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What's your speaker IQ, and the best speaker?

Please forgive the fact that this is a direct overlap of the popular "The best speaker you ever heard?" thread. However as much as I love the original thread, far too many of the respondents do not list what other speakers they have auditioned, severely limiting the value of that particular answer. For example if you say, "The Dunlavy SC-V are the best speaker bar none" and all you ever heard before that are whatever was at Best Buy, it is hard to give that opinion a lot of weight. But if you say, "The Dunlavy SC-V are the best speaker bar none" and I've listened to Von Schwiekert VR-11s, Avalon Eidolon Diamonds, and the entire Wilson line .. well then NOW you're saying something.

So in my perfect world, the posts would go something like: "Krix Equinox, Rogers Studio 1a, Quad 12L, Quad ESL989, ATC SCM 20SL, Kef C40s, most of the Thiel line, but I have to say far and away the best speaker I've ever hear is ..."

Forgive me again, but I guess this also overlaps the popular "Personal speaker evolution" thread! However if this topic takes on any traction, I think it can be a perfect marriage of the other two threads and very valuable resource.

Try to answer by listing the speakers first, so that when the answers post they will be seen in the 1st line of the post and anyone browsing the thread can then click on those answers that mention speakers that he/she is interested in.

This could be fun, thanks!
studioray
pragmatist
336 posts
 
Over the years,I have tried to get into audio botiques,so that I've heard most of the stuff out there,even if in a commissioned salesperson's speaker room.

In the "best speakers you've even heard" thread,I said the larger Quads,that are beyond my budget,and that I'm happy with my Maggie 1.6s.

That said,of the boxes I've heard,the ones I've liked best(in no particular order) are the Vandersteen 1cs,the Meadowlark Kestrals,and the Frieds,

In a room where the Maggies would not be an option,I would go with a quarter wave/t-line box.

Two speakers I have not heard that I would like to hear are the Madisound Thors and the Salk Veracity QWs(both two way quarter wavers.).
thaluza's avatar
thaluza
283 posts
 
Merlin VSM-MXe's. Bobby's newest iteration of this magnificent speaker model. I just got these. Hands down, the best speakers that I have owned. The sound is very holographic and dynamic, yet quite natural, which creates a startling real soundscape. My previous speakers include Quad ESL-988, Quad ESL-63, Quad ESL-57, Apogee Stage, and Magnepan IIIa. The Merlins' bass is fuller and more tonally pure than any of these other speakers. It is better integrated than the ribbon speakers that I had, and has much better SPL capability than the Quads. This is JMHO, based upon my personal experience with my system and my listening room, which I am most familiar with. YMMV.
drseid
201 posts
 
A partial list (most recent) is:

Legacy Audio Studios,*Whispers
Dali *Megalines, Euphonia MS5s, *Helicon 800s
McIntosh *XT-28s, 30s
Von Schweikert VR4SRs, *VR4JRs, *DB99s, *VR-11s
*Tyler Acoustics Taylo Ref. Monitors, Linbrook Signature Monitors, *Linbrook Signature System (models I and II), Super Towers, *Woodmeres
*Salk Sound Veracity HT-3
Martin Logans (cant remember the model name, but it was the second to the top of the line)
Audio Note E/SPEs
*Spendor SP3/1s
*Ayon Butterflies
*Acoustic Zen Adagios
*Merlin VSM MXs
...etc the list goes on and on...

My favorites at any price that I can remember from the above list are the Von Schweikert VR-11s. I placed an * next to speakers that impressed me at their various price points.
ozzy62's avatar
ozzy62
3,039 posts
 
Speakers I have owned over the past 10 years.

DCM TF-350
Klipsch KG 3.5
Def. Tech BP 2000
Von Schweikert VR4 Silver
Magnepan 1.6 (modified xovers)
Meadowlark HR Shearwater
ACI Jaguar
Montana SP2 Signature
Usher X-929
Bob Brines FTA-2000
Reimer McCulloughs/Onix Rocket UFW-10
Alon Lotus Esprit
Roman Audio Centurion
Von Schweikert VR2
Silverline Sonata II
Magnepan 3.5r

As you can see, I have been all over the map. I have ended up with the Montana SPX loudspeakers and they seem to push all of my hot buttons. But my nature is to keep moving on, so you never know.

Oz
daveyf's avatar
daveyf
2,857 posts
 
I just picked up a pair of Guarneri Hommage's, which IMHO are the best speaker I have ever heard for what they do. No real bottom end but everything else is magical, especially in my small room.
Prior to buying these, I listened to B& W 802D's, Maggies( 20.1's), Quad's ( 988 and 989's), Kharma's ( 1.1's), Spendor's.. cannot remember which one's ( I think 8's), AvantGuarde and several others that I cannot remember. The G's replaced my Hales Sytem 2 Sig's, which were a great speaker for their time. Prior to that I owned Acoustat 3's that were well modded and Maggie 1c's.
Have not heard the Magico mini's, but that is probably the only speaker in my small room that would compete with the G's.
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