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Exceptional value in speakers today?

I'm looking for "sleeper" speaker companies - brands that aren't well known and offer exceptional value.

For years I have been a fan of ACI speakers - the company only sold direct, didn't advertise, but their speakers were consistently compared favorably with speakers costing many times more - in both "professional" reviews and end user reviews.

I am fortunate to have some of their speakers, as the company is no more. Which leads me to my question - there must be a similar company (or several) doing something similar today. Since these tend to be small companies that don't advertise, I thought I'd ask here for some pointers. The big guys are easy to find...

Thanks in advance.

(BTW - my current shopping list is for a pair of monitor speakers for a recording studio. I'm looking for un-powered speakers of exceptional quality (and at a price point <$1k). I need speakers that are good at revealing any flaws in the mix. I already have some high end professional near field monitors (Genelec) and am looking to augment those).
mark_scrivener

Showing 2 responses by johnnyb53

johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
GoldenEar Aon 3. I've heard their Triton 2 towers and their Heil-style folded ribbon tweeter is both very resolving and smooth. The conventional drivers are fast and integrate well with the tweeter. GoldenEar is Sandy Gross's most recent brainchild. He was co-founder of Polk and Definitive Technology. It's a 7-inch 2-way augmented by passive radiators. About $1K pair list price.

If there's a dealer in your area, I recommend you listen to these before buying anything. I'm not saying they're the best at that price, but I suspect they're serious contenders for what you seek.
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
If you're thinking of stretching your budget, consider the NOLA Boxer ($1500) and the new GoldenEar Triton Three ($2K).

Oh wait! I just remembered my own speakers now available on an insane closeout, the Mirage OMD-15, a reasonably sensitive floorstander presenting a reasonably easy load, with a modest footprint, honest timbres, and room-filling sound. These originally listed at $2500/pair and sounded it. Now they're on closeout. Get the rosewood finish and save another $200. I've had a pair of these for 3-1/2 years and love them. At $800 they're insanely good. I paid twice that and have no regrets.
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