If you had to choose only ONE pair of speakers for rest of your life ...

[puroagave]

I know people speak of the ESL 57s in near reverential terms, but in reality it is a very limited speaker. No real bass, not much on the top end, and it's basically a midrange speaker that can't take much power at all before it arcs and blows holes in the panels. If you love chamber music played at low volumes, I guess they are OK. I like the original Quad II amps that were designed to go with the ESL 57s much better. Fitted with NOS Mullard KT-66 tubes and NOS Mullard rectifier and those little amps rock much harder than the ESL 57s ever could have hoped to.

Other than the above deficiencies, I think the ESL-57s are great!

heeere we go... another doubter they sound like sh!t on the stock feet, mine are raised 18" and angled forward slightly so they're horizontal, they've been rebuilt (Sheldon stokes). 57s have QUALITY bass, they just don't plumb the depths and the ultimate lack of sparkle on top is because: 1) your hearing acuity doesn't extend far enough or 2) you have them on stock feet and the treble is hitting your chest not your ears.

think big headphones when listening to 57's they're best suited for near field listening.

[rbbert]

microstrip posted independently performed measurements of the ESL 57 which showed pretty flat on-axis frequency response from about 45 Hz to 17-18 kHz; as good or better than many touted modern speakers.

[cratz2]

Based on speakers I've heard multiple times for more than an hour, I'd go with Aerial 10ts.

[joeinid]

Welcome to the forum cratz2!

Thank you for joining!

[zuluwarrior0760]

I've had lots of speakers, but my current pair might be with me the rest of my life......

Magnepan 3.7

Not that I might not buy some more to have fun with also......

[audionirvana]

I've had lots of speakers, but my current pair might be with me the rest of my life......

Magnepan 3.7

Not that I might not buy some more to have fun with also......

Dynaudio C2 Platinum in Mocca Finish, just ordered a pair should have them next week and I could see keeping these as my main staple speaker. I am also with you on Magnepans, love the 3.7 but since I just bought the Dynaudios the 1.7 I have I don't think I will get rid of either. I am sure I will dabble with many other monitors over the years but those 2 are not going anywhere.

[Giorgio]

I have a stacked QUAD 57 pair I built in 1978 and still use them to this day. Never wanted to change. I built them using the Mark Levinson HQD as a model (see article on Stereophile), but my tweeter is the T1 Sequerra instead of the Decca he used. In order to play a little louder than a standard QUAD 57, I made a modification in the speakers and it seems, after 36 plus years, none of them have a had a single failure. The mod consists basically on separating the mid frequencies (around 600Hz and above) to be played by the mid panels, and the low frequencies (below 600Hz) for the bass panels. And for the frequencies below 100Hz, a subwoofer does the job. Yes, it needs 4 amplifiers (all tube, except for the subwoofer) and a high level preamp with a frequency divisor (I use passive filters) to separate the frequencies. It is more complicated than the standard power amp + speaker, but the result is incredible. Nothing can play middle frequencies like the old QUAD 57 and high frequencies like a ribbon tweeter. From time to time, I wanted a higher output level (I like jazz and classical) and have experienced quite a few dynamic speakers, only to return to my old QUADs. I use a Futterman H3aa pair (I purchsed it directly from Mr Futterman - he was building these amplifers by hand at the time - mid 80´s) to play low frequencies in the bass panels and the result is jaw dropping. Yes, I also have a pair of QUAD 63, but they never matched the old stacked QUADs.

Cheers,

[RichardAusten]

A lot of pretty great speakers mentioned so far. Interesting to see the diversity of small and large panels, small and large dynamics, horns, and omni-directionals. MBL if you have the space to do them justice can be pretty spectacular. I heard a set of custom horns (big ones) in Hong Kong that was one of the finest speakers I've heard. Better than any production horn I've heard - but they are just so big. I think with these threads I would answer big room and small/medium room - HA - then you can give two answers. I would take the big horns in the big room simply because my preference is for SET amplifiers and I've not heard a SS amp or PP tube amp that I think I could live with. Great speakers will merely tell me more about why I don't care for those amps all that much. So a big ole horn Western Electric kind of deal would probably be it for me. Although I find them all to be generally hideous looking.

For the small/medium room I will go with Audio Note. I bought the AN J's ten years ago finding them to pretty much trounce everything in their size class. Then became a reviewer - heard pretty much everything since then and couldn't say that anything really changed my view. Although at least I heard a lot more significant sounding speakers I still came away saying - yes but it's 3-10 times more expensive. Moving to Hong Kong buying the KEF LS-50 but that wasn't going to be a long term solution - so I wound up with the near entry level AN E/Lexus. I tried to alter course re-listening to Quad 2905, Magnepan 1.7, 20.1, Dynaudio Countours, Focal Utopia, Legacy, Revel B&W, more KEFs, Zu Audio, ATC, Sonus Faber, Paradigm, Teresonic, DeVore, Trenner and Freidl, Gallo, Spendor, Magico, Tannoy, Vivid Audio, SandersSound, Harbeth, Reference 3a, McIntosh, PMC, Canton, TAD, YG Acoustics, Avantgarde, Soundlab, Martin Logan, MBL, Wilson Audio, Wilson Benesch, JBL, Coincident Technologies, Ensemble, KingSound, Acoustic Zen, Von Gaylord, and numerous others. It would be a stretch to say I couldn't live with many of these speakers because I think I could. Especially the Higher efficiency varieties but the AN E for me is like the favorite pair of slippers. What I like about them - their unique presentation - is difficult now to live without. The AN E/Spx Alnico Hemp is the model that I lust for but they will come in time as the entry model is always upgradeable at a later date. In a large room I'd move to big single driver and or horns but in a normal room for me the AN E (specifically the E/Spx Alnico Hemp) is still the king of the hill.

[audionirvana]

Richard, curious what kind of stands are you using?

[RichardAusten]

I use the AN E stands. I have had numrous recommendations to fill them and with what to fill them and some find it all sounds much better without being filled at all. I should think it would depend on the positioning. Filled works for me. But my room is concrete and I have them up against the back wall which is half covered in acoustic foam. With a wooden home with plaster walls and carpeting then this might change.

[Johnny B Good]

for me, and this would still have to be the best speaker i have heard,
Verity Audio lohengrin

[Hiker]

I still believe that the ATL approach used by PMC provides a superior sound compared to sealed and bass reflex systems, regardless of brand or price..

[linger63]

Yet to hear better than active ATC 3 ways

[MDP]

For me, it would be the Salon 2's.

They are a perfectly balanced speaker, amazing on and off axis. They just don't do anything wrong, and that's a high compliment.

[Alpinist]

For me, it would be the Salon 2's.

They are a perfectly balanced speaker, amazing on and off axis. They just don't do anything wrong, and that's a high compliment.

+1 Neutral and transparent. They play soft, loud, detailed, excellent imaging, ultra smooth treble and deep bass. No weak points, IMO.

Ken

[Odyssey]

for me, and this would still have to be the best speaker i have heard,
Verity Audio lohengrin

Johnny, heard these speakers at CES. They sounded outstanding from around the corner and in the same room being driven by Lamm. I was pleasantly surprised how good they were and came back the next day to hear them.

[Mike]

for me, and this would still have to be the best speaker i have heard,
Verity Audio lohengrin

This seems to be the overwhelming consensus.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mark Jones]

After I hear Ian's M Projects, I have no doubts it will be them.

[iosiP]

Raidho D4, if they ever appear!

[Dpod4]

After I hear Ian's M Projects, I have no doubts it will be them.

+1
Or Q5
Or taking WAF out, Maggie 20.7

[tonepub]

If I didn't have to use them to review gear, I'd go for a big pair of Sound Labs.

[Dpod4]

If I didn't have to use them to review gear, I'd go for a big pair of Sound Labs.

That's my man Jeff going big or going home!

[tonepub]

I just really love ESL's but not practical for everything. If I was going to write reviews forever, these Dynaudio Evidence Platinums would fill the bill, maybe some GamuT RS9s, or a big pair of Focals. SF Aida's were nice too.

[o0OBillO0o]

Big Focals..

Definitely.

[tonepub]

Honestly, I could live happily ever after with a mint pair of Acoustat 2+2s....

[MDP]

Honestly, I could live happily ever after with a mint pair of Acoustat 2+2s....

It's nice to see you again Jeff !

[Zero]

If somebody were to tell me that I'd have to live with a set of Rosso Fiorentino Florentia's from this point moving forward, I suppose I'd find a way to live with em'.

[Bachtoven]

After getting divorced and buying a much larger house (and winning the mega-lottery along the way), I'd go for the MBL Extremes.

[Odyssey]

After getting divorced and buying a much larger house (and winning the mega-lottery along the way), I'd go for the MBL Extremes.

The MBL Extreme would be a "died and gone to heaven" speaker!

[Julot]

I'm not gonna talk about my own speakers cause that's tiring, so I'll have to go with the Voxativ, definitely the best speakers I ever heard. Also the most expensive and not necessarily the most practical, but wow.

Available in Transparent:

Or litteraly as work of art:

[Stringreen]

To these ears, I could live with a number of speakers that do justice to music....MacIntosh or MBL certainly doesn't do it for ME. My favorites are the top Vandersteens, or Maggies..Thiels (haven't heard the new Thiels)..even though they sound so different, they bring music to me.

[Paul]

I'm not gonna talk about my own speakers cause that's tiring, so I'll have to go with the Voxativ, definitely the best speakers I ever heard. Also the most expensive and not necessarily the most practical, but wow.

Available in Transparent:

Or litteraly as work of art:

Interesting unit. What are the specs and dimension ? Oh...and Price ?

[Sense]

Magico V3..



Sense..

[Mike]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[socfan12]

[ozarktom]

Zellaton Statements

[Sense]

Do you know the price?

Sense..

[Julot]

Interesting unit. What are the specs and dimension ? Oh...and Price ?

Voxativ makes their own drive, in Berlin. They are made of wood, of all matters.

This speaker is actually a flat-ish horn, as you may have guessed from the transparent one. There's only one, fullrange, active drive, with very high sensitivity. When I asked last spring in Munich, the price of the black unit was a low low 192k€ . Stil, to me it was the best sound in the show, if not the best value (they used their own electronics and TOTALDAC digital sources).

This drive unit is active, i.e. the magnet is replaced by a coil, with a battery power supply, and an engine made of permadur...

Dimensions: 47 x 55 x 7.5", i.e. 120 x 140 X 19 cmn, 70kg/155lbs

A really good fullrange speaker is interesting because you can dispense with crossovers altogether. We at ICOS only make a 5 way active system because no fullrange speaker would properly reproduce both treble and bass, and we don't like crossovers and capacitors, but this one feels like a possible game changer. One of these days we'll try their OEM drives see if we can do something good and expensive.

Check out their website:
Loudspeakers - Voxativ Loudspeakers

[Paul]

At 100DB goes down to 25HZ with one driver ? Impressive.

Technical data:

Frequency response 25 - 20.000 Hz
Driver VOXATIV AC-Xp
Efficiency 100 dB / 1W / 1 m
Capacity 50 W sinus

Dimensions (W x H x D) 120 x 140 x 19 cm / 47 x 71 x 7,5"
Weight 70 kg / 155 lbs

[Stringreen]

As for me, when I buy a component, support is just as important as performance. I only buy brands that are already successes in the market.

[vertigen]

Wilson Audio Sophia 1

[ozarktom]

Honestly, I could live happily ever after with a mint pair of Acoustat 2+2s....

Make sure you try the Acoustat DD OTL tube amps with these before you die. Those make the Acoustats sing like no other amp can. Those transformers veils the sound tremendously.

[rbbert]

Make sure you try the Acoustat DD OTL tube amps with these before you die. Those make the Acoustats sing like no other amp can. Those transformers veils the sound tremendously.

What about RAM's new DD amps?

[Myles B. Astor]

Make sure you try the Acoustat DD OTL tube amps with these before you die. Those make the Acoustats sing like no other amp can. Those transformers veils the sound tremendously.

You mean when they work?

[Stringreen]

I had Acoustats many years ago.....one of them caught fire and nearly burned the house down. I understand that was a common complaint.

[ozarktom]

What about RAM's new DD amps?

That should work fantastic also.

[ozarktom]

You mean when they work?

I sold two used pair back in the early 80's. Last year one of those people had a breakdown on one of the amps and asked me for help. He found me on Facebook. He sent the amp to Roy Esposito and had it fixed. After 32 years of constantly using them, one breakdown. The other person still uses his everyday and never has had a problem.

There is a good reason you never see them used. Nobody wants to sell them. There is a guy in OKC that will modify the amps and make them very reliable and sound even better.

[Myles B. Astor]

I sold two used pair back in the early 80's. Last year one of those people had a breakdown on one of the amps and asked me for help. He found me on Facebook. He sent the amp to Roy Esposito and had it fixed. After 32 years of constantly using them, one breakdown. The other person still uses his everyday and never has had a problem.

There is a good reason you never see them used. Nobody wants to sell them. There is a guy in OKC that will modify the amps and make them very reliable and sound even better.

I think if you go back and read the reviews of the day, the DD amps were noxiously unreliable and broke down all the time. There's a reason Accoustat abandoned the DD amps. And their later ss amplifier sounded dreadful on their speakers

[ozarktom]

I think if you go back and read the reviews of the day, the DD amps were noxiously unreliable and broke down all the time. There's a reason Accoustat abandoned the DD amps. And their later ss amplifier sounded dreadful on their speakers

I am very aware of what went wrong with Acoustat, I was the fifth largest dealer in the USA back then. Sure, in the early years of the servo amps Acoustat had problems, but by 1982, Roy Esposito, Acouststs top engineer had figured out the problems and was modding the amps for $300 for the pair if you sent them to Acoustat. The mod made them very reliable.

Acoustats Jim Strickland flew up to my place one time for a visit. He walked in my shop and I had the pair of the used Acoustat Monitor III's I told you about earlier. It looked like he had seen a ghost when he saw those. He looked at me and told me point blank, get rid of them. Acoustat and Strickland knew they had sold out to the devil with those transformers. It was all about the big bucks and nothing else. Acoustat deserved to go out of business.

Roger Modjeski still uses the Acoustats, but uses his own personally designed amp. RM can design it for the Quads also, that will bypass their transformers and make them sound much more open and quicker.

[Mechnutt]

Of the speakers that I have heard- Wilson Alexia's or Magnepan 20.7's

For a speaker that I have not heard- Apogee Grands

The Grand