The best speaker you ever heard?


In my opinion, the speaker is by far the most important part of the audio system. After all, it is the only part you hear. OK, the other stuff really matters a lot, but without a great speaker... No go.

I am a bit 'speaker-obsessed' I guess, and now I am wondering: What are the best speakers you have ever heard, and what made them the best?
njonker
Haven't heard that many speakers, but the KEF LS50 is spectacular. There may be a number of better speakers out there (its always a matter of taste) but I believe it will be very hard to find one that matches the sound, form and price of the LS50s.
A well set up MBL 101 (E and onward) radialstrahler is the most impressive speaker I've ever heard. At certain shows, wandering into the MBL room makes every other speaker sound like drivers and boxes. Their top end was unique IMO. I've never heard cymbals truly sound just like drum cymbals in a room, vs "hey, those tweeters are pretty good" type sound. (And I don't just find them spectacular in terms of the obvious soundstaging: I found their reproduction of a kaleidoscope of believable timbral colors to be incredible).

I also heard them at some more controlled set ups. Finally got hold of the small stand mounted 121 version, which aren't of course as spectacular, but they still have to my ear almost uniquely natural upper frequencies.

I've never heard Magicos though, and would really like to.
Best speaker I have ever owned, it's got to be REGA RS5.
Why? imaging is extraordinary, left to right, back to front. Tonality, transparency, detail is spot on. Not too forward, not too bright, the presence is awsome. Voices are palpableVery Dynamic, but not too thunderous. Bass is just right. Super easy to position! Easy to drive. Enormous qualities, within this $1.5k budget of course...
Before, I have had in chronological order bose 301, polk rt-12, b&w 601, my own (scanspeak/vifa/dynaudio), dynaudio active bm5, martin logan aerius i, magnepan mmg, magnepan mg12, b&w cdm-9nt, vandersteen 2 signature, paradigm studio 40, psb image t5, and the Rega.
I usually swap speakers once a year; I have had those for the past 4. Next stop will be totem. Unfortunately, it is hard to go somewhere and listen these days, but I would like to give totem a listen. If anyone has had the opportunities to compare the rega rs5 and preferred something else, I would be interested to hear your comments.
Electroslacker, yes I had such an experience with Infinity ServoStatic 1s driven by ARC early tubes stuff. I had to go in and ended up buying them and the ARC a week later. But I've had many more instances at CES and other shows, where I walk in hear awful sound and turn around and leave. Once this was a McIntosh speakers where the young woman at the door who had welcomed me looked curious and I said, that had just remembered an appointment.

Incidentally, I will never have an experience walking past a dealer anymore, as there are no dealer with 200 miles of me. I expect within 50 years all dealers will be gone.