Thinking back…

Mike

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Thinking back, what have been some of your most memorable speakers (excluding current production):

For me:

1. Quad 57/63
2. Revel Salon 2/Studio 2
3. Magnepan Tympani
4. Avantgarde Trio XD
5. Vandersteen 7 Original
 
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Interesting

Not necessarily owned all of these but not sure if that is required:

JBL Paragon
Dahlquist DQ10
Jadis Eurythmie
Apogee Diva and Stage
Totem Model One
Quad
 
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Owned and memorable;
Nearfield Acoustics Pipedream Model 15
Apogee Duetta II
Thiel CS5i
Heil AMT1
 
Some owned by family members:

- JBL Paragon (owned by my father for over 20 years)
- Infinity IRS
- Apogees
- Quad
- Dalquist
- Revel Salon 2 (I owned)
- Magnepans 2.5R, 2.6 (I owned and my father)
 
My old man's system from the 60s formed my listening preferences.

DIY Klipschorns run by McIntosh Pre and MC60 mono blocks. He had one of those yellow foam Sennheiser headphones to listen out of the Pre.

He made these speakers in the early 60s while stationed at McDill AFB, doing his military service after deferring through medical school and residency. I distinctly remember accompanying him one day. After saluting the guard at the guard house, we continued in his small MG, with a german shepherd running along side, with its head right at my window.
 
All owned by me back in the day
Double Large Advents
Martin Logan CLS
Thiel CS3.5
Aerial 10t
Emerald Physics CS2
Merlin VSM-MXe
TAD Evolution One
 
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Thiel CS3
Magnepan MMG (nice little near-fieldish system paired with HK electronics back in the day)
Cerwin Vega D9 (not audiophile, but man these things could rock!)
 
Thinking back, I haven't owned many speakers.

When I worked at a stereo store we sold Infinity and Kenwood speakers, can't remember what else. I worked in the distributor end which had Pro audio as well. I remember loving an Electro-Voice Pro 2-way with a horn and 15" driver. I thought those sounded so much better than anything we sold. Probably why I have the JBL 4367 now. The only time my wife expressed displeasure with my hobby, she wasn't having the EV's in the living room, LOL Something about that carpeted road cabinet look. So I opted for Kappa 7's. Didn't make much at that job but I really miss employee purchase.

I did really like my Revel F52's. Also, the only time I had all my HT speakers actually match. I had the matching center to the F52 and Revel surrounds, I think S30's.

I had a set of Klipsch Forte that was not the last word in detail but were fun.
 
Large Advents then Stacked Large Advents started my serious journey.
Dahlquist DQ10s. Surprising how many audiophiles, musicians, and industry people owned them in their day.
Apogee Stage then Mini Grands
Quad ESL 2805
 
Here's my list (speakers I've owned are noted)
Original Large Advents (designed by Henry Kloss), my first pair of speakers after graduating from UC Davis
Dahlquist DQ10s
Quad ESL-63
Dynaudio Confidence C1
TAD CR-1 (designed by Andrew Jones)
Harbeth 30.2 40th Anniversary (my speakers from 2018 until recently; higher engineering spec than 30.2 XD)
Platimon Acoustics Virtual Coaxial
GR-Research X-LS Encore (built these up as a kit)
Buchardt S400II (my current speakers, love 'em!)

Something really important I learned from speaker designer Danny Ritchie in building up my GR-Research X-LS Encores as a kit was the importance of using quality parts and materials for the crossover components and internal wiring. I'll never buy speakers that utilize cheap-*ss sandcast resistors, crap capacitors, and iron-core inductors or internal wiring with PVC insulation again. The other factor I learned from Danny was the importance of using proper damping materials in the speaker cabinet.

Here's a pic of the crossover I built for my X-LS Encores as I was building them up as a kit. All large-gauge high-purity copper air-core inductors, quality Mills resistors, and very high-quality caps including Sonicaps and Miflex caps. (y)
Crossover.jpg


My Buchardt S400IIs also use crossover parts with the same level of engineering specification and quality as my Encores, which was a key reason I bought them. In fact, Danny Ritchie did some consulting work for Mads Buchardt when he was designing the S400II's crossover. As an example, you can also also see a Miflex cap on the crossover board. All the other crossover part are high-quality resistors, Sonicaps and Jensen Clarity Caps, and Mads also used high-quality silver wiring internally and Argento binding posts, same as Constellation uses. Yeah, baby! (y)
Buchardts%20S400II%20XO%20pic.png


No cheap-*ss parts here. ;)
 
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Large Advents then Stacked Large Advents started my serious journey.
Dahlquist DQ10s. Surprising how many audiophiles, musicians, and industry people owned them in their day.
Apogee Stage then Mini Grands
Quad ESL 2805
Ha! Dizzie, you and I started our audio journey with Large Advents! How cool is that?

I remember in issue 1 of TAS, founder Harry Pearson first described and reviewed Stacked Large Advents.
 
Magnepan MMG, 3.6R and LRS
ACI Sapphire
ACI Titan Subwoofer
Bose 501
Axiom Audio M2 and M3
Jensen, then Clarion, then Pioneer, then Kenwood then Alpine Car Speakers

Different speakers are memorable for very different reasons. It's interesting how clearly I can remember what music I was listening to, and on what audio equipment, at almost any given time during my journey. Other details from through the decades, maybe a bit more foggy....

What an enjoyable trip down memory lane. Cool thread, Mike!
 
Interesting how many here had DQ-10's in their journey, myself included ! After I severed the umbilical cord to my parents Stromberg-Carlson console stereo I was lucky to score a pair of AR-3a's, they lasted me through College and into the early mid 70's when I bought my first new speakers, Dahlquist DQ-10's. Followed by my di-pole years, Maggies, MGIII, Martin Logan Vantage, then Montis. Currently back to traditional 'cones' , Revel Studio 2's
 
Large Advents then Stacked Large Advents started my serious journey.
Dahlquist DQ10s. Surprising how many audiophiles, musicians, and industry people owned them in their day.
Apogee Stage then Mini Grands
Quad ESL 2805
Oh yeah, forgot about the stacked Large Advents. Quite a sound back in the day. (I still have both pair of these but haven't played them in years.)
 
My DQ10s were stolen along with the custom walnut stands I built. . That forced me to move on to Apogee.
 
DIY folded corner horns, AKA Klipschorns. From plans by SpeakerLab. Same bass driver and tweeter with a fiberglass midrange horn. I loved them until I didn't. Used all MAC equipment with them.
My wife hated these huge black beasts.

Stacked Advents

Bose 901 for 2 months until I said. "Why in the world did you think this was a good idea"?

Accoustat...don't remember the model #

Spica TC50 (still have them packed away in a closet)

Apogee Diva

CLSIIZ

CLX
 
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