"High End" Speakers you have owned

[DasguteOhr]

Hello,

Triangle Titus,Monitor Audio Studio1 with MF David
Reference 3 A Royal Master >MF David and SE EL34
B&W Matrix3/2>Bryston3B
Quad ESL57> Radford STA 25
ML CLS > Referenza D100
Modif.Linn Keilidh > DIY PP El34 and Jeff Rowland 1
DIY Open Baffle > DIY PP EL 34

 

[jeff1225]

Thanks for that info. In any case, this is for a 14 year old model, not the current ones I have. The mid-woofer seems to be a proprietary driver:

http://www.reference3a.com/features.html

I've absolutely loved those speakers when I've heard them at shows.

 

[Al M.]

I've absolutely loved those speakers when I've heard them at shows.

And I am absolutely loving them at home

 

[prerich]

Maggie MMG, Linn, Vandersteen 1B, AMT Heil B, Maggie 1.7, PBN Montana SPX, Infinity Prelude, Quad 2805, Focal BE, PBN Montana EPS 2, Avantgarde Uno Nano and currently Quintessence Stealth.

Obviously I have issues.

You've owned the Preludes...which ones? If you owned the P-FR's how do you feel about them and what did you replace them with?

 

[prerich]

Ok, I'm not sure if any of these qualify as "high end" but here we go...

Bag End M6, Yamaha NS-1000, Polk Audio SDA-SRS 2.3 Signatures, Klipsch Cornwalls, Klipsch Heresy, Snell E-II, Swan Diva 6.2 I believe, VMPS - I've long since forgotten the model, DCM Time Window, Paradigm Titans and Atoms, Infinity Composition Oveture 1, Infinity Composition Prelude P-FR's, AR9LS, Infinity Kappa 6

(as a former military member I've also owned the various Bose speakers 201,301,501, and 901)

 

[thedudeabides]

DQ 10's with Sequerra Ribbon Tweeter (The Cyclops)
Acoustat 1 + 1's
Martin Logans: CLS 2 A's, Aerius, SL3, and Summits
MBL 116's (Current)

This is over some 35 years. Not a gear swapper.

 

[Believe High Fidelity]

ML CLS II Z
ML SL3's
ML Vantages
ML Prodigy
Totem Mani II
Totem Wind
Wilson WP 4, 5
Magico V3
Avantgarde Duo
Sound Lab Majestic
K Horn
DIY Lowther horn
DIY Fostex Horn
DIY Line Array OB
Aries Cerat Symphonia

Sure I am missing a few but these were the ones that came to mind

 

[MadFloyd]

Let's see...

Mirage M1
Von Schweikert VR4.5
Dynaudio C4
Ariel LR5
Genesis 6.1
Wilson Sophia 2
Magico V2
Wilson Sasha
Wilson Alexia
Magico S5
Magico M-Pro

 

[morricab]

Al,
You are incorrect regarding your 3A speakers. These very sharp Canadians leverage their suppliers' scale and modify other manufacturers' drivers in house. From the Stereophile review:

"The tweeter, for its part - a 1" fabric dome that the company says is made to their specifications - is saddled with only a single capacitor as a high-pass filter."

Just like David Wilson does with his tweeter. Smart!

The tweeters used to be either Vifa or Seas but now they use a Be driver that is custom. The midbass has always been proprietary built on an Audax chassis (maybe motor too) but cone from carbo fiber was made by Ref 3a. The designer worked for Audax before 3a.

 

[Rodney Gold]

Leak, Mission,kef, multiple meridian DSP's, ATC , Thiels, B&W , dynaudio, Osborne , Proac, Genelec, Rel, velodyne , SVS , maggies , castle, linns, Cantons, klipsch, many DIY designs ..all in no particular order .. some top of the range .. some midrange
now I have Giya G1's which blow everything I have ever had away , and the latest is my Giya G1 spirits which arrive friday..and Im hoping they will blow the G1's into the weeds

 

[PeterA]

It's a short list:

Advent book shelf
Dick Sequerra stand mount
Symdex Gamma
Eggleston Rosa
Magico Mini 2

 

[LL21]

Celestion SL6si
Sonus Faber Guarneri
Sonus Faber Stradivari
Wilson X1/Grand Slamm

 

[Al M.]

The tweeters used to be either Vifa or Seas but now they use a Be driver that is custom. The midbass has always been proprietary built on an Audax chassis (maybe motor too) but cone from carbo fiber was made by Ref 3a. The designer worked for Audax before 3a.

Interesting, thanks!

 

[Al M.]

Let's see...

Mirage M1
Von Schweikert VR4.5
Dynaudio C4
Ariel LR5
Genesis 6.1
Wilson Sophia 2
Magico V2
Wilson Sasha
Wilson Alexia
Magico S5
Magico M-Pro

Only? There are people here who went through 18 or 20 speakers! Ian, I guess you don't qualify as gear swapper after all

 

[Kingsrule]

Only? There are people here who went through 18 or 20 speakers! Ian, I guess you don't qualify as gear swapper after all

delete, reluctantly

 

[CGabriel]

While in the military:

Bose 901 (a stack of 3 per ch)
- driven by Phase Linear 400 and 700 and Bose 1801
- we were very much into volume

Avid 103
AR-3
Technics SB7000

====================

Early civilian life:

Magneplanar MGII (one of the speaker that I actually loved)

Martin Logan Sequel II (very nice for strings and flutes. Not great bass integration)

====================

Wilson WITT ( overblown bass, never got it to work in my 25x30ft room)
Wilson MAX ( better than above but same issues )
Wilson Sasha ( very nice speaker, very linear FResponse, not last word in transparency)

====================

Quad 57 (everyone has read about its midrange, but if you have never heard it - you need to)
- not even close to full range or even usable for rock music
- what it does well, it does better than just about anything that exists, even today (except for Wave 40 listed later)
- I still own them and will not sell them.
- great for listening to 1950's records

====================

KEF Blade (the only speaker that did not have bass issues in our reference room)
- this a jack of all trades speaker
- does everything well, the opposite of the Quad, both British
- funny looking
- still own it

KEF LS50 (great little speaker)
- still own it

====================

Magneplanar 1.7
Magneplanar 20.7
- Didn't really like the 1.7, thin sounding
- 20.7 is world class with a great SS amplifier
- still own them.

====================

Altec Valencia (in process of rebuilding it)

====================

Devore 0/96
- its not big, its not heavy, it doesn't dominate the room
- but if I retired from buying stuff, this is a speaker I could live with
- great bass for its size and works great with single-ended tubes
- but I prefer it with a great SS amp
- great for people into Rock but it does all genres well
- still own it

====================

Vivid G3 (our current reference room speaker)
- great speaker
- does everything well
- not in my home because it is funny looking

====================

Soundkaos Wave 40
- most people have never heard it or heard of it
- Srajan recommended it when I asked him for a great speaker for low power tube amps
- not unlike the Quad in that within its frequency and dynamic range is unbelievable
- not a Rock speaker
- superb on voice, quartets, strings etc.
- still own it

 

[Steve williams]

Soundkaos Wave 40
- most people have never heard it or heard of it
- Srajan recommended it when I asked him for a great speaker for low power tube amps
- not unlike the Quad in that within its frequency and dynamic range is unbelievable
- not a Rock speaker
- superb on voice, quartets, strings etc.

Caelin when I heard this speaker at your house with IIRC Ayon tube amps I was simply floored at how good the sound was. One of the highlights of my visit

 

[Al M.]

delete, reluctantly

You didn't have to delete your comments against me. I saw them in my email notification of your post. You don't realize that Ian and I are friends, right?

Perhaps next time I should refrain from making "insider" comments that will be misunderstood by people like you...

 

[DaveyF]

Leak, Mission,kef, multiple meridian DSP's, ATC , Thiels, B&W , dynaudio, Osborne , Proac, Genelec, Rel, velodyne , SVS , maggies , castle, linns, Cantons, klipsch, many DIY designs ..all in no particular order .. some top of the range .. some midrange
now I have Giya G1's which blow everything I have ever had away , and the latest is my Giya G1 spirits which arrive friday..and Im hoping they will blow the G1's into the weeds

Rodney, I think the G1 spirits may be better than the current G1's, but blow them into the weeds...that I seriously doubt; the G1's are just too good a speaker!

Although I too have been an a'phile for many years, I haven't gone through that many speakers.

1) Pye minis
2) KEF's, don't remember the model, very short lived.
3) Maggie mg1's improved
4) Acoustat 3m's with Medallion transformer
5) Hales system 2 Signatures
6) Sonus Faber Guarneri Homage....current

 

[Rodney Gold]

Davey..I get to compare the G1's vs spirits for a month before deciding to take them .. I have already put the g1s on castors.
My plan is to wheel one set away and the other into the same position..same amp etc
im expecting a little more sparkle and midrange presence and much better bass...