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Your loudspeaker history...?

Started in 1991
Wharfdale diamond 4
Some ugly missions which I can't remember the model
JPW AP3
Castle Chester MK2 (I had these for 23 years)
Audio Physic Tempos
Not a very impressive count compared to most! Especially mr Hoopsontoast impressive list
 
I lusted after a pair of Tangent RS4 in 1978 on looks alone. Never got the chance to hear them. Please tell what they were like, thanks.

The penny in the slot criticism is that they had a sucked out midrange due to the tweeter and bass unit being deliberately out of phase with one another.
 
Hi,

JBL TLX600
Mission 702 and 702e
Rogers db101
Epos ES14
Rogers ls6
Dynaudio Audience 40
Dynaudio Contour 1.1
Dynaudio Contour 1.3MK2
Harbeth Monitor 20
ATC SCM7 mk2
JBL 4425 Studio Monitor
Epos ES30
Russell K Red100
Russell K Red50
ProAc Ten Signature

Cheers!
 
Wharfedale Denton XP2
Solavox PR?? ( basically Wharfedale Glendale XP2 but with paper cone mid as opposed to the white 'perforated' mid on the Glendale - Solavox was a Comet own brand I believe)
RAM 200
Celestion SL6s
Celestion SL700SE
Celestion Ditton 551
Rogers LS3/5a
Heybrook HB150 - disappointing
Audiomaster MLS1
KEF Corelli - too much Bextrene quack
KEF LS50 - couldn't get on with these - didn't like the presentation
Monitor Audio MA5 series 2
Monitor Audio MA4 series 1
Spendor S3e - not a favourite
Goodmans Achromat Beta - surprisingly musical
Goodmans Achromat Kappa
Goodmans Achromat Sigma
Monitor Audio MA7 (very underated)
B & W DM12
B& W DM1400
B & W DM7 MK1
Wharfedale Denton 80th Anniversary (current)
Spendor S3/5r2 (current)
Spendor SP2/3r2 (current)
Monitor Audio MA1 series 2 ( arriving next week - a nostalgia trip for me and a bit of fun)
 
I'm assuming that you guys who can't pass a hifi shop without popping in to buy a pair of speakers don't buy other gear in such large quantities? Anybody been through 40 amps?

Acoustic Masterpiece
AM201H

Astin Trew
AT 1000 Pre

Arcam
A 38

Audiomat
Solfege Reference

Audionet
Pre 1

Berendsen
IPA 80

B.M.C.
CS2

Croft
Charisma X
Twinstar IV H.P.

Cyrus
Pre XVs + PSX-R
Pre VS2

Exposure
XXI RC
XVIII Super
Dual IV Regulated

Hifiakademie
PowerAmp (400 watt version) x2 times

Marantz
PM 11 S2
PM 15 S2
SR 5004

NAD
C162
C272

Naim
Superuniti x2 times
Nait XS x2 times with Flatcap x1 time and Flatcap X x1 time
Nait XS-2 x2 times
Naim Nait 5i

Pathos
Classic One
Logos

Pioneer
SC LX 83
SC LX 82

Rega
Brio-R x3 times

Primare
A30.1

T+A
PA 1500 R x3 times
PA 1530 R x2 times
P 1200 R
PA 2000 R

Trigon
Energy

Twinsound
CST 100 MKII

Unison Research
Simply Italy
S6 MKII x2 times

Usher
Reference 150 MKII

Yamaha
RX A 3010
AS 2100

:rolleyes:

BTW: Most of my stuff I bought used and not at a hifi shop.;)
 
Last edited:
Acoustic Masterpiece
AM201H

Astin Trew
AT 1000 Pre

Arcam
A 38

Audiomat
Solfege Reference

Audionet
Pre 1

Berendsen
IPA 80

B.M.C.
CS2

Croft
Charisma X
Twinstar IV H.P.

Cyrus
Pre XVs + PSX-R
Pre VS2

Exposure
XXI RC
XVIII Super
Dual IV Regulated

Hifiakademie
PowerAmp (400 watt version) x2 times

Marantz
PM 11 S2
PM 15 S2
SR 5004

NAD
C162
C272

Naim
Nait XS x2 times with Flatcap x1 time and Flatcap X x1 time
Nait XS-2 x2 times
Naim Nait 5i

Pathos
Classic One
Logos

Pioneer
SC LX 83
SC LX 82

Rega
Brio-R x3 times

Primare
A30.1

T+A
PA 1500 R x3 times
PA 1530 R x2 times
P 1200 R
PA 2000 R

Trigon
Energy

Twinsound
CST 100 MKII

Unison Research
Simply Italy
S6 MKII x2 times

Usher
Reference 150 MKII

Yamaha
RX A 3010
AS 2100

:rolleyes:

BTW: Most of my stuff I bought used and not at a hifi shop.;)
Consider my hat well and truly doffed!
 
I believe the Tangent RS4 won a 'speaker shootout' in one of the hifi mags late 70's early 80's - was the reviewer Chris Franklin? - it beat Spendor BC1 and KEF104ab and I believe it was a purely listening exercise with no technical measurement involved. I remember listening to the RS4 in 79/80 and they were not to my taste - although I could understand why some people liked them - to me, they were just not a good all rounder. I remember the out of phase tweeter wiring caused quite a lot of controversy at the time. Maybe I should revisit them - could be a bit of fun - although power handling and max SPL could be a problem for me. I did purchase a pair of Tangent TM1's a couple of years ago (substitute KEF B200 in place of Audax unit in RS4 and requisite revised crossover) but unfortunately the speakers arrived in pieces due to poor packaging and so I therefore lost the opportunity of a listen.
 
@Dave-L : Thank you, but I see no reason. I have fun to test different stuff, but there wasn't that many interesting stuff included IMHO.
If I look back there are only a few I would consider again (both, speakers and amps).

Maybe it is interesting for some people here to name the ones which I still like.

Speakers:
Dynaudio Confidence C1 (maybe, long time ago that I listened them)
Odeon Midas SE (if I'd have a smaller room) and No. 28 SE (current)
Harbeth Super HL5+ 40th. Anniversary Edition, Compact 7, Super HL5 (lineup = ranking)
Klipsch Cornwall III (as a second speaker)
Pro Ac Response D 38 (maybe, long time ago that I listened them)
Sonus Faber Guarneri Memento (still love them)

AMPs:
Acoustic Masterpiece AM201H (current, incredible sounding amplifier)
Audiomat Solfege Reference (terrific amp)
Berendsen IPA 80 (great budget solid state amp)
Croft Charisma X with Twinstar IV H.P. (if I have the money over I'd have kept them as backup, one of the greatest combos I have ever listened to)
Naim Nait XS and XS-2 with Flatcap X (still like them)
Rega Brio-R (with the right speakers on of the most fun amps I have owned, can listen to it for hours and hours)
Primare A30.1 (current, great allrounder amplifier sadly it doesn't match with the Odeon No 28 S.E., so I'm selling it right now)
 
Surprising how many people say they owned speakers they thought were crap...it sort of begs the question ;)
My list is a bit of a yawn fest compared to some of yours, but here goes:
Castle Chester 2 (I was 15 and I loved them)
Acoustic Energy Aegis Evo 1 (uni speakers)
Acoustic Energy Aesprit 300
Monitor Audio PL100
Monitor Audio PL200

I've had the 200s for a few years now and i love what they do. I would probably only change for one of the following which are all sadly beyond my means:
Focal Sopra 2
B&W 802d3 Prestige
Kef Blade (not the Blade 2)

Never say never though eh...

Amps....
Technics SA-GX190
Musical Fidelity P172/P170
Tag McLaren 60iRv
Musical Fidelity A3.2
Rotel RA-02
Musical Fidelity X-P100/X-A50
Cyrus DAC XP/PSX-R/Mono X pair
Musical Fidelity M6i
Cyrus DAC XP+/PSX-R/Mono X pair
Musical Fidelity M6Pre/PRX
Linn MDSM/M4100
Musical Fidelity A308 Pre/Power (JS mod)
Puresound A30
Cyrus Pre Dac/8-Power
Cyrus DAC XP Signature/PSX-R/Mono X pair
Chord CPM2650

Some ups and downs in there for sure, but there's something I like about all of them in their own way and for their respective cost (rarely retail price).
 
I for myself don't say my speakers/amps were crap, not want to buy or own them again isn't the same.

I call this evolution process. I don't bought speakers I didn't liked at that time. But taste changes and listening experience grows. If I know that there is stuff that is better sounding, why should I keep the other stuff any longer.

And I bought most of the stuff used. If you buy used, you can not listen to it at home, so I have to buy it more or less blind without listening in my room and in my system.

Also every component is a compromise and we have moved six times to different flats with different sized and shaped rooms.
 
Wharfedale Linton
B&W DM1 ( a major improvement)
KEF Cadenza (had these for many years...)
Celef Monitor (not sure why I sold these)
KEF Ref 103
KEF Ref 104aB
B&W DM4 (short lived, a disappointment after the DM1, perhaps faulty?)
Spendor BC1 (for many years...)
Dynaudio Contour 1.1 (for a change, but reverted to Spendor..)
Audiomaster LS3/5A

Currently own:
Spendor BC1
Spendor SP1
Celestion SL6s
Audiomaster LS3/5A
B&W DM1 (second pair, but with hardened surrounds so require restoration...)
 
I'm assuming that you guys who can't pass a hifi shop without popping in to buy a pair of speakers don't buy other gear in such large quantities? Anybody been through 40 amps?

Well, now that I think about it....
Mainly flirting bewtween Big Japanese integrated and valves depending on the speakers paired!

Some Trio 70s amp
Cambridge Audio 540R
Teac A-BX7R
Consonance Cyber 10SE KT88 SET
Sony TA-F770ES
Rega Brio3
T-Amp
Sony TA-F448E
Sony TA-F670ES
Arcam AVR200
Decware Zen SE84C
Denon PMA-2000AE
Teac A-H01
Icon Audio LA3 / ASL AV-25 Monos
Audion Sterling Plus KT88
Icon Audio LA3 / Quad Elite Stereo
Restek Challenger
Puresound A10
Sony TA-F770ES
Eagle SA-100 (project)
Doge 8 Pre / T-Amp
Doge 8 Pre / Decware Zen DIY
Audionote Zero Pre / Decware Zen DIY
Croft Micro Basic Pre / Decware Zen DIY
Sony TA-F770ES
Rega Brio-R
Bryston B60
Sony TA-F3000ES
Benchmark DAC1 HDR / Decware Zen DIY
Rega Mira
Rega Cursa3/Mira3
Denon PMA-2500NE
Decware Zen DIY
 
Wharfdale Dovedale 3 mk2
Wharfdale E70 (which I built from a kit.)
Arcam 1 standmounters. (E70s had to go due to spousal disapproval & small house)
Ruark Talismans. (Which I loved)
Wilson Benesch ACT 1s. (Very good, so bought ACTs in leap of faith)
Wilson Benesch ACTs. (Never could get on with these)
Sonus Faber Cremona (in grey wood finish)
Sonus Faber Cremona Ms. (By far my favourite speakers to date)
 
These are the speakers that have sat in my main system:
1972 - Wharfdale Denton - my first hifi. They was alright but the Celef's that replaced them a few years later were so much better.
1976 - Celef Domestic Monitor - a really good speaker that grew in competence with every improvement down stream.
2003 - Harbeth Compact 7 - big jump from the elderly Celef's but was a little toppy.
2006 - Harbeth M30 - like the Compact 7 but with a much better tweeter; a gorgeous speaker.
2013 - Shahinian Obelisk - an itch to try the 'omni' thing. Loved it but its top was a little harsh at times compared to the Harbeth.
2014 - Shahinian Obelisk 2 - solved the harshness issue; a great, majestic speaker as long as you have suitable amplification.

Other speakers that have been in play or in a second system:
Celstion Ditton 15 - very disappointing; I really wanted to like these speakers as they have a 'legendary' reputation. Heard another pair recently and the Arcam 20's (mentioned further down) trashed them.
Castle Severn 2 - lovely speaker and easy to position.
Arcam 20 - what a great speaker with lovely voicing - if you see a good pair, grab them. Mine went to a musician friend who loves them.
Shahinian Super Elf - a beautiful little speaker but didn't have enough bottom end for what I needed but, like the Arcam's, beautifully voiced.
Shahinian Compass - much of the charm of the Super Elf although not quite as sweet but has a surprisingly good bottom end and is very easy to place; a lovely speaker.
Radford M90 - they are very revealing 'monitors' and I am enjoying them enormously.
 
1975 to 1999 - Tangent TM1's, first with an Alba UA900, then a Nytech CA202.
1999 - 2019 - PMC FB1's, with a Bryston 4B-ST. Got them updated 2 years ago to FB1+ status at the factory.
 
1970s...B&W bookshelf...............Blew the tweeters with Messian's Turanagulia
1979....Rogers LS35a..................Seemed OK at the time
1987....Quad 57s.......................Lovely
1989....Quad 63........................Not quite so lovely but better in some respects;
...............................................damn unreliable though.
1991....Apogee Centaur Minor.......Very good, should have kept them
1992....REL Stygian....................Hummed along with the music
1996....Quad 63s again................Will I never learn; even more unreliable
................................................Honed up my soldering skills though!
2000....BKS 107.........................Great little speaker, still in use with TV
2004....PMC FB1........................Bit harsh, didn't last long with me
2004....REL Stampede.................Waste of time really, subs have to be big
2004....Martin Logan Aerius-i.........Enjoyed them a lot
2006....SVS PB12 sub...................Still in use, does the low end business
2007....Martin Logan Ascent-i.........Greater scale, needed a better amp than I could afford
2011....Meridian DSP5500..............Splendid sounding coffins, still have them somewhere
2013....Kef LS50.........................Ended up as clean clear desktop speakers
2015....Martin Logan Electromotion..Very good, still in use at end of bed
2016....MBL126...........................These have put all the above into perspective. Dismissed by some as effects boxes, but they make music believable in a way that I thought only electrostatics and ribbons could manage. They need to be a long way out into the room and need careful setup along with a sub. These are the baby of their range, heaven only knows what the 101e's sound like! Why analyse the recording when you can get so close to recreating the original sound in your room.
 


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