Your loudspeaker history...?

[Hooch500]

Back to the early 70's at the age of 14:
Goodmans Coaxial speakers.
Leak 2075.
Tannoy Mercury
Epos ES14
Apogee Scintilla
Neat Mystique ( crap )
Rega ELA
Pro Ac Studio 150
Tannoy Berkeley 2
Tannoy Westminster
Yamaha NS1000
Lampizator P17
Tannoy York corner MG15
Pro ac Response 2, SVS Sub.

 

[Bairnstorm]

Mid 70's - Wharfdale Dentons I think midrange blew but still carried on using.
Koss Kossfire from Germany
Mission 752 - excellent until the bug bit and Sevenoaks had a sale.
Monitor Audio Studio 20's - Sounded worse until run in then kept for years.
KEF Reference 3.2's - replaced the MA's and wasn't sure initially as they are big speakers. They are now set up well in more free space and can't imagine replacing. But we've all heard that before!
KEF LS50's bought for TV duties and second system. Love them but not a patch on the 3.2's. Then again not in the same price range.

 

[caine]

Technics (2 way standmount) cheap.
TDL RTL 3
Quad EL57 (still own)
Mission 773
Monitor Audio S9i
Dynaudio Confidence C2
Genelec 8010A
Dynaudio BM6a MK.III
Vivid Audio B1 (Main)
KEF LS50 Meta (2nd System)

Current AV speakers: 9 channel MA Radius HD + REL S5 subwoofer.

 

[mjroe]

Hi-Fi

1998/99 Castle Isis - my first ever speakers, bought just as I started University. Purchased from my local Hi-Fi shop in the town I grew up, special ordered in Yew, remember waiting for them to come in - the shop, Watts Radio is sadly long gone.

2006 Mission 782 - bought 2nd hand, remember hearing them at the Bristol show in 2002 and thinking they were the best thing there. Mid drivers were bust on arrival but thankfully Mission sold me a replacement pair.

2016 Q Acoustics Concept 20 - bought an ex demo pair for the living room when my first daughter was born, wall mounted. Now constantly play requests that my daughters make to Alexa!

2022 KEF Reference Model 2 - most recent purchase, getting used to the sound, probably too big for the room but still much fun!

Studio

2004 Genelec 8040 - bought these when they first came out, they been sat on my desk(s) ever since.

PA

2002 RCF 200A active speakers - still use these today, apart from one solder joint that needed re-soldering they are still going strong 20 years later.

2003 3-way active ESP Audio system. 1" + 12" B&C driver top boxes (1 per side), 1 x 18" B&C driver horn loaded bass bin (2 per side). dbx Driverack 2x6 crossover, Chevin Research A1000 1kW HF amp, Chevin Research A2000 2kW MF amp, Chevin Research A4000 4kW LF amp.

 

[Tim Danaher]

Boring, but:

some shitty kit speakers sold by the local hi-fi shysters to my idiot 17 year-old self (they used SEAS drivers)

ITT 8070s (compact bookshelf, much lauded by the Haymarket press as the replacement for the Videoton MiniMax, but quite difficult to get hold of)…

Linn Kans

Linn SARAS

Linn Isobariks (a very early pre-veneer pair of PMSs that had been retrofitted with the last-version, panelled stands and those huge crossovers).

Linn Isobariks (best version, with dual crossovers in the base of the speaker, and that I’ve had converted to ‘split’ operation). These are the speakers that will see me out…

 

[John]

Realistic Minimus 5
Transaudio 8inch 2way
Quadraflex 10inch 2way
Large Advent
RTR 12 inch 3way
Infinity Column 2
Klipsh Heresy
DCM Time Windows
Rogers Studio Ones
Linn Kans
Quad ESL-57
Linn Tukans
NHT Super Ones
Paradigm Atoms
ATC-SCM7
Tannoy System 1000
Tannoy DMT-15

 

[Beobloke]

I've owned hundreds of pairs of speakers over the years but the ones that have seen extended use in my main system are:

The speakers that came with Amstrad record player
The speakers that came with Amstrad tower system
The speakers that came with a Bush Audiosystem 1500 music centre (which were surprisingly good!)
Eagle International AA-20
Rigonda Bolshoi
JPW P1
Gale 5i
Leak 2075
Monitor Audio Silver 5i
GLL Imagio IC258TL
Ferrograph S1
Mowgan Audio Ogma
B&O Beolab 90

 

[Paul_Riordan]

Mission 70 ii
Mission 737R
TDL Studio 1
Martin Logan SL3 (+ Fresco Rear and ML Centre)
ATC 50ASLT (+ 50ASLT centre, C4 sub and 20-2A rears)


Second Systems:

Various B&W and KEF custom install speakers
B&W CDM2 and Minipods

 

[chris geary]

Dang you all have been through some speakers!

my history from the mid 1970 (High School)

some hand me down full range wedge shaped things that hung on the wall.
Jensen something.. 2 way with an 8 inch woofer
Snell E2s
Boston A40s - tweaked with solid core wire inside and resealed with silicon
Linn Tukans
Linn Isobariks (passive, then active) The crossover inside the stand is heavily modified, was like that when i got it. not using it now.

 

[Joco]

A great memory test, thanks..

Index2 - Not a bad speaker with the Ku-stone stands.

MonitorAudio R852 - most enjoyable until they got trashed one evening.

Mission 760i. - good

Diapason Nux - good but needed more room

Linn Katan - meh, I know it’s a fav for some people but despite trying hard they just weren’t for me

Diapason Adamantes 3 - A real keeper, does everything right and has a lovely smooth, natural sound while staying oh so musical.

 

[gerlando]

And the winner is............

1) Audiostatic ES 300
2) Quad ESL 57
3) Quad ESL 63
4) Magneplanar MG 1.7
5) Royd Minstrel......

 

[Helen Bach]

from very late 60's
BBC 3/5A home made
IMF TLS home made
3/5A with KEF 104aB crossovers (the only way I could get the 3/5 to sound half decent!)
Wilmslow kit turned into TLS
Epos 5 (sold to BiL)
Usher V604 floor standers (in main system, used for TV duty as well as vinyl-based system)
JPW Sonatas, one pair in kitchen, another two pairs for experiments
JPW Gold monitors, two pairs in partner's pottery studio
Hacker three way with Goodmans drivers in workshop
Epos M5 drivers + Fountek ribbon tweeters + Epos 10 inch bass drivers for 'final' speaker project.

 

[wd40addict]

I'm a bit of an amateur compared to you lot!

1) No name Tottenham Court Road specials.
2) Speakers that formed the lid of my Beocord 2000 R2R.
3) Wharfedale Dentons - the Comet exclusive 2 ways from early 80s.
4) Home made 2 ways - nice Audax tweeter, but bass unit bit rough in the midrange.
5) Castle Warwicks - not so great with rock, but worked well in my room for classical.
6) Focal Chorus 726 - after a house move the Castles really didn't work in the new larger room. Good for both rock and classical

 

[MUTTY1]

Minimax
Some forgettable Missions
Impulse H6 / ESL 57
Naim IBL’s
Totem Arro
Shahahian Arcs

 

[Hoopsontoast]

Ready?
In bold I still own, with family or friends.

• Technics SCHD70 speakers
• Tannoy Mercury MX1
• Tannoy DC1000
• Tannoy Sensys DC1
• CSS FR125S (DIY)
• Rega R3
• KEF XQ1
• Tannoy HPD315's in OB (DIY)
• Tannoy Cheviots
• Omnes Audio L8 (DIY)
• Silver Iris 10" Coaxials in OB (DIY)
• Rega Jura
• Bandor 50mm (DIY)
• Veravox 5S BiB (DIY)
• Veravox 5S Bipoles
• Rega R7
• Tannoy Mercury S
• ATC SCM-7
• Fostex FF225K Jericho Horns
• Kord Tornado
• Veravox 3 (Omnes Audio BB3.AL) (DIY)
• Keesonic Kolt
• Rega R1
• ATC SCM10
• Fountek FE87
• IAS Prototypes
• Keesonic Kolt
  
• Wharfedale Diamond Active Plus
• Acoustic Energy AE2
• Kord Vulcan
• Magnepan MMG
• KEF Reference 104/2
• Eclipse TD-508
• Veravox 5S (DIY)
  
• Fostex FF225K
• Klipsch Heresy II
• DIY Actives
• Rega Alya
• Goodmans Axiom 201
• ATC SCM10
• Tannoy Chester (Project)
• Tannoy Stirling HE
• Rega R9
• Frugelhorn Lite (DIY)
• KEF Reference 201/2
• Neat Petite III (for a week or two)
  
• Supravox 165-2000 (DIY)

Add to that over the last 3-years:

• Spendor S3/5R
• ATC SCM10 (Again)
• Tannoy Stirling TWW
• KEF Reference Three-Two (3.2)

 

[Gervais Cote]

Ready?
In bold I still own, with family or friends.

• Technics SCHD70 speakers
• Tannoy Mercury MX1
• Tannoy DC1000
• Tannoy Sensys DC1
• CSS FR125S (DIY)
• Rega R3
• KEF XQ1
• Tannoy HPD315's in OB (DIY)
• Tannoy Cheviots
• Omnes Audio L8 (DIY)
• Silver Iris 10" Coaxials in OB (DIY)
• Rega Jura
• Bandor 50mm (DIY)
• Veravox 5S BiB (DIY)
• Veravox 5S Bipoles
• Rega R7
• Tannoy Mercury S
• ATC SCM-7
• Fostex FF225K Jericho Horns
• Kord Tornado
• Veravox 3 (Omnes Audio BB3.AL) (DIY)
• Keesonic Kolt
• Rega R1
• ATC SCM10
• Fountek FE87
• IAS Prototypes
• Keesonic Kolt
  
• Wharfedale Diamond Active Plus
• Acoustic Energy AE2
• Kord Vulcan
• Magnepan MMG
• KEF Reference 104/2
• Eclipse TD-508
• Veravox 5S (DIY)
  
• Fostex FF225K
• Klipsch Heresy II
• DIY Actives
• Rega Alya
• Goodmans Axiom 201
• ATC SCM10
• Tannoy Chester (Project)
• Tannoy Stirling HE
• Rega R9
• Frugelhorn Lite (DIY)
• KEF Reference 201/2
• Neat Petite III (for a week or two)
  
• Supravox 165-2000 (DIY)

Add to that over the last 3-years:

• Spendor S3/5R
• ATC SCM10 (Again)
• Tannoy Stirling TWW
• KEF Reference Three-Two (3.2)

Okay so would you mind giving your phone number and call you for the purchase of my new speakers, seems you covered everything !

 

[kneecap]

From 1984
Some were my main speakers, others in second systems or very brief flirtations..
Kef Coda 3
Wharfedale 508
Mission 760
Ruark Icon (13 years!)
Mission 752 f
Monitor Audio Monitor 9
Neat Motive 3
Neat Petite sx
Rega rs3
Monitor Audio Silver 200
Q Acoustics 3020
Wharfedale Denton 80th anniversary
Next? tba very soon...

 

[Hoopsontoast]

Okay so would you mind giving your phone number and call you for the purchase of my new speakers, seems you covered everything !

To be fair, there are quite a few recurring themes over the years. I put it down to moving house a lot (from University digs to lots of various rented houses).

 

[DAPPER]

Some of those lists are so so long, a U2 lyric springs to my mind....I still haven't found what I'm looking for...

I haven't been too adventurous with speakers as, despite listening to a good few at the various HIFI shows over the years, most of my choices seemed 'to my ears at least' to be pretty ok, and the regularity with which the ES14 and SBL occur on so many of these lists certainly seem to back that view up.

Late 70's - a pair of cheap but large (and thats important as a teenager right?) Sony boxes, had SEAS drivers and didn't seem to bad for all I could afford at the time with my weekend job and paper rounds budget. I remember drilling the backs to fit them with continuous twin and earth cables from the crossovers to the amp, sans cable terminals....lol
mid to late 80's - 'borrowed' Fathers Wharfedale Diamonds for a while (I was more into m'bikes at that time truth be told).
90's - EPOS ES14 on the Epos dedicated stands - lovely and still very missed!
noughties through to about 2015 - Naim SBL's (plus a short trial on Mana stands...didn't work for me).
Currently (and keepers unless their drivers decide to expire) - Naim NBL's

Speakers I heard over the years that left an impression were a pair of small Sonus Fabers I heard at the Bristol show some years back, can't recall the model (it was Russ Andrews running a demo at the time), also a mates Rogers LS7's (not the later LS7t metal driver version) always sounded rather lovely in his room, unbelievably hanging on the end of the diminutive Mk1 Naim Nait!

 

[bazza.]

Starts of back in around 92 ish

Tannoy E11
Wharfedale 515
TDL RTL 2
Mordaunt Short MS912
Kef Q 500
ATC SCM19
ATC SCM40
Buchardt A500
ATC SMC7 + BK Sub