Personal speaker evolution

1st: Some sort of General Electric system as a hand-me-down from my sister.

2nd: Panasonic "Thrusters" with a passive radiator (1600 was in the model number).

3rd: Paradigm 9SE

4th: Paradigm Studio 100 V 3 + Rel Storm 3

5th: Intuitive Design Summits + Rel Storm 3

I've upgraded again, so here's my updated evolution:

Wharfedale W45's were my first (guess about $100 in 1972)
- still have them but gutted the cabinets and rebuilt
with with new Audax drivers/crossover

Infinity Monitor IIa's ($500 or so in 1975)
- I still have them - they are all original and
immaculate (surrounds replaced)

Totem Sttaf's ($1500 new in 2003)
Added Rel Storm III (used) to Sttafs in 2004

GMA Europas (used in 2004) installed in second system with a Rel Storm I subwoofer (used).

Von Scheikert VR3's (used) installed dedicated home theater (2005).

Totem Mani-2's in January 2006 (used). They replaced GMA Europas/Storm with Installed the Rel Storm III with the Mani's. Sold the Europas.

Von Scheikert VR4 gen III's (used) in January 2006. They replaced the Totem Sttafs which I have not sold - I can't bring my self to do that because they're better than what I can sell them for so I'm using them in a 3rd system.

Moved the Storm I to the home theater - selling off the AESpirit sub it replace.

Wow,
I'm way behind on the upgrade treadmill for speakers. For some reason, other components come and go, but speakers move through my life slowly.
Interestingly, they're the only component that I've always bought new.

1. Circa 1972: Home made cabinets for Radio Shack 12" two way speakers with some kind of a tweeter thrown in and a passive crossover and a tuned port made from a mailing tube.

2. Circa 1975: Marantz 3 ways with a 12" woofer and the foam grill covers. Pretty shitty speakers, but they were cheap!

3. Circa 1980 (?'82?) Vandersteen 2C's. Around $1100. Wonderful speakers. Still classics.

4. Circa 2004: Gallo Reference 3's with stands and the sub amp. They still amaze me with their performance, regardless of cost.

Dave

Stumbled across this thread on a search for info about Gallo A'Divas (for background music in our upcoming remodel) - didn't seem too cerebral, but stimulated some fond memories...

All purchased new, can't recall the exact prices...

1. mid-70s: 2 Kraco 6x9 auto speakers in a plywood box - 'nuff said...
2. ~'77: Advent (unnamed?) - listened to 1 "mono" for a year and a half 'til I could afford the other...
3. ~'81: KEF 303(?) - loved the space-age stands, but couldn't handle volume (important as I was in college at the time)...
4. ~'85: Klipsch La Scala - Took care of my volume concerns. Still elicits stories from buddies who recall when I set them up on the porch of their strand house in Hermosa Beach one 4th of July - loud and clear while swimming in 4' surf separated by 200+yds of beach sand!
5. ~'96: Magnepan MMG - talk about doing a 180! First time I experienced anything approaching "imaging" or "transparency"...
6. '04: Thiel 2.4 - which, along with a (costly) swapout of virtually my entire system, really exposed the acoustic limitations of my living room...

Fortunately, our impending remodel has allowed me to spec/build a "media room" that, once paid for (another 10 years!?), ought to send me off in yet another direction...

I am still intrigued by the Maggie soundstaging and may return to a larger model as a complementary alternative to the Thiels some day...

Jim

Might as well update this list as well...

Jensen who-knows-whats?
Klipsch Forte
Legacy Focus
Von Schweikert VR-4 III HSE
Merlin VSM-Milleniums
EgglestonWorks Andra IIs (have lived with these over the last year or so. Excellent in all respects!)