"The 12 Most Significant Loudspeakers of All Time."

mauidan · Aug 16, 2010

How many of these have you own?

naturephoto1 · Aug 16, 2010

My Dad and I did OK on this list. He had the AR3A and I had 2 pair of the Advent Loudspeaker (Double Advents) and the Dahlquist DQ-10. The Dahlquists have been in my possession since 1977 and are rebuilt. I will finally be taking them out of my system at the end of this week or the beginning of next when I take delivery of my new speakers.

Rich

audioguy · Aug 16, 2010

With that particular thread title, one would have to include the Bose 901. A piece of real crap speaker but has probably sold 100 times the combined total of the 12 you listed. One of the best marketed speakers EVER !!

MylesBAstor · Aug 16, 2010

audioguy said:
With that particular thread title, one would have to include the Bose 901. A piece of real crap speaker but has probably sold 100 times the combined total of the 12 you listed. One of the best marketed speakers EVER !!

We're not asking for BS champions

TAS was talking about speakers that advanced the field of speaker design. The Bose 901s were one of the WORST sounding speakers I've ever heard. And in quad, as they were often used in those days, they were beyond horrible. All they did is show that you can pull the wool over the publics ears figuratively and literally if you spend enough money on advertising.

One speaker that might also be on the list are the Bozaks. Quite a few audiophiles cut their teeth on those speakers.

I wouldn't have put the Magicos since I think they haven't stood the test of time and their report card is still out.

RUR · Aug 16, 2010

Well, I owned the Advents and....... the Advents. Stacked, just as Rich did. Blew the socks off a fair number of more expensive speakers back then.

naturephoto1 · Aug 16, 2010

What strikes me as being amazing is that Henry Kloss and his companies were responsible for 3 of the 12 speakers: the AR3A, the Large Advent speakers, and the KLH Model Nine.

Rich

Gregadd · Aug 16, 2010

The Ar3a was a great speaker. It set the the stage for decades of inefficient acoustic suspension speakers. It was great in spite of itself. We are still in search of the open baffle highly efficient speakers we should have. We have unnecessarily spent countless dollars on high powered amps and to deal with box colorations. All of which could have easily and inexpensively been dealt with if we had just abandoned that model.

Jay_S · Aug 16, 2010

I've only owned the original Advents. Though very good at their budget price, I don't feel they were a great leap in the art of speaker design.

DonH50 · Aug 17, 2010

Wow, I have heard all but the Magico and MBL, and owned quite a few of those through the years! I'm a little surprised the B&W 801 didn't make it, but my Maggies did (yeah!)

iampaddy · Aug 17, 2010

What about the Linn Isobarik or the Apogee Ribbon

FrantzM · Aug 17, 2010

HI

I am somewhat perplexed by the inclusion of the Magico Mini and Wilson Watt in that mix ... The Watts is the lineal descendant of the bookshelf/mini-monitors of which the Rogers LS 3/5 A is the best known representative.
The Magico mini is that too .. a mini monitor .. Good sounding, yes, ultimately a mini-monitor with the numerous limitations (and qualities) of its ilk ...
In what ways are they "significant"? These two ...
If for the fact that the Watts sold extremely well to be , arguably the most successful speaker in the History of High End .. maybe .. .else .. Again what is /was so innovative/significant about the Watt?

I would just remark that there is only one Horn speaker .. We should not forget the contribution of Altec Lansing to speaker design ... From their research in horn speakers came numerous horn speakers.So the Altec Lansing Voice of the Theater should be included in lieu and place of the Mini and I would have included the Martin Logan CLS instead of the Watts

Another speaker that I personally never liked but was nonetheless (and continue to be) successful is the BW 801 ... The English sound but with cojones ... Rather a significant speaker wouldn't you say?

wineslob · Aug 17, 2010

I'm surprised that the Apogee Full Range is left out...some of the others, I kinda scratch my head, Klipschorns? Hated them.

mauidan · Aug 17, 2010

Mahalo to all those that answered my question- "How many of these have you own?"

I've own two, the DQ10s and the T1-Ds.

JackD201 · Aug 17, 2010

exactly one

AR3a

I've always wanted to get a pair of 15ohm Rogers but I haven't found one in good condition yet. I can't get behind the Mini being in there. It simply has no history as of yet to be considered significant. At least the Watt has history and the MBL remains way outside the box design wise.

I'm with Don. The 801 deserves to be on a 10 most influential list.

FrantzM · Aug 17, 2010

The Magico Mini has been booted out ... by the People!

Gregadd · Aug 17, 2010

Allow me to ruffle some more feathers. I've never been impressed by B&W anything. The ML CLS should be there for no other reason than it brought the word transparency to high end. speakers. Wilson Watt/Puppy. I was never impressed. The SASHA blows the WATT/PUPPY away. That said, the WATT/PUPPY not only dominated the field but there are so many WATT/Puppy clones, its influence just can't be ignored. Watt puppy clones-Genesis, Joseph Audio,Von Schweikert... you name it

Phelonious Ponk · Aug 18, 2010

I owned the Advents (didn't everybody?). Otherwise, I've danced with the sisters of greatness -- 4as, Model 6s, LaScalas, and a few "BBC" monitors, but not the original Rogers.

I am somewhat perplexed by the inclusion of the Magico Mini and Wilson Watt in that mix ... The Watts is the lineal descendant of the bookshelf/mini-monitors of which the Rogers LS 3/5 A is the best known representative.

One could make the same shared lineage argument regarding the Advents, ARs and KLHs. Still, I think it's a good list, if one that almost any of us would edit.

P

RBFC · Aug 18, 2010

In a similar vein to the Bose could be the Radio Shack Optimus 5 loudspeaker. Although the Bose and the Radio Shack products weren't that great, they did introduce many folks to the concept that better sound was achievable by choosing the right components.

Lee

JackD201 · Aug 18, 2010

Gregadd said:
Allow me to ruffle some more feathers. I've never been impressed by B&W anything. The ML CLS should be there for no other reason than it brought the word transparency to high end. speakers. Wilson Watt/Puppy. I was never impressed. The SASHA blows the WATT/PUPPY away. That said, the WATT/PUPPY not only dominated the field but there are so many WATT/Puppy clones, its influence just can't be ignored. Watt puppy clones-Genesis, Joseph Audio,Von Schweikert... you name it

Well this is not a what's best list but rather a most significant list. So it isn't about being impressed, quality wise. To me that means the speakers have to be steeped in historical significance. The 801 has got the CLS trumped in that department especially when it comes to it's significance to recorded classical music. IMO the Quad ESL was a game changer. The CLS? I think not. The WATT at the very least influenced the hi-end market and at best put back focus on the need for better monitoring gear on the live recording front.

Oh and by the way, if the speakers you call clones were in fact clones, you might want to take note that the KEF 105s and B&W 801s as monitors over passives, were established speakers before the Watt/Puppy ever saw the light of day. If they were clones these were what they would be clones of not the Watt/Puppy.

We all know they aren't clones though don't we. To be fair calling any of these speakers clones would be the equivalent of calling the CLS a Soundlab or Acoustat clone. They are all at least as different if not more so.

FrantzM · Aug 18, 2010

Hi

Reluctantly, I have to admit that the Watt/Puppy belongs... Never has been my a favorite of mine but hey! Nor was the 801 and I think it belongs as well .. The speaker that doesn't not is the Mini ...that for sure the others? One can debate ... Make it a Baker's Dozen

... Take out the Magico Mini. Add the CLS and the BW 801 ... Find a way to include the Altec Lansing' Voice of the Theater

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