Speakers 10 years old or older that can compete with todays best,


I attend High End Audio Shows whenever I get a chance.  I also regularly visit several of my local High End Audio parlors, so I get to hear quite a few different speaker brands all the time.  And these speakers are also at various price points. Of course, the new speakers with their current technology sound totally incredible. However, I strongly feel that my beloved Revel Salon 2 speakers, which have been around for over ten years, still sound just as good or even better than the vast majority of the newer speakers that I get a chance to hear or audition in todays market.  And that goes for speakers at, or well above the Salon 2s price point. I feel that my Revel Salon 2 speakers (especially for the money) are so incredibly outstanding compared to the current speaker offerings of today, that I will probably never part with them. Are there others who feel that your beloved older speakers compare favorably with todays, newfangled, shinny-penny, obscenely expensive models?

kennymacc

many older horns were quite good, Altec, Klipsch (with some mods). Old Tannoys are still desirable on the used market. ADS made some killer speakers that still sound great today. IRS, Proac Response series are getting on in years and still perform well. JBL's of all generations are still selling very well on the used market,. blue face especially. so many more out there. 

Dali Epicon 8 and MS5...original DCM Time Windows were one of the first "high end" speakers I heard, very awesome...

@cleeds 

You animal! IRS Betas? You are going to destroy your hearing! What are you driving them with?  Nothing like having 8 12" woofers staring at you.

I forgot to mention Dahlquist DQ 10s. Amazing loudspeaker for the price, then and now.

I'm stuck on ESLs. If you can find Acoustat 2+2s in decent shape, add subs and really big SS amps. You will have an amazing line source system. 

In general, I have to agree. It has been my observation that in ten years any component category advances make a very sizable and worthwhile improvement to upgrade. This does not mean the old stuff is not satisfying.
 

The easiest for me to relate to is amps. I have owned and upgraded Pass amps since about 1980…every ten years. Each time I questioned if they could be worth the upgrade and each time I was so impressed I had to. I have also experienced this in speakers (owning 20 year old 10 year old and now contemporary), preamps. Of course digital really big time changes.