Speakers to hang on to for LIFE


After 9 years with my Proac Response 3s, I recently decided to change speakers. As you can tell, I'm not an upgrade fever patient. I want something I can live with for years & I think the best advice I'm gonna get will be from those who have & are still living with their speakers for an extended period of time. Please tell me why too. Thanks.Bob.
ryllau
I've had PSB Stratus Golds since 1996 or 97, and I have yet to hear anything that I've wanted to replace them with. (I use a SONY DVD-S7700 (as a transport only) input to a SONY TAE-E9000ES pre/pro (w/ver. 2.01 upgrade) through an ARAGON 8008BB). I wanted that lowest octave (20 - 40 Hz), so I added a VELODYNE HGS-15, but the Golds bass is quite good (-1 db @ 35 Hz) without augmentation.
For 22 years before that I had ESS AMT-1Bs (uprgaded to 1Ds later), but I felt they were too bright and not smooth enough.
For about 30 years, I've had a pair of Dynaco A-25 speakers which I bought new in 1972 or 1973. They have smooth, clean, neutral sound, and one can listen to them for long periods without fatigue. They're best for music played at moderate volumes. They don't have the power-handling capacity to play rock really loud. I have no illusions that they are the ultimate audiophile speaker; there are doubtless many people on this forum who have better speakers. For small-combo jazz, classical chamber music, or the like, however, they do just fine. Put it this way -- I've been listening to all kinds of music on them for 30 years, I could afford to replace them, but I'm in no hurry to do so.
I've owned a pair of Aerial Acoustic 10T's in Santos Rosewood finish for about 18 months now. The 10T is a very nice looking full range speaker with excellent fit'n finish. The sonics are very good but you really need an amp with about 250 wpc or more to really make them sing.

To me, these are speakers to keep. No matter what else may come along, there should always be a place for these in my house.
I can't imagine you guys/girls are really serious. You mean to tell me with your so called hyper hearing that them old ragged speakers you have are as good as what's produced today?

I mean, I got 11 year old Stages and they were terriffic in their day and are still pretty good in the midrange, but there are speakers out there that cost less today than the Stages did 11 years ago and have the midrange magic and are better in other ways.Plus they don't dominate a room.

Just because I own them though, doesn't make them saintly.

If loudspeakers didn't improve in every parameter in the last 10-20 years, then we wouldn't even be at this web site. For the industry would have gone outa business.

C'mon folks, face the music, your speakers that you so cherish from the by gone days are far from top shelf any longer. Most of them are nothing more than boat anchors at this point. Even my Stages.