Topic: What is the best speaker you have heard?

[bruquee]

Probably the best speaker that I have heard is the JM Lab Grande Utopia. Amazing sound.  Effortless non-fatiguing highs.  Sweet uncolored midrange.  And deep authoritative bass.  Certainly beats top speakers that I have heard over the years from Apogee, Quad, and Martin Logan.  Can just sit in front of them for hours without getting tired of the sound.  Don't know if this is offered by anyone in the Phils though.  Got to audition them during a visit to Sound by Singer.  A snooty shop but more accomodating if you are an old customer.



Of course it comes at a price.  The dealer was quoting something like US $70,000 for a pair (would have to save for a quite a while for that kind of price).  Moreover, each speaker is massive and weighs almost 500 lbs. And of course, you have to use ultra expensive amplification to drive them.  The dealer was using some high end German amp (Burmester) that cost over $20k to power the speakers.   

[accastil]

they do have this ready for audition at shangrila mall, a/vDI store, right next to sights and sounds and paradigm shops...they are using mark levinson electronics to drive these and yes i agree, they really sound good. very good in fact.

[du1mij]

Aside from being a B&W fan, I've always been a Focal (JM Lab) fanatic, even before they were distributed by Audio Visual Drivers, Inc.  Listening to them is simply heavenly.

So why did I opt to go for a set of B&W?  A/VDI refused to conduct a home audition for me (back then anyway) which Toyama happily did, bringing 2 sets of different B&W models and 2 different amplifiers.  If all things are equal, it's the customer service that spells the difference.    Besides, the 1st rule in our hobby is "audition" first (and as much as possible, do it in the actual environment where the equipment will be setup).

Jimmy

[av_phile1]

B&W is known for excellent after-sales customer service.

[MAtZTER]

The Gryphon speakers during the last '05 audio show @ 6million pesos. 

looks like huge Grand Utopias

[lithium_deuteride]

#26 pic from top of qguy's Nov Hi-Fi show gallery. Yep the Altec with the horn tweeter sticking out the middle of the 15" driver and the huge kamagong trays for tweeters sitting on top of it. You got to hear it to believe it because the sound was unbelievable.

[akyatbundok]

i second the Altec in TRodt's room..... best sound for me in this & last year's audio show.

[Pittri M.D.]

A pair of Martin Logan SL3's (Electrostatic Hybrid) paired with a Tube amplifier. I forgot what source they used already, maybe because I was so mesmerized by the sound those tall babies were producing.

http://www.stereophile.com/loudspeakerreviews/145/index.html

Grabe... Ibang klase! The best I have ever heard so far. Bar None.

P.S. I wonder how the B&W Prestige Model Nautilus sounds like?

[du1mij]

I'm still a Focal fan but was anyone able to audition the Hyperionaudio bookshelf speakers tandemed with the BAT pre-amp and BAT amp in the Architectural Audio room?  Man, that was impressive!

[wraith]

For me, its the Usher Audio CP8871



This may not be as high-profile as the others mentioned above, but it may have sounded heavenly due to the fact that it was paired with the electronics it was voiced with:  it was an all-Usher system... from CDP, pre amp, to power amp.

Since then, that idea of pairing speakers with the equipment it was voiced with (or the closest alternative) made sense to me.  So now I always match equipment from the speakers down, and not the other way around.

[qguy]

Thats what I use sa bahay !!!....ganyan na  ganyan !!!

ganyan yung brand..... ganyan yung tweeter, ganyan yung mid woofer...hehehe yun nga lang...

For me, its the Usher Audio CP8871



This may not be as high-profile as the others mentioned above, but it may have sounded heavenly due to the fact that it was paired with the electronics it was voiced with:  it was an all-Usher system... from CDP, pre amp, to power amp.

Since then, that idea of pairing speakers with the equipment it was voiced with (or the closest alternative) made sense to me.  So now I always match equipment from the speakers down, and not the other way around.

[lithium_deuteride]

Beautiful speakers those Ushers.  Shape reminds me of that famous Dubai hotel - Burj al Arab.