Personal speaker evolution


OK, so here is a thread I haven't ever seen here: What speakers have you owned? starting with the earliest, price paid, new/used, and perhaps the models that really impressed you (for the price) in CAPS.

Rat Shack Something or others, $120, new
Fisher Something or others, $280, new
ADS L710's, $550, new
Snell A2i's, $1100, used
BEVERIDGE SYSTEM 3'S, $1000, used
Martin Logan CLS, $1400, used
MARTIN LOGAN SL3'S, $2300, used
pmwoodward
I love these threads! :-D

The first speakers I had were Fisher crappitycraps from Monkey Ward's. My dad had (and I now have) Fisher products from the middle '60s (tube tuner and SS integrated). I didn't realize at the time that Fisher wasn't The Fisher anymore... I've no idea how much money I got ripped on those. They were tall and had many drivers, but they definitely sucked.

Those were replaced by Pinnacle PN-7s. Great sound, too small, insufficient power capacity. (POP!)

Then Mirage M-490s for $550. They were the largest Mirages that weren't bipolar and I could afford them (just). (I think it's weird that I never liked the bipolar Mirages but I love dipolar ESLs.) Other speakers I was looking at were Kappa 6 or 7 or Acoustat hybrids for at least double the price.

Then I got my MartinLogan Sequels. I'll not say what I paid for them as I don't want to have a negative effect on the used ML market! :-D Suffice to say that they were reasonably priced, in wonderful condition (I honestly don't think they were ever played loud enough to break them in!), and they're mine and will continue to be probably even after I get another set of MLs or Magnepans or Acoustats or Vandersteens or whatever else. If I ever get something else... what I need right now is an amp. Anyone have a couple hundred Watts per channel of tube sound on the cheap? :)
1. Fresh out of college (1989) - Yamaha NS10M monitors
2. B&W 300 series surround system w/Atlantic Tech sub
3. Dynaudio Audience surround system w/Velodyne sub
4. Soliloquy 6.2 floorstanding monitors
5. Silverline Sonata II floorstanders
6. Dynaudio 1.3SE monitors w/REL Storm III sub
7. Dynaudio Confidence C2 floorstanders w/REL Storm III sub
1. Fisher's in 1976 89.00/pr
2. B & O S35's 320.00/pr
3. Klipsch Heresy 1000.00/pr
4. NHT 2.5i 1200.00/pr
5. B & W 601 with Velodyne sub 1500.00
6. B & W 805 with velodyne DD12 4000.00
7. B & W 804S with DD12 5500.00
8. Downsized to B & W CM7 and velodyne Spl1200r 2800.00
These have been my main speaker systems over the past 30 years or so.

- Olson 8” 2-ways, maybe $60 new one of their warehouse sales. Those were the days.
- Fisher ST460’s(?), about $400 new. Big mothers w/15” woofers and cast metal horn tweets.
- DCM Time Window 1A’s, $660 new. Quite a step up.
- Added Sontek subs built from plans in Speakerbuilder. Used Becker 15’s
- Martin-Logan Sequel 2’s, $500 new. Bought at Roadway salvage store.
- Custom B-G RD75 system using 24 SFI Dynapleats per side for midwoofs. Total cost about $1,400.
- *Shahinian Diapason’s, $1,750 used. I’ll proably die with these.

Here are a few significant others that I have owned, or currently own but were never really primary systems.

- *Shahinian Obelisks (early (80’s), used $500.
- Infinity RS-2.5’s, used $450.
- Bose 901 III’s, used $150.
- *Eosone ??, used $50. Big floor standers.
- *Innotech D-24’s, used $200.
- *Altec Corona’s, used. Got these in trade for some Mac gear.
- *VMPS RM-1’s, used $400.
- EV Centurions, used $600.
- JBL C40’s, used $500.
- Signet SL-260’s, used $5.
- *Def Tech ??, used $300. HT setup, 2 towers, CC, surrounds and 15” sub.
- *Vero Soundwave ??, used $265. Big 5-sided 8” 2 ways with wide dispersion.
- *Shahinian Hawk woofers w/Super Elf’s, used $700.
- *Shahinian Elf’s, used $275.

I still own those with an asterisk.

Plus a plethora of others with varying pedigree.
Well let's see..........

1.Epos
2.Green Mountain Audio
3.Thiel 1.2, 3.6
4.Martin Logan
5.ProAc
6.Audio Physic Virgo II and III
7.SF Cremona
8.SF Guaneri Memento (Current and an "exit" product for me)

May have missed some, but that is what I recall atm....