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Nominations for a PFM list of 25 top speakers of all time.

pocketkitchen said:
The trouble is, unless you've heard it, or better still, lived with it, how can you make a proper assessment of it?
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Well said. I've seen pictures of some very expensive speakers but I've never heard them, much less owned them so how can I judge if they are the best? All I would be doing is repeating someone else's opinion.

So I nominate Wharfedale delta 30s.
E105.png
 
Something I missed off - the B&W 801 has to be a contender. It's longevity from its Matrix incarnation through to the Nautilus updated versions is extremely impressive. Whilst not my favourite speaker, to achieve that level of consistent quality and never take a step backwards is very impressive.
 
Appogee, The Grand
JBL K2
JBL Everest,
Wilson Alexandria X-2
B&W 800D

Digital Meridian 8000's.

Active Bariks
Active DBL's

Tim.
 
Evil Emperor said:
I think a lot relate 'best ever' to 'best they have ever owned'. That's crazy; it means if I were voting for the best car ever, I'd end up with the 2002 Honda Civic.
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lmao!!

Exactly right.

I mean, if someone has only lived with (for example) some Kef Cresta 7's for 15 years, has never been to a hifi show, has never had higher fidelity equipment demonstrated to them ... then WTF are they doing posting on a ''best speaker of all time'' thread?!
 
Spendor BC1

Spendor SP1

Quad ESL57

Can I put an Anti-vote in for Linn Kan's and Isobariks!? Not even HIFI IMHO. I've heard better speakers with music centres :D
 
I think there are some speakers that achieve "classic" status. They do/did something memorable at their price. For example, no one has mentioned Videoton Minimaxs which IMO set a new benchmark for budget bookshelves in the 70s ... and they really played music.

Nic P
 
The essential points have been well aired.....a pretty stark lack of real knowledge of potential candidates. Most people have never heard some of the real greats....Apogees would be a simple example. Or JBL Everest, or Paragons. And so on.
The list here might be seen as snapshot of the insularity of audiophiles. Too many of the speakers listed may be very fine, in the way that a Honda Civic is fine; but world 'greats'.Hardly. To my ears, over 40 odd years of listening, the vast majority of speakers are pretty hopeless. Great ones are rare and thrilling.
 
I guess many of us are posting what we consider to be the best, most classic "real world" speakers that we have had the opportunity to own. Ones which have stood the test of time, rather than "best ever in the world but costs more than my car and I could never afford them"
 
I think that maybe drive units should be nominatable. There have been many Tannoy DC speakers mentioned. However I have heard some fabulous (but often flawed) speakers with Lowther and Jordan drive units, sometimes with them trying to do the full frequency range, but often with woofers and/or tweeters to handle the frequency extremes.

Nic P
 
My experience is quite limited. I've been lucky that way. :)

1. Tannoy System DMT15 MKII studio monitor
2. Quad 57
3. Reference 3a Royal Master Control

I lived with each of them:
Quads from 1980 - 1982; and finally, purchased another pair just three weeks ago. I'm in love again.
The Reference 3a Royal Master Control for 5 years.
The Tannoy System DMT15 MK II monitors have been my main speakers for closing in on 10 years now. They are just extraordinary ...

Honorable Mentions:
LS3/5a
JR149
Epos EL14
Spendor SP1/2
JBL L200

Best "live" PA: No contest. You had to hear it to believe it. I was twice lucky.
The Grateful Dead's Wall of Sound (1973-1974) Here are a couple of links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_of_Sound_(Grateful_Dead)
http://www.dozin.com/wallofsound/index.html
 
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