I had an refurbished rebuilt VR7 mk2. But Just sold them when I received my new Von Schweikert Audio Ultra VR55 active. . These are stunning and the base is *incredible*. I told my wife to bury me in the crates.
Have you found your "End-Game" speakers yet? I have. And it feels so good!!!
Yes indeed. Several years ago, the absolutely incredible Revel Salon 2 speakers finally took me off the speaker merry-go-round. I do believe that I'll be taking my Revel Salon 2 speakers to the grave with me. What's your end-game speakers?
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I will chime in. Not sure if they are really my "end game" speaker, but they are so very close to perfection, especially considering price. My GR Research NX-Tremes are stunning. Add in the twin Triple Threat subwoofers and you approach nirvana. Now, I have heard $100k plus speakers that better them in some aspects, but barely. For +/- $10k DIY, they are a steal. I have has dynamic, ribbon, electrostatic, and now Open Baffle speakers. I think there is something magical about OB designs. Of course, I said similar things about my Sanders Sound 10Cs. |
Your in between speaker becomes your endgame speaker if you can't find anything that's better in all respects. Got Eminent Technology ET8's in the last century and now they're upgraded to the Super 8 (added backward firing woofers). So happy to see open baffle speakers mentioned. There's no box like no box. Even on YouTube, you can hear the difference when you get rid of the box. Planars like ET8 or Maggies are naturally included.
OP: could you post the rest of your system in the Systems portion of Audiogon? |
I think I have my "forever" loudspeakers in my custom built Linkwitz Orions. I've never heard anything I like better for voices or acoustic piano. They have exceptional dynamics as well. |
I’m extremely happy with my Dynaudio Heritage Special’s , don’t see myself changing them. I can listen for hours with no fatigue. Also at 64 I don’t want big speakers that I can’t move. I live in a smallish apartment, expect I will never own a big house again. I’ve been using the Dynaudio’s with a REL S/510.. even that’s too big. If I can’t move something myself I’ll have to pass. I plan on selling my S/510 and probably getting REL’s new Classic 98. |
Rather than replacing the speakers that I’ve really liked, I’ve simply added more systems around the house. We don’t have a “listening space”. We listen all over the house. So we have systems all over the house, including larger outdoor speakers under the eaves in front and back yards (no neighbors for half a mile). We have over a dozen pairs set up in the house, and we still rotate others in at least every few months. We have found that when the music is what’s involving, not the equipment, it’s possible to really enjoy well designed speakers at modest price points. The least expensive speakers currently set up are JBL L110, the most expensive are JBL again, the Everest DD67000. In between are Tannoys, Salon 2, Dynaudio Heritage Special, Ascend Acoustics Sierra 2EX, Altec Valencia and several others. As my dad used to say at family gatherings, “There’s not a dud in the bunch.” It’s only for particularly demanding pieces of music (Bach organ concerti or extremely dynamic orchestral works, for instance) that the Everests or 4350s might be required. At any rate, the system that gets the most use could be replaced for about $3k - Akitika preamp, Elekit 300b SET amp, Altec Valencia speakers. Bedroom system, it averages 6-8 hours per day. That system would meet most people’s requirements 95% of the time. The other 5% is what drives us to the insane level OCD behavior that we exhibit. |
Ariel Acoustics 7T's driven by ARC components have been "berry, berry good to me." We are moving to a new house this month, and I am looking forward to setting things up in a new catherdral ceiling venue. Some acoustical improvements to the room, and the addition of a pair of REL subs should expand my contentment. At 75, the balance between my listening, photographic acquisitions, and various automotive conveyances is complete (who said that?!). I hope to expire many years from now whilst sitting in The Chair like the guy in the 80's Maxell commercial. Yippee! |
@skinzy - Thank you for launching this thought exercise for me. Winning the lottery at this point would probably result in:
If I were twenty years younger, this would be augmented by probably second and third homes and a large system for one of them built around tubes (Audio Research) and vinyl (and a request to @ghdprentice and @mikelavigne for lots of guidance). Somewhere in there we would get around to price-no-object speakers…Along the way, I would want to try Klipschorns and La Scalas, big Maggies with subs, and one or more electrostatics—all to satisfy about 45 years’ worth of curiosity. I imagine that this would be lots of fun and incredibly time-consuming. I might even venture into the world of hoity-toity cabling and vibration isolation for non-turntable items. Since I am not twenty years younger (I am 61), I would rather spend the time and energy I have left on woodworking projects and travel, rather than amassing lots of gear that will eventually be a burden to my son after I move on. AND—since I am not going to win the lottery, I am very thankful to have the system I have, which checks all my boxes and puts a smile on my face every time I turn it on. |
Traded up from Volti Razz to Magico A3 and very pleased. End game? I’m not sure but, I went to an audio show in Dallas and didn’t heard anything I would consider end game. The A3 has enough low end in my smallish listening space that I don’t yearn for sub(s). Frequently response is exceptional a I’m still breaking them in. At 71, the A3 may be end game. My wife thinks so anyway. 😆 |
+1 re: the Linkwitz Orion's! While I like my Harbeth 40.2's and Legacy Calibre's - I think the Orion's (or the LX521's) may edge them out, when set up properly with the right room / acoustic treatments. The only other speakers I have an interest in are the ATC SCM100-150 ASLT's - but, are cost prohibitive. Though... there will always be those that I'd like to demo for a while. |
I have the "end game" that I can afford, Dynaudio Confidence C1 Platinum. I abosultely love them. But if money were no object, I would definitely get into a pair of Børresen 01 Silver Supreme Edition. The most amazing sounding speaker I have ever heard at AXPONA. But I don't have $60k for a stand mount speaker. |
@kennymacc Congratulations on finding your endgame speakers. What a joy to complete a big equipment search and move on to the music again! +1 Reference 3A mm de Capo I’ve been drawn all my life to time aligned speaker designs using simple crossovers. My first high end speakers were Spica T50s, which I loved driven by Counterpoint tube pre and amp. I had Mike Elliot upgrade the Counterpoint components, which I kept until we moved 10 years ago to a high rise condo where my listening room is too small for all the components of a separates system. I’ve owned Thiel and Vandersteen speakers, both time-aligned designs that, to my ear, outperformed all the traditional box speakers I experimented with in the 30 years I ran the Counterpoints. Maggie 1.6s and a pair of heavily modified Oscar Heil designed ESS Transars sounded wonderful with my electronics, but I always found myself returning to various Vandersteens. When I moved 10 years ago, I spent an intense weekend at AXPONA looking for my new system. I needed a single box solution, with integrated DAC and phono stage. Although full function integrated amps are commonplace these days, the only two with audiophile chops available at the time were the Devialet and Vinnie Rossi. I bought the Devialet show unit and late Sunday afternoon took it up to the Reference 3A room where Tash Goka allowed me opportunity to listen to it drive the mm de capos, my favorite bookshelves at the show. To my ear, the combo sings beautifully and I brought it home. In time, I grew frustrated with the phono section in the Devialet and made room on my small rack for a dedicated phono section. I’m tinkering with phono sections still (mostly because I love the audiophile hobby and like exploring and experimenting), but I’m fully satisfied with the time aligned, no crossover de capos, which I currently expect will be my last speakers, not because they are the best on the planet, but because they suit my personal sound preferences and match well with my electronics, and because I have come to terms with the reality that my listening room will not accommodate a system that can handle effectively the most demanding of musical passages. In my case, end game speakers is not the acquisition of the very finest speakers made, but rather the identification and acquisition of a pair of speakers that matches my sonic preferences and works in the room in which they play. Life is compromise: we love our new pad and for 95% of the music I love, I fully enjoy my listening room and system with the Reference 3A mm de capo speakers. I daresay they fit my needs perfectly. |
I owned a pair of Martin Logan Monoliths, but wanted a more in your face sound. Purchased a pair of Wilson Maxx II’s and love them. My son recently purchased a pair of Martin Logan’s, now I’m missing mine. I have a pair of Klipschorns just taking up space. Thinking about getting a couple tube monoblocks for them. |
Vandersteen Quatros in the living room. Very refined and open. Jean Marie Reynaud Bliss Silver with Rel sub in the study. More pressurized. Love both rigs. The Quatro Wood CTs are probably end game. They were a budget stretch. I'm loving the JMR Bliss Silvers but will probably upgrade to Proac D3rs in a year or so. |
Interesting comments, of course I have no idea when my game will end. That a said, I love numerous speakers around the house, JBL, Mirage and others with my current favorite main entertainers being Sonus Faber Olympica II's with an ancient M & K 12" active subwoofer. I've considered replacing that sub unit but it fits in and works seamlessly in the room with the Oly's. The Oly II's fill the family room nicely, provide hours of beautiful listening, especially with vinyl or SACD's, along with a wife who wears hearing aids yet loves how they look. The no boxy fine Italian craftsmanship captivates her. If these are my end game speakers I can live with and enjoy them until then. Since I no longer work in the HiFI business I think I can stick with the Oly II's indefinitely and enjoy the variety of some of my buddies amazing systems as well, each with its own sonic favors. I feel extremely fortunate to have found the Oly II's here on AG years ago and currently experiment with less visual components like tubes, cables and sources often discovering a tweak here and there that is fascinating... These bits weigh a lot less and don't require an entire system rebuild or room remodel to get things right. Grateful to be enjoying a fantastic life long hobby and the music that can delivered to my ears. Hoping you all can appreciate the same... I am satisfied. I feel speakers are such a personal, multi factorial, and situational choice. Will there be a speaker upgrade? It's tempting after listening in on some of my buddies systems... Yes, No , Maybe... |
I had a pair of Alons for 25 years that were great and I had to replace the paper woofers about 8 years in. I liked them a lot and changed quite unexpectedly just before Covid hit because I came across a close out deal on a pair of brand new KEF R500s for $1700. I improved their sound dramatically by tossing the spikes/discs KEF gives you and put Symposium Segue platforms under them that really focused the sound and cleaned them up. I don't like buying Chinese made speakers but they were at least designed in Britain and they have better bass (and overall detail) than the Alons but when you are very close (changing records) because they are not open at the tweeter level, don't sounds as good for a few seconds when I walk away. There are always tradeoffs. Because they make their own drivers and have tremendous economies of scale the value is undeniable. To get a noticeable improvement I would probably have to splurge for an $8K (list) or more pair of speakers, probably discounted to around $5K or more. I enjoy improving other parts of my system and trying to get the maximum out of the speakers, which is impossible in my non-dedicated listening room, but that is the never ending journey. Only changing one thing (especially inexpensive things like vibration control) enables me to judge the improvement, which often surprises me how much or little the sound was improved. Admittedly, I probably have allocated a much smaller % of my total system investment in speakers than the vast majority of 'Goners, but you can only degrade the sound when you go down the signal path, and I've spent about 50%+ on my turntable/cartridge/phono stage/Townshend platform/wall shelf/Hexmat eclipse mat. I have listened to a much more expensive pair of KEFs and didn't hear much of a difference. I was told the demo room did not have a good enough amp to get the most out of them. I considered a fairly big upgrade to Vienna Acoustics (close outs) who was leaving the US market, and even those, I was told (by an honest salesman at TMR) that I might not like them as much and I could return them, but the trial cost of shipping would have been $600 (can't remember if that was for 2 trips or one). I guess I have 20 years to go on these KEFs.....although you never know. With the platform upgrade to the speakers it really makes me hesitate. |
Took a break for many years, and had been fairly happy with a cheap but surprisingly good pair of epos bookshelf speakers, and my 30 year old Aragon 4004mk2/18k preamp driving them. But got a minor audiophile craving recently and sourced a pair of new old stock 805s bookshelf speakers, and it’s checking all my boxes. So far. |
Like many year, I’ve owned & enjoyed many different speakers over a long period of time. Like a few others here, I’m now really enjoying the Volti Audio Rivals. They effortlessly sound more like live music than any other speaker I can afford & they don’t require high powered heroic amplification like many other speakers to play loudly & sound great at the same time. I’ve heard several of the fine speakers mentioned that sound tight, clean, detailed etc but for myself, sound more like good hifi than live music is my standard of excellence & what pleases me. Check them out if this is what you like too. |
My current speakers will probably be my last. First off, they are heavy as heck! The flight cases could be used to bury me in. As I am getting older for some reason, I keep buying heavier equipment, maybe I am subconsciously craving the end game to this long journey. And... they cost more than I should have spent! They are the Clarisys Minute Planar speakers. ozzy |
@ucrazykid , The Borresen X3 is only 11k and puts many a fuglyaz Wilson in the dust. The 500k Borresens, Magicos, Wilsons, etc are primarily for dudes laundering dirty money (Don't feel bad if the crooked fat tabby cats in this biz told you they've got a bigger Mr.Happy 😁). A music lover whose pockets ain't all that deep could be very happy with the X3 and all the trickledown it got. |
I currently have AMRITA AUDIO REFERENCE STANDARD speakers. They are the best speakers I have owned. I really liked the Alta Audio Adam but at 18k I will never own them. Several offerings from Von Schweikert would also be on my radar when I win the lottery. But I'd be TOTALLY happy with the unbelievably high value and moderately priced Tekton Moab. |
