The best speaker you ever heard?


In my opinion, the speaker is by far the most important part of the audio system. After all, it is the only part you hear. OK, the other stuff really matters a lot, but without a great speaker... No go.

I am a bit 'speaker-obsessed' I guess, and now I am wondering: What are the best speakers you have ever heard, and what made them the best?
njonker
Cts it sounds like you have sensitive ears and a good understanding of how real music should sound. I also gravitate towards speakers which are coherent, well balanced and sound natural (ie: like real music). Avalon certainly fit that bill, and from what I've heard Vandersteen do also.

Magico speakers are fast, very resolving and overall neutral. They are what I call 'honest' speakers which are true to source, therefore careful attention needs to be paid to your upstream gear. The Magico S line is a bit warmer than the Q series and a bit more laid back in presentation, so they appeal to a wider audience. The S5's have only drawn me into the music paired with Vitus Sig series or Soulution amps. They seem to be an excellent match. I'd love to hear the new Vandy 7Mk. My Dealer doesn't carry that line, but it would still be fun.
Check them out when you can. They draw you in while still being so honest. Big change in the mk 2
Calvin, I've only heard the small Raidho C1's with Symaudio amps. They sounded smooth and clean, though there was some stridency in the top end (most likely due to green speakers). The D5's must sound amazing. My only gripe with Raidho is they are way over-priced for what you get as demonstrated by the huge dealer margins. I saw a pair of C2.1's on static display and thought the build quality was very average compared to Magico or YG for example.
10-14-15: Ctsooner
Check them out when you can. They draw you in while still being so honest. Big change in the mk 2
Caxton Audio in Melbourne carry that line, so I might see if they're getting the Mk2's in so I can have a listen for fun. In any case, $62kUS is out of my price league & my Dealer does not carry that line.

Incidentally, the Magico S7's are also a big change from the S5's & have lighter, faster hybrid carbon Nano-Tec/Nano-Graphene drivers & a diamond-coated beryllium tweeter. The cabinets and crossover have also been significantly improved. I might have a bit of news on that front soon ;).