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
Wilson Audio Watt/Puppy 5.1 Soundstage bigger than life and unbelievable detail. Listened to Bonnie Raitt and you could hear the brushes, like almost every bristle as it hit the drum. Bonnie, well there centerstage larger than life. This experience was well over ten years ago and still is with me.
There are 2. The MBL 101-D can reproduce the dynamics and power of a symphony like no other, but at enormous cost as you need the $200,000 or so in MBL electronics to get you there. For smaller scale works, like most jazz and pop music, the transparency of the new Soundlab Model 1's (whether A, M or U) is breathtaking, and perhaps a new standard in clarity. Electronics MUST be tube for them to show their best. Either system requires large room dedication.
The best speakers I have heard are the big Analysis Amphitreons. They are an easy to drive planar speaker with a long ribbon tweeter. I have a smaller pair of analysis speakers called the epsilon that do most of what the larger ones do, but not all. I have heard them driven with 100 watts and they were fantastic.