Your Quest for the perfect speakers for you

[Bemused]

For me the journey is over now I have a pair of James Ergo IIIrs.
Many thanks to James, Gareth and pfms DIY room.

 

[merlin]

I guess I've owned more speakers in my life than I care to remember. From Kef Codas through Spendor, Harbeth and Wharfdale, to Proac, Martin Logan, ATC and most recently Focal.

Dynaudios, Mission and Rogers also spring to mind but I finally heard some thing around fifteen years ago that simply provided the X factor that made me smile.

Those speakers were JBL 4344's - something I'd never considered over the years.

Basically here was a speaker that broke all the rules instilled in me by the British HiFi press, yet sung with the voice of angels and possessed the wrath of the devil himself.

I knew from that moment that this was the "house sound" that I wanted and despite excursions since (brought on as much by curiosity as anything), the sound of a big pair of horn loaded monitors is my end game.

Sure, a tiny pair of stand mounts have qualities. All speakers have strengths. But there are big speakers out there that simply bring full scale musicians to life at realistic levels. And I count myself very lucky to be able to listen to mine.

 

[hockman]

Those speakers were JBL 4344's - something I'd never considered over the years.

Basically here was a speaker that broke all the rules instilled in me by the British HiFi press, yet sung with the voice of angels and possessed the wrath of the devil himself.

I knew from that moment that this was the "house sound" that I wanted and despite excursions since (brought on as much by curiosity as anything), the sound of a big pair of horn loaded monitors is my end game.

Sure, a tiny pair of stand mounts have qualities. All speakers have strengths. But there are big speakers out there that simply bring full scale musicians to life at realistic levels. And I count myself very lucky to be able to listen to mine.

Yep, these are exactly the speakers I'd consider when my DBLs die and go to heaven (or hell, depending on your point of view ). Somehow the JBLs sound like 'live' music. And even when fully refurbished they don't cost the ridiculous sums that modern speakers go for these days.

BTW did you get these from Kenrick and what was your experience with the product and shipping?

 

[Disbeliever]

Those are of no interest.

I understand, the Sonus Faber are too expensive thats why I shall probably be trying out at Home the KEF R500 just reviewed in November HFN & RR who give them 85% SQ same as the Sonus, ?. Just auditioned the fabulous looking Sonus Faber Olympica 11 but IMO they are no where near as good as the Guanari .

 

[avole]

I'm not searching for the perfect speaker, only those I like that work in the listening environment, aka living room and kitchen/dining room.

 

[merlin]

Yep, these are exactly the speakers I'd consider when my DBLs die and go to heaven (or hell, depending on your point of view ). Somehow the JBLs sound like 'live' music. And even when fully refurbished they don't cost the ridiculous sums that modern speakers go for these days.

BTW did you get these from Kenrick and what was your experience with the product and shipping?

I got into them through a Chinese guy selling a pair in Milton Keynes. I then imported a pair of 4338's before embarking on some fun DIY projects. Then it was brief experiments with ATC and Focal (both of which were excellent in their own ways) but I soon realised it was the JBL sound that I personally was after.

Kenrick have a great reputation but are very very expensive - they are after all effectively new luxury monitors and the finish is sublime.

You'll sometimes see good original examples appear on Audio Markt, otherwise you'd be surprised at the value in having a week in Tokyo can bring, both culturally and of course in audio terms. France is a good place to find JBL too.

Big speakers like these just breathe IME.

 

[Jonboi]

Please share!

Also are you there yet?
To have you learnt to live with a compromise.

Yes:

Acceptable compromise, given the discreet size, in ultimate bass extension/volume sub 20hz, and the ultimate clarity and playback levels of its bigger 4 way active brother, the Lab 5.

John..

 

[Disbeliever]

Speakers it would seem are by a stretch the most important component for the simple reason that they have to transform an electronic signal into moving air. So the typical audiophile reaction might to spend lots of money relative to anything else. Wrong, it would seem. Have a pair of Harbeth SHL5+ and are just a total joy. Totally musical with a wide range of music. No new theories, just a fabulous mid/bass driver and crossovers in a thin wall cabinet. Mine are version 7 since 1977. Different speakers for different size rooms or uses, three using the same mid/bass driver, two a smaller version.

Knowing Dudley Harwood I had one of the first pairs HL1 back when he started also knew Spence Hughes and replaced KEF Concertos with Spendor BC1 which kept on tripping out my Cambridge Audio P60 amp.

 

[mattgbell]

Knowing Dudley Harwood I had one of the first pairs HL1 back when he started also knew Spence Hughes and replaced KEF Concertos with Spendor BC1 which kept on tripping out my Cambridge Audio P60 amp.

This is of no interest.

 

[banjoman]

I've had traditional front firing box speakers for a while - B&W DM4s, B&W 683, Rega RS7, Epos ES11s amd ES14s and then PRoac D28s. I found the Proac D28s to be the best all rounders, unfussy and very musical.
Of all the others, I loved the Regas - really fun and lively, and still have the JR149s in a second system since they are a bit special with mids/voices and soundstaging.

It's only recently that I leapt onto the Shahinian bandwagon with a pair of Compasses and was very pleasantly surprised at how good they sound in my room. Different presentation but effortlessly musical.
Added benefit being the coolest looking speakers I've had in my lounge.

Think I'll stick with them for a while.

 

[janerik]

My quest for the perfect loudspeakers for me started about a dozen years ago. I wanted the clarity of Quad ESLs, beguiling vocal capabilities of Sonus Fabers, rhythmic integrity of classic Naim/Linn and bass character of vintage Acoustic Research in a non-boxy form.

Regrettably, there is no such thing available in shops for sensible money. So, I took to designing and building my own. This tenth design is my nirvana.

I know I'm there because I haven't been able to get motivated to design and build something 'better' for the last four or five years.

Beautiful work James.

Is that waveguide on the tweeters your own design, or is it commercially available?

Thanks,

Jan

 

[James]

Is that waveguide on the tweeters your own design, or is it commercially available?

It was commercially available from MCM, but the link on Zaph's site suggests otherwise.

 

[TimF]

James, that is one fine looking loudspeaker, would love to take a listen to it, unfortunately, a bit of a distance away....

 

[Beobloke]

I found my 'perfect' loudspeakers six years ago. Unfortunately they have a few issues:

(1) The company only ever made one pair.
(2) I can't afford them
(3) They won't fit into my room
(4) When shown a picture of them, my wife just laughed.

 

[Mr_Sukebe]

I count myself lucky. Found what appears to be the perfect pair around 9 years ago, bought them 7 years ago and unless I win the lottery, have no desire to change.

I first bought a pair of Impulse Lali's back in 2004, then upgraded them to Ta'us (newer versions of the H2s) in 2007.
Just love em. Great to look at, WAF and child friendly as they like to be placed against a rear wall and are too heavy to be tipped over.

As yet, the only speakers I've heard that I "might" prefer have been either a monstrously huge Westlake system in Singapore and a pair of JBL Everest K2 9800s. The Westlakes need to have a dedicated room built, and the 9800s cost a fortune (roughly £25k new) are just a guess they'd be better, but they seemed to have a VERY similar style of presentation.

Either way, just love their portrayal of music, IMO do the best job I've come across of putting the musician in the room with me.
Other speakers I've listened to:
- Any dynamic speaker (and yes, I mean any, including active) just don't have that horn style of presentation that I love
- Big tannoys. Good, but the really big ones seem to suffer from cabinet colouration
- ESLs (57s, 63s, 2905s). Lovely speakers, ace mid-range, but no genuine depth of bass or volume capabilities
- ATC/PMC actives. To me, these are the best dynamic speakers I've heard, but they still don't have the presentation style of the horns. For all that, love the ATCs I've heard
- Avantgarde horns. The guy who sold me my Ta'us replaced them with AVs, so I very much made the effort to listen. They do some things brilliantly, but always sound disjointed to me, which I assume is due to the combination of dynamic drivers and horn mids/uppers
- Living Voice. Really like these, but all of them sound a little small-scale when compared to the Ta'us, which have genuine depth to their low end
- Meridian actives (DSP6000s and above). Thought the 6000s at Scalford were brilliant, so made the effort to listen to 5ks, 7ks and 8ks. Went home post and thought "so what", which is fine but the 7ks now cost £22k

Don't get me wrong, I know the Ta'us are not "quite" perfect. Their top end is forward and a little gritty, and the bottom end not as well defined as say ATCs. For all that, they're the best compromise for myself and by a LARGE margin.
In addition, I've spent the time since buying them trying to get the best from them, i.e. with:
- A clean and fairly laid-back source (Meridian processor)
- Active room correction from the processor
- Some treble roll off and bass enhancement to calm down the top end and give more bite to the bottom
- GIK bass traps behind them to reduce bass smear

As mentioned, the only speaker that I "might" consider replacing them with would be the big JBLs. In the real world, I don't think they'd even work in my room as they seemed to like free space around them.

 

[James]

James, that is one fine looking loudspeaker, would love to take a listen to it, unfortunately, a bit of a distance away....

Thanks. If you're ever in my neck of the Antipodean woods, you're quite welcome.

 

[Tarzan]

l believe l have found mine- Harbeths, love 'em.

 

[S-Man]

(1) The company only ever made one pair.
(2) I can't afford them
(3) They won't fit into my room
(4) When shown a picture of them, my wife just laughed.

Isn't this the spec for any 'ultimate' hifi product?:

Naim Statement
Magico Ultimate III (the first 2 were not quite ultimate enough, I guess)
Wilson Audio Alexandira XLFXL
etc etc

 

[Lordhenley]

My speaker journey started with a pair of Jamo Classic 6's which was on the front of an all Naim set up. I then went down with upgradeitus which is a nasty disease amongst HiFi enthusiast's, since these left the house around 5 years ago I have had the following;

Jamo Concert 8 - A really nice stand mount speaker which did nothing wrong and worked well with the Naim system at the time

I sold the Naim and had a Luxman Amp and then a Valve integrated amp, with that came more speaker changes!

Audio Physic Yara - Slim floor stander with a slim sound!
Totem Forest - Smallish floor stander with loads of bass, in fact too much bass for my room
Audio Note - AN-K/Spe, great speakers and still in use today, I doubt I will be changing these as they suit the room quite well and sit up the corners out of the way

Lee

 

[Rodney gold]

I have had numerous speakers in my audio lifetime
Mission , ATC , Meridian , Thiel , B&W, Leak , Osborn, tannoy , Linn, quad, kef, home builds etc etc
I found my perfect speakers and have bought a set
vivid audio Giya G1's