Speakers to hang on to for LIFE

Köchel K300 horns for me. They effortlessly pass through whatever they are fed. They suit my tastes perfectly and provide a stable base to build upon. Every change to my system is immediately discernable. Occasionally an upgrade brings about the need to address another area due to the sensitivity and transparency. A good problem to have though, in my opinion. I couldn't be happier with their performance.

I will never ever, ever get rid of my Dahlquist 20i speakers. I have heard many other speaker setups, some of them costing as much as $100,000, and am still satisfied with these speakers. I'm sure there are speakers out there that have better this or that than the Dahlquists, but as a whole, I am completely satisfied with them. Even if I get rich, (not if, but when)I will still keep them.

Apogee Scintilla. The 1 0hm one. If you haven't heard one properly powered, and the bet's on you haven't, you will never know perfection.

Oris 150 horn speakers you can buy now and keep upgrading drivers and such for probley decades,Allways seems to be new full range drivers coming out ,lots of choices ,plus you can upgrade or repair them yourself ,no need to worry about manufacter suport ,If the finish gets dinged up just repaint .I dont think any other speaker system can compare with the sound and value of an oris horn ,plus you get to build them yourself [easy to do].Way better than martin logans or avalons or avantgarde etc .trio

I think the Klipschorns or other Heritage models fit this topic altough some tend to drift towards a more neutral sounding speaker with age. The Klipsch Heritage speakers have been relative unchanged for decades and still have a fanatic following. 1970's/80's and older models are frequently listed on this site.

I have a pair of 1976 Klipsch Cornwalls & 1976 Heresys. They are great for home theater, but I'm considering something that is more pleasing or not as "harsh" for music. I restored a Dynaco ST-70 with some mods but still need a tube pre-amp to see if that tames the Cornwalls more to my liking or if I should look at something else.

This is very interesting because you can buy many of these vintage speakers and achieve perhaps better value than new. In addition if you do choose to upgrade they often hold their price or even appreciate.