"The Ultra High-End Speaker."


My entire relatively simple high end audio system retails for approx. $70,000, with my speakers alone retailing for approx. $24,000 (Revel Salon 2 speakers).  I've been around high-end audio for over 40 years.  I attend audio shows and visit local and non-local high-end audio shops on a regular basis.  I get to hears a lot of high-end audio speakers and gear all the time.  That said, I honestly believe, along with others who've visited my home and have listened to my system, that my system (speakers) produce that ultra high-end, reference quality sound.  Others would suggest that, when it comes to speakers, that the "Ultra High-End" sound can only be achieved by megabuck speakers costing 50K, 100K, 250k and beyond.  I do not believe that ultra high-end ("Sound Quality") is excusive to those speakers costing a king's ransom.  And, I think my own system is am example of what can be achieved at a lower (not for most people) price point.  I absolutely believe in the law of diminishing returns, especially when it comes to high-end speakers.  What's your definition, idea of, what you consider to be, a "Ultra High-End Speaker, and at what price point does the ultra high-end start?????            

kennymacc

Thee most magical sound I've ever heard coming from any speaker was from a set of Snell Type B's It has yet to be bested. Joe

@hilde45 

Looking at your system, I truly respect the attention you strive to give to EVERYTHING.

At the time I heard it, I too thought the Snell Type B (the big version) was a quite nice sounding speaker--very rich and full bodied and authoritative sounding.  It was a bit overpowering in bass response in the room I heard it in, but, it was quite a nice system.  I do wonder how it would fare after all these years.  I would expect that any reassessment would be more the case of my personal taste evolving rather that the technology being superseded.  

Mike Lavigne did built a state of the art room.I agree with Him don’t spend big dollars until you really understand how things work in this hobby.I never want to spend money on vynil, until I knew how good it will sound.Mike is also right , dollars alone will not do it.Now a days there are many good speakers under 5k if you know what you are doing, you can easily make them sound like ultra highend.

Go to Axpona and you will be shocked, many speakers cost above 100k don’t even sound untra highend, it’s because they were not set up right, rooms are still too small or too big as well and untreated.Then you go to ELac room Andrew Jones demoing all you hear is good sounding system.