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've had more homebuilt speakers than not, but I have two pairs of Klipsch Hereseys worth mentioning as they are quite different from each other considering. One pair are Heresy I's, in maybe butternut or some light-colored walnuty wood. Got them at an estate sale for maybe $40. I rebuilt the crossovers and they sound pretty decent, I think limited by what's being fed into them right now.

The other pair are from the pro audio side of Klipsch, sold as PA speakers, so they are black tolex or whatever with handles built into the top and metal grills. I usually use them with a solid state PA amp for musical instruments - keyboards, bass, whatever - but once I fed my little Mackie mixer into one of my ST70's and into these speakers and they sounded fantastic, very bold and alive, not to mention loud. Am going to have to revisit that when I get the right preamp going. These can be found very cheap by the way, worth looking at.

Other than that, some jbl studio monitors, some KEF vertical boxes with side-mounted woofers, some KROK studio monitors.

They all sound almost good enough but not quite, and I have come to think it's my ears that are not up to snuff anymore. Nothing sounds as fantastic as it did when I was younger. Sad but at least I can remember it:)
Rectilinear 11 A;s - traded for a Fender Bassman/Showman Combo
SAE - cant recall model number 350.00
Dynaco 25 XL's used as a back channel to SAE's 125.00
B&W DM2 200.00
DIY KEF Transmission Lines using T27 B110 and B139 - 400.00???
Burhoe Blue Speakers 125.00
Large Advents used 100.00
Kef 105's 1000.00
Dalquist 10's with dedicated subwoofers and electronic crossovers - 1400.00
Acoustat Model One's (large) 1000.00
NHT 1.3 - 300.00
EPOS 14 800 including stands
Shahinian Obelisks 1300.00
Currently dealing on a pair of PSB Synchrony Ones.....
mono DIY 8" 2 way built by my father
Webcor with Philips full range-$10 garage sale
homemade 6" 2way. - DIY with my father
ESS 10" 2 way with Heil tweeter - used
Mission 700.2 - New, $200
Nuance 8" 2 way - New (big mistake)
Magnepan MG-3.3 - used
Vandersteen 2ce - used
Klipsch Heresy - used
Klipsch Forte II - used
DIY horn/hybrid 4 way system
-- with: Edgarhorn, Klangfilm, RCA, Altec, Faital, and JBL bits
4-year-old VSA VR-7s have been upgraded in the past 6 months to "Mk 2" status, meaning new bypass caps on the crossovers, totally new Delphi internal wiring and new high-performance mid-ranges. The urge for new speakers (to match my new VAC Statement 450 monos)has come and gone, as what I have got a whole lot better. Also, now up to Velo DD-15+.

Recently added an office system driven by SET Melody 845. Using Angel City Audio's Trinity speakers with upgraded crossovers. Imaging is just ridiculous - approaching and exceeding "jaw-dropping" at times. Amazing below-the-radar speaker due to minimal advertising. Betters speakers 5x its price, which is very reasonable.