The best speaker you ever heard?

Tbg

Understood completely. Thanks for the clarification. And I will also clarify something just in case it needs clarifying ...

A gathering of data is just that, but with some bit of organization to allow for greater accessibility. In this case orders of magnitude greater accessibility. If one wishes to analyse such data they can then do so much more easily, but any gathering of data such as I proposed would be without analyses, hypotheses, assumptions or judgements related to a consensus. Just organized data.

Tbg, you're entitled to your opinion, and clearly you have one, but a properly set up pair of ML CLX speakers disappear, not physically (of course) but you get the idea. For me, newer Quads can do the same thing. Electrostats can't move the same amount of air as a dynamic pair but they CAN create a holographic image in a room. You will certainly not get consensus on this, especially from those who are used to Altecs, but the experience happens nonetheless.

Everything is relative. For example Quads that still have their grills on sound relatively compressed, bass shy and unresolved compared to the case when the grills have been removed. C'est la vie!

Funny as stats and panels just have never done if for me. Way too hot when I've heard them and I've heard most of the TOL speakers. They seem to float the soundstage and almost always sound bigger than the actual performance was (yes, I've been in recording studios or recorded live on metal tape and heard the differences). Some folks love that sound, but in real life when you heard music live the panels won't usually sound 'right' for ME...That's just ME and not anyone else, so please don't take it that way. Some speakers are so detailed that they don't sound like live music either as most live music blends and that's what makes it sounds so awesome. We are also tricked by crowd noise as in audio we are the ones sitting on stage, but when you are live you usually are in the audience and hear the crowd noise differently. Just saying...

I'm pretty sure it was just because they were probably using the wrong electronics with the panels as they should never sound hot. Now, electronics are something that can sound hot.