Best Speakers Money Can Buy?

[steve59]

if you (me) don't have FU money and even if you do, the law of diminishing returns is different for each of us. Someone that can still hear to 16 khz might justify an extra $10k for diamond tweeters while someone who's hearing's gone by 4k likely wouldn't hear the difference and only spend for the upgrade to have 'the best'. I've currently got a pair of $15k and $30k speakers in my listening room that do things well enough and differently enough that someone not aware of hi end audio might not be able to tell which cost more, Most dealers can set up a $500 pair to challenge a $10,000 pair by optimizing positioning of 1 while not taking care in the placement of the other, why dealers skilled earn their money, right. anyhow fun convo with no single make or model answer.

 

[andromedaaudio]

Diamond tweeters and certainly midranges aren t the " best " al this 100 khz ... is all BS
They re the " best " in Price

If i see a speaker with a diamond midrange these days , i dont even bother anymore to listen , i go straight to the next room

 

[MattK]

Best sounding system I've ever heard were Estelon Extreme and Vitus electronics fed by tape. Were they the best speakers? I don't know. Was that the best system I've heard absolutely.

 

[Zuman]

Best sounding system I've ever heard were Estelon Extreme and Vitus electronics fed by tape. Were they the best speakers? I don't know. Was that the best system I've heard absolutely.

AXPONA this year? Me, too. I was mightily impressed. It was the one room I kept returning to, and the system and music selection captivated me more than the M9/Wadax/D'Agostino chain did.

 

[MattK]

AXPONA this year? Me, too. I was mightily impressed. It was the one room I kept returning to, and the system and music selection captivated me more than the M9/Wadax/D'Agostino chain did.

Yup. Exactly that one.

 

[Arewethereyet]

Yup. Exactly that one.

That room thru a monkey wrench in my 2025 audio plans. I planned to upgrade from an MSB Reference DAC to the cascade but had to pick up a tape deck as well as 10+ tapes to enjoy on the new tape deck.

After selling a kidney and my beloved car (which my wife hated, the car that is), I did finally upgrade to the MSB Cascade, both could have been spared had I not visited THAT AXPONA room.

Btw, the tape deck and the Cascade are both Devine.

 

[GSOphile]

Glad to see that you got your priorities straight!

 

[Zuman]

That room thru a monkey wrench in my 2025 audio plans. I planned to upgrade from an MSB Reference DAC to the cascade but had to pick up a tape deck as well as 10+ tapes to enjoy on the new tape deck.

After selling a kidney and my beloved car (which my wife hated, the car that is), I did finally upgrade to the MSB Cascade, both could have been spared had I not visited THAT AXPONA room.

Btw, the tape deck and the Cascade are both Devine.

There was one particular recording played in that room of - if memory serves me - a solo male singing "House of the Rising Sun" with sparse, solo acoustic guitar accompaniment. It was the single most realistic reproduction I have ever heard. I failed to ask at the time who the artist was and I haven't since been able to find it on YouTube or Tidal.

 

[Arewethereyet]

There was one particular recording played in that room of - if memory serves me - a solo male singing "House of the Rising Sun" with sparse, solo acoustic guitar accompaniment. It was the single most realistic reproduction I have ever heard. I failed to ask at the time who the artist was and I haven't since been able to find it on YouTube or Tidal.

https://imgur.com/eX3d6gS

Johnny Cash? Found this on Qobuz.

 

[Zuman]

Thanks. I listened, but that wasn’t it either!
Oh, well.

 

[Arewethereyet]

Thanks. I listened, but that wasn’t it either!
Oh, well.

I’m anxious to hear if and when you find it. Cheers!

 

[Holmz]

https://imgur.com/eX3d6gS

Johnny Cash? Found this on Qobuz.

I cannot imagine a more digital source than a computer singing the song.
I hope that it is not released on LP.

 

[Kbh57]

There was one particular recording played in that room of - if memory serves me - a solo male singing "House of the Rising Sun" with sparse, solo acoustic guitar accompaniment. It was the single most realistic reproduction I have ever heard. I failed to ask at the time who the artist was and I haven't since been able to find it on YouTube or Tidal.

Geoff Castelluci?

 

[jeromelang]

you'll most probably end up buying something else, but still, these would be a good read

https://www.vandersteen.com/media/files/APJ%20Files/APJ_1_PROOF.pdf

https://www.vandersteen.com/media/files/APJ%20Files/APJ_5.pdf

https://www.vandersteen.com/media/files/APJ%20Files/APJ_6-7r.pdf

https://www.vandersteen.com/media/files/APJ%20Files/APJ_8r.pdf

 

[PeterA]

Go to https://www.audiogon.com/systems and start browsing. That's probably the best place to get internet exposure to a wide range of possibilities.

And @Mike Lavigne system is well-respected by everyone that hears it -- in case you want to see one "all out assault" that was done thoughtfully:
https://www.audiogon.com/systems/615

Or if you feel like reading, Romy likes to write about his gospel for how audio should be reproduced and has a very different all out assault system: http://www.goodsoundclub.com/Playback/MyPlayback.aspx

There's roughly an infinite number of ways to skin the cat. Especially if you have unlimited funds. Any poster could go on and on...

I would certainly add this one to the list:

David Karmeli's Natural Sound in Utah

David Karmeli’s Natural Sound in Utah In early December 2020, I made the decision to ask David Karmeli (ddk) if he could find me a Micro Seiki SX 8000 II turntable. He told me that it would take about a month to locate and then a bit more time to arrive in Utah. He would then give it a full...

www.whatsbestforum.com

 

[njaudio2010]

Hello everyone. The title question was probably a dead giveaway, because it is probably pretty dumb. I am new to audio in general, and fairly oblivious to my own tastes in sound.
For reference, I have a bluetooth Bose speaker I bought at a mall 10 years ago that I'll sometimes connect to my phone.
My cursory understanding of audio is that it's subject to a ton of variables, like matching amps and speakers that go together, the condition of the room, and your subjective tastes in sound.

Having said that, the world of high end audio is fascinating to me, especially speakers, in how they are seemingly very divergent in appearance/underlying technology, often from brands that are more obscure than mainstream electronics, with very high prices, that all aim to offer superior sound. As a newbie, I am drawn to speakers that "looks cool" like the Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus, MBL 101 X-Treme MKII, and Steinway Lyngdorf (for the piano brand association, with little knowledge about how better that makes them compared to regular Lyngdorfs).

So I hope to ask veterans in the world of high-end audio what speakers you consider to be the finest that money can buy, of course from your own experience. Googling lists of best speakers seem to inevitably bring up haphazard lists of expensive speakers.

Thank you for your time, and I apologize if the question is not really worth it.

you may get some funky replies to this difficult question. but who can judge this? a biased reviewer ? (ouch!) a biased hobbyist in love with his chosen babies(more ouch). actually, only you maybe able to answer to this. just for fun, check out youtube video of audiophile ken fritz who spent years trying to get ultimate system and ended up diy-ing a lot of it - including a small-concert-hall room.

 

[Hobblecreek]

The OP has been silent for several months and has likely moved on to explore a different hobby. Some excellent advice has already been shared in earlier posts—especially the suggestion to simply listen. It’s hard to imagine anyone beginning to build a quality Hi-Fi system without first spending sufficient time listening to both live performances and then various levels of equipment—from entry-level to reference-grade—at a reputable dealer.

While the sound quality at audio shows can be inconsistent (and often disappointing), attending these events gave my wife and me exposure to many brands we might never have otherwise discovered in our local Denver market, allowing us to explore them further later on. That experience marked the beginning of my own audio journey—it helped me understand what I truly wanted, what fit within my budget, and ultimately how to achieve a system that has brought lasting satisfaction over the years.

 

[kamen56]

GIP field-coils. Tons of money but are really rewarding.
You can find suitable model for any room.
For instance GIP-225 works perfectly in even smalliest rooms...
I know-I have one.

 

[Holmz]

The OP has been silent for several months and has likely moved on to explore a different hobby. Some excellent advice has already been shared in earlier posts—especially the suggestion to simply listen. It’s hard to imagine anyone beginning to build a quality Hi-Fi system without first spending sufficient time listening to both live performances and then various levels of equipment—from entry-level to reference-grade—at a reputable dealer.

While the sound quality at audio shows can be inconsistent (and often disappointing), attending these events gave my wife and me exposure to many brands we might never have otherwise discovered in our local Denver market, allowing us to explore them further later on. That experience marked the beginning of my own audio journey—it helped me understand what I truly wanted, what fit within my budget, and ultimately how to achieve a system that has brought lasting satisfaction over the years.

That bolded par is a very polite way to say troll.

 

[TooCool4]

No, it was more the reception they received that drove them away.