What is going to be your endgame speaker?

[chuck]

I have owned many end game speakers only to find they weren't. I got YG Sonja XV about five years ago, upgraded to "i" last year and they are my current and foreseeable future endgame speakers. Of course there is a new upgrade called XV3 . . .

 

[Solypsa]

Mine would be a replica WE 13A like from:

What would be the price, does someone know?

Matt

Matt,

Reach out to Tim. When I spoke with him ( not about buying a system but a conversation around NNNN Devor subwoofers ) he mentioned a some numbers that did not seem so crazy. I get the idea he likes to build turnkey systems with amps. But he can say, what do I know haha.

 

[Kjetil]

The ones I have now:

Kjetil's stereo

I'll start with the block diagram. Computer sound with dipoles... My father in the listening chair. It's not really nearfield, but it’s close at 1.6 m and the triangle is wide, 120 degrees or so. The only acoustical treatment is the ceiling above the listening triangle. That enormous...

www.whatsbestforum.com

If I was to downgrade? Magnepan LRS+ and subwoofers with DSP to fix the frequency and phase response which both are a bit off out of the box.

 

[Rotatoubib]

I have owned many end game speakers only to find they weren't. I got YG Sonja XV about five years ago, upgraded to "i" last year and they are my current and foreseeable future endgame speakers. Of course there is a new upgrade called XV3 . . .

May I ask how large is your listening room?

 

[chuck]

May I ask how large is your listening room?

15' x 20' with sloped ceiling 9' to 14'.

 

[thomask]

15' x 20' with sloped ceiling 9' to 14'.

About as same size as mine.

Now Scaena 3.2 augemented by pair of Rel 31 works best in my room but I would like to get vintage Western horn system in the future if available in good condition at reasonable price.

 

[matthias]

NNNN Devor subwoofers )

BTW, did you listen to the WE replicas with a Devor 16?

Matt

 

[Solypsa]

@matthias PM sent

 

[thomask]

The Tymp..1D are excellent speakers..... try bi, or tri amping them.....

I expect to listen to Tymp 1D next weekend.

They are reasnably priced.

if I like them I will set them up on the third floor.

Then I will be back to planar speaker after 24 year's of hiatus.

 

[thomask]

One video of Tympani speaker sounds pretty nice.

 

[thomask]

One more of my favorite Carpenters.

 

[thomask]

I may also audition Magnepan LRS+ for comparison tomorrow.

 

[thomask]

After attending Pacific Audiofest, I went to audition Magnepan Tympani !D yesterday.

It sounds much better than my expectaion.

it is driven by Spectral amp(350watts).

Dac is DSC Elgar and Mark Levinson transport was used.

Its bass is also full with enough dynamics.


The owner want to go for more powerful bass from Focal speaker.


My listening room on the second floor is crowded with Scaena 3.2, Lansche 4.1, Altec A7 and pair of Rel 31 subwoofers.

Thus no room for another one.

If I get it, I had to set up second system on the third floor.

But I had not make up mind yet.

I enjoyed Pacific Audiofest very much.

As soon as I organize photos and videos, I will upload them.

 

[Macroaudio15]

This is a very personal question. The answer is really driven by your favorite music genre, your room, and your budget.

I could live happily with my Sasha DAWs. But I might get curious again. If I did, I’d audition the Alexx Vs, or whatever the current comparable Wilson model is at the time. I happen to be an admirer of David Wilson, and I think Darryl is carrying the legacy well.

Right now though, the Sasha DAWs are kicking it here. I’m never disappointed.

As other members’ journeys point out, music genre, listening space, system synergy and other preferences drive choices over time. Our speaker journey began with Sylvania(early days), to Pioneer, Advent, Magneplanar, ProAc, Harbeth and now Wilson SabrinaX. Each has been a nice step up. But since installing the SX and auditioning more in their lineup, the Sasha DAW will likely be our end game speaker.

 

[SeagoatLeo]

My endgame speaker will be vintage Western horn.

I had listened to Western horn sytem of Mr Chung, owner of Silbatone around 20 times at his home in Korea.

But unfortunately it is very hard to get Western horn sytem in good condition.

Also they are very costly 200k$ and up.

Now I have four sets of excellent speakers (Scaena, Altec, Lansche, Vaughn Cabernett).

I had lived with Lansche 4.1 from 2006 to 2021.

It give very pristine treble due to plasma tweeter and reasonably deep bass and dynamics due to two 10 inch active drivers.

It may be better if this speaker find more time of playing at someone else's home.

But since I had used it for 15 years, I may want to keep it as my lifetime souvenir.

Shall I let it go or keep it for my lifetime so that my son will sell it as estate sale in the future.

This is a sound from bi amped (using active crossover) Altec A7 augmented by two Scaena 18 inch subwoofers.

After I got Altec A7, I got enamored by live and realistic dynamics of it.

It also give lot of details.

Thus I switched from Lansche4.1 to Altec A7 on 2021.

But after I started playing Scaena 3.2 on 2022, I got astouned by wide and deep soundstage and no distortion out of it.

After adding pair of Rel 31 subwoofers, it sounds aplomb.

Scaena also play vocal music with nuanced details.

Thus unlesss I get vintage Western horn system in the future, Scaena 3.2 augmented by Rel 31 subwoofers will be my temporary end game speaker.

But I also plan to play Altec A7 and Lansche 4.1 after setting them as second system.

They also have lot of good things giving different kind of flavors.

Since most of my 48,500 recording collection is not comprised of esoteric or modern pop, the first two speaker(s) (after the Western Electric which sounded had terrible bass in the video) samples are inconclusive of their quality. The Scaena first excerpt was okay. I want to audition speakers with analog recorded classical vocalists, orchestra and large jazz ensembles. At most shows, I hear awful music and many poor sounding systems (the room, power and or bad synergy of components). The S.H.O.W. had the absolute worst showing of Von Schweikert speakers raved about by reviewers (not the two times I stepped into that awful room) VR and Ultra 55s. I've heard VS speakers sound like the best ever system (Ultra 9 and 11) as well as really great (VR 4, VR100 and my best friend's VR35 export). I intend to purchase a VS speaker with my ultimate being the Ultra 7. Had I only auditioned the 55 at the S.H.O.W., no way would I have considered VS speakers (two friends heard VS speakers for the first time there and told me I'm stupid to buy a VS speaker as they were terrible-I let them know this was NOT representative of VS).

 

[SeagoatLeo]

After attending Pacific Audiofest, I went to audition Magnepan Tympani !D yesterday.

It sounds much better than my expectaion.

it is driven by Spectral amp(350watts).

Dac is DSC Elgar and Mark Levinson transport was used.

Its bass is also full with enough dynamics.


The owner want to go for more powerful bass from Focal speaker.


My listening room on the second floor is crowded with Scaena 3.2, Lansche 4.1, Altec A7 and pair of Rel 31 subwoofers.

Thus no room for another one.

If I get it, I had to set up second system on the third floor.

But I had not make up mind yet.

I enjoyed Pacific Audiofest very much.

As soon as I organize photos and videos, I will upload them.

I heard these Maggies (not this pair) maybe 35 years ago and was very impressed at the time. Too large for my listening room. I remember vocalists and instrumentalists bearing images as wide as the area between the speakers though. Maybe it was the equipment?

 

[SeagoatLeo]

I have my Martin Logan ReQuest along with my six Martin Logan BF-210 subs, and really love the sound and energy from them. Would not know what to replace them with, so I guess it’s a keeper for me.

/ Jk

I replaced them with Legacy Signature IIIs in 2004. I had been a 20 year stat owner. No more. Now only efficient dynamic speakers. My ML Monolith IIIs killed the reQuests. I should have kept the Acoustat 2+2s instead of MLs.

 

[SeagoatLeo]

My criteria.
!. Dynamic range.
2. It must be able to play at realistic levels without breakup or image collapse.
3. Ot must have PRaT. Many speakers excel when the music is slow and there is a solo instrument. They struggle when the pace picks up and multiple instruments are added.
4. Resolution and detail. this contributes to the illusion of reality. I am not looking for a magnifying glass.
5.Reasonably good imaging and dispersion. Most source material lacks good imaging. Dispersion is not that big a deal. I'll be sitting in the sweet spot.
6. It can be big but not imposing.
7. Bass- the music lives in the midrange but if you have heard good bass you can't live without it. I can' abide ringing or rattling.
8. Tonality is important but not a deal breaker.
10. It should be a planar, dipolar, line source.
11. It should be a line source.
12. I prefer that it has a pedigree. New models are ok.
13. It should be amplifier friendly.
That's a baker's dozen.

Love your list. 8. Dispersion is a primary reason for my wanting a VS speaker, so that I can share great sound with my wife and friends. 8. Tonality is a must. I've performed and recorded in major orchestral venues in SoCal, friends are world reknown remastering engineers, etc. Who wants improper tonality? Yuk! as my best friends (audiophiles and music lovers would say). 10. and 11. I had stats for 20 years and gladly gave them up for dynamics, also usually power hungry. 12. I worry about a manufacturer going out of business and if a driver or other unique part fails, oh oh, I have a casket instead of a speaker.

 

[AudioHR]

What a great thread!

Is there an endgame speaker, lol?

As others have said your system and listening environment will have a major influence on how a speakers sounds! Of course your previous experience, your taste in music and what you value in reproduced sound has a part to play.

Does cost make a difference? It would be foolish to say it doesn't but in my 2022 visit to the Munich High End Show it was not always the expensive speakers that stood out. Of course at a show there are lots of things in play but to my ear at that show my top four comprised of; two systems that were very, very expensive, one I would put in the pricy but not crazy category and one that I would call reasonable. My favourite was the Wolf Von Langa with Air Tight Electronics and Primary Control Analogue in the pricy but not crazy category.

So what's my end game? After 55 years of listening I don't really have one. I have gone down the SET rabbit hole lately so high efficiency are what I am interested in at the moment. As I don't want to build a new house or mini concert hall a reasonably priced, moderately sized speaker that would fit in my dedicated room Is what I would be looking for at the moment.

I have a pair of custom made Coherent Audio Neo 18" coaxial speakers on the way. They will replace a pair of Neo 15" which are actually a very impressive speaker. The Neo 15" 's despite having the large woofer are not designed to offer deep bass, what you get is fast, tight and articulate. Apparently the Neo 18" have a more extended bass with a touch more slam. We shall see.

 

[thomask]

What a great thread!

Is there an endgame speaker, lol?

As others have said your system and listening environment will have a major influence on how a speakers sounds! Of course your previous experience, your taste in music and what you value in reproduced sound has a part to play.

Does cost make a difference? It would be foolish to say it doesn't but in my 2022 visit to the Munich High End Show it was not always the expensive speakers that stood out. Of course at a show there are lots of things in play but to my ear at that show my top four comprised of; two systems that were very, very expensive, one I would put in the pricy but not crazy category and one that I would call reasonable. My favourite was the Wolf Von Langa with Air Tight Electronics and Primary Control Analogue in the pricy but not crazy category.

So what's my end game? After 55 years of listening I don't really have one. I have gone down the SET rabbit hole lately so high efficiency are what I am interested in at the moment. As I don't want to build a new house or mini concert hall a reasonably priced, moderately sized speaker that would fit in my dedicated room Is what I would be looking for at the moment.

I have a pair of custom made Coherent Audio Neo 18" coaxial speakers on the way. They will replace a pair of Neo 15" which are actually a very impressive speaker. The Neo 15" 's despite having the large woofer are not designed to offer deep bass, what you get is fast, tight and articulate. Apparently the Neo 18" have a more extended bass with a touch more slam. We shall see.

If you are interested in high efficiency speaker, I recommend you to listen to Songer Audio field coil speakers.


i had listened to them at Pacific Audio fest 2022 and 2023 and deeply impressed with fast sound.