Speakers to hang on to for LIFE

That is very dificult to answer! Twice I have speakers for 16 years. The big issue was I got very comfortable with the speakers. Like an old pair of shoes or that old winter coat. Nothing wrong with that OK? But, to do that you take yourself out of the mainstream of speaker development. Thus missing out on the improvements made. Not to say you would jump out and buy. But can really leave the market you worked so hard to figure out? Tough question. Plus as we age we fine tune our ears and what we listen for or even the genre of music listened to. I am so happy to have made my last jump to the new Coincident Pure Reference. Expensive? Yes, but I am so happy that I move to my next life knowing I have had the chance to finally get my ultimate! When your kids are gone, you spoil grand kids and send them home! And sit back in narvana. No more compromises, or at least a lot fewer. After all the biggest deterrent to obtainging the big fancy system is the acknowledgement that everything else come first! But it is worth the wait! So enjoy the growth you won't regret it one bit.

Well I am new here and a bit angry in my old age and I want someone to put a pair of Pinnacle PN5 + up against the new Thiel or ????? They have to be stock!!! and report back . You can get them for less than a. hundred bucks off EBay sometimes. The Pinnacle Ac650 might be another interesting listen. I have PN5+ firing ten feet from me as I lay on the sofa. I like that near field listening. I don't think you can get detail in a big room with big speakers. Granted it isn't row ten at symphony hall.... A self powered sub with good level and crossover is needed to get all music covered but even without the subwoofer. ...I just bask in the music....
I notice old A/D/S have quite a high following and resale on EBay. I always thought they sounded muddy. I have a suspicion a Thiel or Spica might beat Magnepans for me but those designers are close to my heart

Being in my fifth year as an audiophile and having owned 29 different speakers, I think a speaker that one would stick with for life is very unlikely. I will be getting my latest, BMC Arcadias shortly and will expect to spend many months optimizing them. I expect better bass extension and top to bottom linearity with these. I guess at some point any speaker becomes a keeper for the rest of your life.

I have had Quad esl 57's from my student days (1976). I loved them even with their shortcomings. Three years ago I decided that they were unlikely to last me the rest of my life, so I upgraded to the 2805 (I cannot accommodate the 2905): same thing, but clearly better. And still used with the original (but refurbished) Quad 33-303 amplifyer from 1970. I hope they will last me the rest of a long life with fine music. Recently I augmented the 2805's with a nice B&W PV1d sub, that I am still tinkering with to get the best sound (nearly there).
About twenty years ago I also bought a second set of speakers for use in my study, or on my sometimes extended stays abroad: a set of Rogers LS3/5a. They have more limitations, but they are superbly musical for what they have to do as desktop speakers. I hope these will last, but if not, I will get a set of small Harbeth's.

WillemJ- I have had my pair of ESLs since 1974, but they need to be restored. I will continue to use them, and will probably add a second pair to do a stacked array. I still have my Decca ribbon tweeters, which also need to be restored. And a pair of Crosby Quads, which do more and are easier to live with than the original ESL, but there is something just uncanny about the midrange of the original. Also have a vintage pair of Quad II amps which I will deploy at some point. The Quad is special, despite all of its obvious limitations.