The best speaker you ever heard?

Tbg,
Boy do I understand your comment...you're precisely where I was BEFORE I heard them set up, for a change, in a manner which showed of their charms.
I'm thinking, taking a good friend to the 'great' restaurant, on an off night trying to explain what it was, or has been at other times.
Only hearing for one's self is believing...so I get it.

Once I heard them as they should be, wow--I was hypnotized.

Glad you're happy with your recent purchase, those are intoxicating speakers, by the way. (As if YOU didn't already know).

Best,
Larry

mbls have to be set up right in the right sized room and with the right amp and electronics running them to demonstrate their distinctive charms appropriately.

I've heard the exact same system set up this way at the dealers and not as well at a show. You would not have known the performance at the show was lacking unless you heard them set up just right. They can do a wide and deep holographic soundstage with very accurate placement of individual instruments within it like no other I have heard when done right. And all other aspects of the sound were spot on as well.

Im being sarcastic here. The best speaker you ever heard was years ago when you were younger and a fledling audiophile. You heard speaker X and were blown away. Reality check. First off, your hearing was better back then. 2nd, the speaker was driven by some well matched components.

Mapman,
As usual, you've hit it right on...
The MBL's because of the 360 degree dispersion is quite a bit trickier to set up--and the room becomes an increasingly greater part of the sound.
But, yes, when right that 3D, soundstage with instruments lurking in a place in space, takes on an almost 'visual' quality...'Help me ObiWanKinobi'....that kind of holography.
Larry

Lrsky, Are you talking about the MBL 101 E Mk II or the 101Extremes? It would be $60k for the 101Es, $24k preamp, $43k amp. I have no idea what the Extremes cost. I add the big MBL amps as I know these speakers are inefficient.