio Connection installed my Vandersteen 5A carbons I came home to find her in the sweet spot with the lights dimmed and a candle going. She then proceeded to tell me about all of the music I just “had to hear on these speakers.” No previous upgrades *ever* elicited *anything* like that kind of interest. And it stuck. I settled on Vandersteen's aftere three years of attending trade shows. I had to unlearn what I thought I knew from reading reviews and deal with the overwhelming number of choices. I waited until something caught my ear. I recommend this method - only you know what you will like .... I don’t know of another full range speaker (other than the model 7s) where the rear of the speaker could be 18 inches from the narrow wall in our 11x22 foot living room and produce what I’m hearing. By that I mean unbelievably good bass all the way down without DSP and a holographic presentation that sounds alive with a good recording. The 11 band analog equalizer evens out in room bass response and the powered subwoofer gives the impression of unlimited headroom. The balsa wood midrange is super low distortion and it gives you a taste of the model 7 or an electrostat. The key thing is that I didn’t think I could get this kind of performance in a non-dedicated listening room without DSP given the limited speaker placement options. John assured me it could be done and boy was he right!
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I lived in a small apartment so I purchased a pair of Monitor Audio GR 10’s. They sounded good with an NAD integrated amp. Eventually I was able to afford my dream stereo and bought a pair of Quad 2905’s. I now live in a house and have the upstairs arranged just for hifi listening. There’s no comparing my Monitor Audio bookshelves to my Quads but the Monitor Audio’s are what put me on the path. |
@jl1ny Totally agree about the 57's. My Quad technician, who is also a good friend, has a few pair. I'm hoping that he'll sell me a refurbished pair after he finishes his Stacked 57's endeavor. Or just sell me the Stack! |
@jl1ny Unfortunately I've never heard the Apogee's. What speakers are you using now? |
If I recall correctly, Singer had the Apogees paired with a full house Krell system. I’ll never forget the dynamic slam and massive / deep 3-D soundstage they put out. I’m sure nowadays there’s better but I’ve yet to experience anything like it. Singer had some really great rooms. As for me, currently I have Reference 3A Royal Virtuoso & Rel S510. |
@jl1ny Thanks for sharing. Just reading up on your speakers, I’m unfamiliar with the Reference 3A Royal Virtuoso’s. They appear to have some range. And I’m sure after they’re positioned they don’t get moved around. Thinking the shape of cabinets allows for a wider soundstage? |
Going back over the speakers I used to own I came to the conclusion that none of them were so great that I’d not pass on them for something else. Granted, some were eye (ear) opening and helped to broaden my audio horizon but when push comes to shove, I have to say it’s my current speakers, the JBL 4319 monitors. I’ve had my ups and downs with them, sometimes wondering what the heck could be wrong, but in the end, it’s always turned out to be either the recordings limitations of something else upstream of them. If any speaker warrants the description, garbage in, garbage out, it’s these. Like a true chameleon, they wait for something to happen upon and then assume the character of what lies underneath. There has honestly been times when I’ve been floored with what they’re capable of. They don’t click off any of the audiophile boxes, having a broad front baffle and that utilitarian look in their design and build, but in the end, it’s all I’ve ever asked for or needed. All the best,
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@tomcarr / Good for you, Enjoy! |
@boxer12 - thank you! |
My first pair of speakers were horrible. They were made by JohnZeer and that is all that I remember. Because of them, I went the other direction and came upon plans and drivers for the Speaker Lab K. They were a bitch to build but I had a high school wood shop at my disposal. I won't tell you that they were the best speakers that I have ever owned in every way, but I had never heard/felt bass like that in my life until then. Very little distortion in the bass, and the mid and treble horns gave an immediacy to the sound that I never forgot either. |
I'm running a pair of SK corner horns (which I bought, didn't build) right now powered by 2 SET Watts. I just came back from the Pacific Audiofest and there was stuff that sounded better (but not a lot) and there was a lot of stuff that cost more than a luxury car that I wouldn't trade for. What an amazing design.. still. |
The K horns were one of the hardest builds that I ever did. They were so heavy that each move was a real event. Funny though, many of the speakers that I have owned turned out to be heavy. Many of them were game changers, but my curiosity turned into amazement many times over. It wasn't just one set of speakers that had a huge effect on me, it was many. |
In the early 2000's as I was making my way into Higher End Audio I replaced my OHM Walsh 4's with a pair of Unity Audio Fountainhead Signatures and they really moved me. I used a Musical Design 100 WPC Amp with them. I kept those until a few years later when I landed a pair of Genesis V's (placed in my dedicated listening room in my basement) which I had up until this past December driven by my VAC Renaissance 70/70 which I still have. + |
Wilson X-1 Grand SLAMM. I never owned a pair, but when I was young and returned home after college I went looking for a new stereo to move into my place with. Knowing nothing back in the late 90's I randomly walked into the first stereo shop I found myself walking by in New York City, which happened to be Sound by Singer. Straight out of college I obviously could not afford anything in there, however a nice salesman let me listen to a few systems, one of which was a pair of Wilson X-1 Grand SLAMM speakers hooked up to full Krell kit. Before that the nicest hi-fi I had heard was my parent's KLH Model 20 stereo and my buddy's Onkyo integrated with some Cerwin Vegas. I never knew that hi-fi could sound that good. So that started me on my audio path. So, to answer your question the Wilson X-1 Grand SLAMM changed my hi-fi life, because without having heard those, I probably never would have gotten into this stuff as deeply as I have. |
Luthier speakers They include a filing Integrate a trumpet, with everything and its
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The first time I heard ADS L810s, they blew my mind in a stereo store in Bowling Green Ohio. I later picked up a used pair in Chicago and absolutely loved them for many years. Now my martin Logan Summit ex electrostatic speakers are my last and favorites.
Along the way I heard some speakers made by a local company called Chicago speaker works and they were really nice as well. |
Altec Lansing Bias 550 I have been enjoying them for the past 20 years+. Plug and play. All in one. Positioning, amplification, cabling, inputs, never a problem. Connected to a CD player or other digital device. I consider them my headphones of loud speakers. I listen to them for hours at a time, never find them fatiguing. Klipsch Forte II Purchased from a friend 20 years ago. Kept them in the closet until recently. Originally found them a bit harsh on the top end. Replaced some components with the help of Crites. Now, I put them into use in the yard. Lively and fun. I have a few other speakers but, those two stand out for me. My ultimate replacements for these: Wilson Audio Alexx + Klipsch Jubilee
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