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If $ was no object what speaker would you buy?

Products of the year award in TAS of March of 2006 gave the top award to MBL. When TAS staffers were asked which speakers they'd most like to own, virtually everyone from music editor Bob Gendron to Ceo Tom Martin(who actually does own a pair) would answer : the MBL 101Es.IMHO the MBL's sounded closest to me what a live event sounds like, it was amazing. They were so pleasant to listen to that I even appreciated music that I typically didn't like prior to hearing it on MBL's. For me that is significant, it provides me with an opportunity to start appreciating other genres.
In the same issue there is a pressing article suggesting that makers of high-end audio could be in financial trouble. In the same article the panel discusses how to get the word out about high-end audio, and how to increase the number of people interested in buying high-end audio equipment.
I believe in the awe effect, if the audio showrooms could display a playback system that simply awed the newcomer, they just may be swayed to make a purchase before walking out.
Perhaps we can get the attention of audio engineers and designers and suggest that we audiophiles have discovered a music playback system that awes us, and are willing to purchase a system of that caliber providing it is within our means.
For some of us MBL has got what we want. For others it may be another brand. Maybe in the near future we can find affordable speakers that will near that magical sound that our favorite super expensive speaker have.
What speaker would you love to own that is out of your price range. The speaker you would like to see used as a reference point for engineers and designers to make an affordable model yet completely awesome.
Then maybe they can be used to catch the attention of non-audiophiles at demonstrations of high-end in shopping malls or luxury car dealerships.
pedrillo
audiokinesis
2,747 posts
 
If money was no object? I'd build my own. Not that I think I'm smarter than experienced engineers, and in fact I'd hire one to do some of the more critical design work for me. But I have a few ideas about what an "ideal speaker" would do, and would like to try my hand at it one of these days.

Or as an alternative, I'd fund the development of a high quality direct-drive electrostat/amplifier combination. The idea is to purpose-build a (most likely tube) amplifier that could drive electrostatic panels directly with no intervening transformer. The voltages required may be prohibitively high, so that might not be a feasible project after all.

If I had to "settle" for a store-bought speaker, I'd invest heavily in airline tickets and have some serious fun travelling and auditioning. There are too many fine speakers that I haven't heard for me to make a choice just yet, especially if money is no object!

Duke
pedrillo OP
560 posts
 
I would like to thank you all for the valuable input, and would like to add to this again. I thought the mbl's 116e to be amazing as well and the fact that they are not so rediculously priced gets me to dream about owning a pair some day. But before I start to think of going that route I must consider the reality of trying to driver these speakers, it supposedly takes $25,000 of amplifiers to drive them correctly plus the $18,000 for the speakers. So I was supposing if I am not alone on this to let audio engineers and designers know that this is the sound we like, can you build a product that gives us the same sound with a price not so high?
bpwalsh
1,207 posts
 
I don't know if it would be the ultimate, but I'd like to see is a full range, crossoverless plasma speaker, hopefully with direct drive electronics. Several years ago Nelson Pass developed a full range plasma speaker, but few people had a chance to hear the pair he built before (I think) he decided to dismantle them because they were too dangerous. Anyone who ever heard the infamous Hill Plasmatronics 25 years or so ago knows what I'm talkin' about. That tweeter!

I heard it said years ago that the "perfect" (note the quotes) audio component has three characteristics: very expensive, dangerous, and not available. The Hill Plasmatronics were sort of available but surely met the other qualifications. The built in tube amps were pretty unreliable, so I understand, although that's surely not a desirable quality (been there, done that!).

Among "real world", *available* speakers today, I like full range single driver speakers a lot. With driver integration not being a concern, they stand a better chance of recreating the experience of listening to live music. Along with that, dispersion and sound radiating geometry play important roles in creating the illusion of live music including reflected sound, and in my experience few box speakers are capable of giving that natural sound quality.

Brian
warnerwh
539 posts
 
I'd have mine custom designed.
audiokinesis
2,747 posts
 
Oooooooo, fullrange crossoverless plasma.....

Good call, Brian.

Hey, can I change my vote??
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