I do not claim that Lansche 4.1 is the best speaker in the world.
But with clean and pristine treble out of plasma tweeters and pretty good bass out of 2 10 inch driven by internal active amplifier and high efficiency (99db spec, but I believe it to be around 93db), it is hard to find better speaker with overall merit for my house.
The only catch is that it can stop working since it is an active speaker( plasma tweeter and active bass unit).
But I keep having good communication with Henry Dien of Lansche Audio who upgraded plasma tweeters twice at reasonable cost.
I can happily live with Lansche 4.1 speakers at my present house for my life unless serious health issues happen to either me or my speakers.
How about you gentlemen and ladies?
Had any one of you found the speaker for your life?
+1 for @cd318 I mean, if I made more, I'd invest more. But my income bracket dictates I stick with what I can, so it's almost always a sideways lateral.
However, the Spatial M3 Turbo S's I have no rival anything I've ever had. Including speakers that cost 3x as much.
You are right once it reach certain level, it is hard to improve
Actually I couldn’t disagree more. With very resolving systems any change in the system is obvious. Fine tuning small details becomes paramount.
As as a case in point in my system over the past two days I’ve spent many hours firstly getting to appreciate an update on my CD mat (Marigo Clear Transformation to new Aida) and then going back and forth on the impact of introducing a Furutech damping stand under the power cord to the power conditioner that drives my mono blocks. Both of these changes had profound impacts, one I ultimately decided as positive (the mat) and the other negative.
But in both cases the differences were very clear and audible. High resolution means needing to sweat the details I’m afraid and the benefits when you get it right keep adding up
I agree with you in that there is always room for improvement in any system.
But law of diminishing return applies here, there is no way to justify the cost of 90K$ MSB Select II in my system although it will give subtle improvement in details, soundstage and etc.
But Vintage horn Western Electric system is just another league above from all modern speakers in natural dynamics to justify its cost.
skhkong78 Thanks about the upgrading components. Once I placed the Signature IIIs in my living room, it was mated to a voltage regulated (non-ultralinear) redesigned Dynaco ST70 with tremendous bass and original Mullard EL34 output tubes. Also, a custom made subminiature tube voltage regulated preamp and a custom rebuilt CD player. This is my secondary system, small and great. Oregonpapa on these forums has the Signature IIIs as his primary speaker and they sound fantastic in his smaller room than my Focus which are in my large listening room. Both speakers are a bargain used, probably because they are 25 year old models. But so easy to make sound great compared to expensive new high end speakers for larger rooms.
@folkfreak is right keep working the details, hyper level matching is important or you are most likely just chasing your tail.... I chewed mine off long ago....tailess Kat...
I probably have a lot less runway ahead than behind....but yes, easy to say I could live with my Vandersteen 7.....I am blessed to have Richards amps as well and there are rumblings of a preamp, so who knows...IF I ever build a dedicated room, might get his sub 9... that is a longshot.... My Naim server is getting a bit long in the tooth, so that might be next....
Had any one of you found the speaker for your life?
So far, yes. I've had the Classic Audio Loudspeakers T-3s for about 20 years. I had them updated about 8 years ago with the new field coil midrange drivers (which employ beryllium diaphrams with Kapton surrounds). When I initially had them built, they were made a few inches taller just so I could honestly say they go down to 20Hz (the TAD 15" woofers have a free air resonance of 22Hz). So the speaker goes from 20Hz to about 35Khz, are 16 ohms and 98db 1 watt/1 meter. I really don't see changing them out- they are still some of the most revealing and uncolored speakers I've heard.
Hi everyone, well yes! I think I can live the rest of my life in the company of my Vandersteen speakers.. I have a pair of Quatro powered by a class A Pass Sublime coupled!
i enjoy doing experiments by changing the source dac, the rest of hifi system will not be touched .. best regards
My first post on this site, although active on another forum for years. I have had Ohm C2’s since ’77. Upgraded the woofers from Ohm. Also ADS L880 since new in ’85. But hav added and subtracted speakers in recent years. Maybe some modern speakers would be nice.
This looks exactly same as mine,although I do not have mine on sale.
The speaker is a real beauty (nice WAF) and work well with SET amp even in good size listening room due to high efficiency (off 99db/w, real 95db/w still pretty high).
If you have nice SET and spare 17,500$, you can enjoy spooky vocal out of it due to plasma tweeter.
It also give excellent dynamics due to two active 10 inch woofers.
Tomic, as much as I LOVE my Quatro's, I need Richard's M5 to make them sing even more ;)....
I have to say that I got to hear the full System 9 by Vandersteen (7's with sub 9's) and his large amp. (yes, the preamp will be very special and not what anyone has on the market as you know).
As for server, call me tomorrow if you can. I am very dialed into the digital as I can't do analog anymore with the MS. To hard to keep cleaning and getting up to use the tone arm. That's why I sold y9u the Basis TT ;). man I miss it.
Well there is no perfect speaker. I would much prefer not to have to limit myself to just one pair of speakers and instead have say four or five pairs so that when you feel like a change of flavour you just set up a different system.Of course that might also mean changing amplifiers or preamps to suit. Perhaps if you only listen to one type of music one pair of speakers might do.In which case active speakers would perhaps be the best choice.
Im an open baffle fan, having owned Accoustat 2 + 2s, Magnepan 3.5Rs and for the last ~ 4 years Emerald Physics (EP) KCIIs with Clarity Cap and WireWorld OCC upgrades.
They are amazing at their MSRP $2900, including upgrades, but my room is too big for them, and should I sell my home, I will want a similarly sized listening space. I am replacing them with EP 2.8s which have dual 15" and one 12" concentric driver per speaker
Yes, I'm off the treadmill for all new equipment, now I've retired. I travelled to RMAF in the depths of the last depression, in 2009, when flights were dirt cheap, from the UK. What a beautiful state Colorado is, particularly the Rocky Mountain National park.
I listened to a number of US speaker I couldn't easily listen to in Europe and loved the Daedalus Audio Da-RMas, that I've had ever since and will always be just fine for me.
Can you live with your current speaker until you die?
Yes and I plan to do just that. I have Thiel CS2.4 SEs and I upgraded every part save the drivers and cabinets. I haven't heard everything but from what I *have* heard I think I would need to spend >$25K to get something notably better.
"I haven't heard everything but from what I *have* heard I think I would need to spend >$25K to get something notably better."
Yes, this is the one big obstacle most of us run up against sooner or later.
I'm still hoping that <£10K will get me to as near to the state of the art as I will need.
So many possibilities but I'm beginning to feel that the Linkwitz LX521.4 might well be my ultimate loudspeaker destination, especially after learning on here that such things as 12 channel amplifiers exist!
I wish I could say yes to your question. I've said it before, but I've recently found out that I can't do it and I doubt I ever will. There's just way too many nice toys out there to play with!
Yes, this is the one big obstacle most of us run up against sooner or later.
Another way to say it is that:a) I know my speakers have shortcomings (mostly bass extension and definition);b) the money needed to get something better is *well* out of my budget. If I win the lottery I'll probably go straight to Vandersteen Sevens. Until then, I'm really happy with my Thiels (transparency and resolution are essentially the very best I've heard).
@tomic601 Yes, I’m well aware of of the Vandy subs. I’ve read the Hardesty journals and what not. When I had Thiel CS1.6s, I agonized whether to add 2WQs or move up to 2.4s or 3As. I ended up going to 2Ce Sig IIs for budget and size reasons.
I’m sure the sub 3s are great but a pair sets you back $5k and is two more large boxes in the room. Also, I’d have to send my AX-5 to Ayre to get an internal filter. I don’t doubt the sonic improvement but the downsides are not trivial. Meanwhile, organ is about the only instrument notably beyond the abilities of the 2.4 and I mostly notice the bass definition shortcoming after I listen to $$$peakers. But, yes, for another $5k my speakers would rival most anything short of the Sevens.
Yes & no.I MIGHT try to upgrade my Harbeth M30.1's to the Anniversary 30.2's & IF I come into a ton of $ I would upgrade to the 40.2's but as things stand yes the 30.1's will be my final speakers..Right now the search is on for a front end worthy of them,maybe Gold Note PS10/PA10 stack...
Yes my Intuitive Design Gammas. Large monitors with granite cabinets and dedicated granite stands. I have owned these for over 10 years. I tried selling years ago but because of there weight I would not ship them. They do sound fabulous in my room. Every time I think of a new set of speakers I just laugh at how much it might take in dollars to possibly improve the sound. I say bravo enjoy your 4.1's.
A very thought provoking question. After many years of searching I've found my speaker (or line of speakers). The speaker must be tonally neutral so that voices and instruments sound correct and not altered in some strange way. The speaker must also be phase correct so that the leading edge of dynamics is properly rendered and the speakers give that spooky natural sense of 3-dimensionality. And they must be dynamic so as not to bore me. Beyond that, and the most difficult to find, they need to have that ineffable quality that makes you want to listen today and 5 or 10 years from now. For me that speaker is a Vivid Audio Giya series speaker. They all do it (G4s2, G3s2, G2s2, G1 Spirit).
Yes I can live with my speakers for the rest of my life. I feel with each passing year it’s like I walk down the road and at every crossroad there is a guy asking me for money and selling new speakers. The problem with this analogy is that for every block I walk further the more money the guys ask from me. Comes a point after walking that it’s ridiculous. Not knocking anyone else shelling out that mega big cash, it’s just not something I want to do.
Endgame speaker will depend on personal taste, budget and size of listeing room.
On 1989, I lived in apartment at Chicago with 15feet W 20 feet D 8 feet H listeing space.
I had auditioned ML CLS, several Apogee and other box speakers.
After auditioning several choices, my endgame speaker on 1989 turned out to be Apogee Diva driven by Krell KSA 250.
But I could not afford it at that time, thus I had settled at Apogee Duetta Sig driven by Krell KSA 150.
I had been happy with Apogee Duetta Sig driven by Krell KSA 150. until 1998.
But I want more deeper bass and switched to Avalon Ascent II which sound too bright with Krell amp.
Thus I switched to Jadia 200 and then Jadia 500.
Avalon Ascent II driven by Jadis 500 sound very musical with no serious faults at all.
But one audio dealer offered big discount on Wilson Watt Puppy 5 and I switched to it on 2001
Watt Puppy 5 gave nice details with 3 d soundstage but too bright for my taste.
I used DCS Elgar and upsampler fed by CEC TLX 0 using volume of Elgar without any pre amp.
Thus I let Watt Puppy 5 go only after 6 months and got B&W Notilus 800 instead.
I had enjoyed B&W Notilus 800 driven by Jadis 500 from 2002 to 2004
It had given most powerful bass that I had experienced in my listening space.
On 2004, Mr Chung of Silbatone who is a close friend of mine recommended me to try full range speaker(6 inch driver) with his Silbatone 300B SET.
While I enjoy Jadis 500, I could not play it during summer due to too much heat.
Thus I followed Mr Chung's recommendation.
Full range speaker(6 inch driver) driven by Silbatone 300B.SET gave gracious sound with nice tonality, but no serious bass or dynamics.
After using full range speaker for two years, I swithced to Lansche 4.1 on 2006.
At that time my listening room was rather small 10 ft W 15 ft D 7 ft H.
Lansche 4.1 driven by Silbatone 300B SET. fitted by WE 300b made in 1950's gave perfect sound in the small listeing space with clean and sublime lady vocal, nice dynamics and timber.
But after moving to larger listening spcae of 15 ft W 20ft D 12 ft H, Silbatone 300B SET. could not drive Lansche 4.1 with enough power.
Thus I had to switch to higher power tube amp to drive Lansche 4.1
On 2021 I got Altec A7 which gave unlimited dynamcis and vintage flavor.
On 2022, I also assembled Scaena 3.2 which I got used on 2020 but could not assemble it during Corona pendamic.
Scaena 3.2 gave very realistic placement of each instrument in deep and wide soundstage but not going deep enough below 30 hz.
After getting pair of Rel 31s April this year, Scaena 3.2 augmented by pair of Rel 31s really sings with nimble and deep bass.
During last two years, I attended Pacific Audiofest 2022, 2023 and Seoul Audio Show 2023.
If I choose one speaker that impressed me is big Genesis with natural and lifelike dynamics from reel tape as source.
But it is too big for my current listening space of 16 ft wide 20 ft deep 15ft to 20 feet sloped ceiling.
I am too lazy to build larger dedicated listening space.
I wil use my currrent house as is.
If i start new, i may choose either MBL 101e or Asylvox planar.
I couldn’t find a speaker that I could live with. All speakers in the world sound unnatural and incomplete. So, I made a speaker I can live with until I die. My speaker sounds natural and closest to the original music than any other system. Simply, there is no other speaker or sound system in the world sounds better than mine at least to my ears. Alex/Wavetouch
@mihorn Your speaker look tidy. If you could upload the Youtube video of its sound, it will help
My humble audio system looks simple and cheap. In my > 4 decades audio pursuing, I had some big/expensive systems (wall of audio components) before. But I found it is not the answer for the best audio sound.
Hmm. You haven't watched my video yet. I've been posting my videos regularly in Agon for many years. I think I should post more often. Alex/Wavetouch
Like you, in my current home, in my current room (and I don’t plan on moving anytime soon) my "take-to-the-grave" speakers are, my beloved Revel Salon 2 speakers. The Salon 2 speaker perform, from top to bottom, at such a high level of proficiency, I just don't have to want for anything more. The Revel Salon 2 speakers are absolutely phenomenal speakers that I could live with forever!!!
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