If money was and was not of any concern when buying speakers.


If money was no concern i'd buy these speakers........

If money was of concern the best speaker for my dollar would be...... 
macandtosh

I would have several and an environmentally controlled locker to keep them in.

My first rule is to never buy new - whether it is cars or speakers. By the time you get them home, you just lost maybe 20% and with cars, by the one year point, 30-40%.

Better to buy them used because you get more for your money no matter what level you are buying at.

Whether that saves you $2000 or $20,000 on speakers, that is money you can put into other elements of a system.

 

no concern
Biggest most expensive Focals I could find. Would definitely demo lots of great brands before deciding. Monster top notch amp to drive them with top notch preamp (probably tube). Cost no object Dac. 
 

Concern

hmm. Dunno. Currently considering Focal Trio 11 BEs. Sell of everything but my Dac. 

Maybe you find custom Wilson or YG that fit taste. Wallpaper make come back.

I have Sonus Faber Homage in my garage and Joseph Audio Pulsars in my shed. I am not sure what to get for my living room, nobody makes million dollar speakers in the colors that would match my wallpaper.

I own Maggie Rockport Wilson cesarro b&w Zu and Deville for my garage. All speaker have signature that rebound and conjure mystical quality that touch mind like librarian out feather on shaft in elevator when first meet after maid bring home from jogging.

If money was no concern i'd buy these speakers:

a.) Steinway Lyngdorf Model C Music System

b.) Von Schweikert Audio ULTRA 55

c.) Audiovector R 11 Arreté

If money was of concern:

a.) Audiovector R 8 ARRETÉ

b.) Piega Master Line Source 2

c.) Tidal Audio Contriva G2

Thank God that sometimes dreams do come true. 

"If money were my concern..."

The best value in hi-end audio today is doing a Linkwitz LX521 project. Nothing else comes close. They perform in the same league with the $30k+ systems and you can do an LX521 project for less than $5k and that includes amplification.

But if you’re lazy, like most readers here and just want to buy something, even at $16k or so from magiclx521, they’re still a great value. You can drop $30k on a loudspeaker and still have to drop another $10k on an amp (because you can’t spend that much on a loudspeaker and not spend that much on an amp...).

if money was no concern: B&W Nautilus, because I've heard them play several times at fairs, with different sources and rigs, and they were always the best sound of the year (to my ears and my taste, obviously).

if money was concern, well, the speakers I own now: B&W 804s and I hope 804D in the future.

in the middle (more than I can afford, but not so much more):
B&W802D3 or, changing completely sound, Sonus Faber Guarneri Evolution.

and yes, as the smartest of you may have guessed, I like B&W sound :D
  Focal Grande Utopia EM's if money was no concern.
   
  Since money is a concern, I've owned Focal 836v for 5 years now.   Love the mids and highs.    Now that I'm totally out of debt, I am perusing some new stuff, but don't see much stomping these, unless I spend $5k or more.   I am considering the electra range, but hard to find demos.     
Money no concern: I’d probably second the choice of Living Voice’s Vox Olympian & Elysian, given the listening room can accommodate them properly - which hopefully wouldn’t be an issue with monetary carte blanche. Battery-driven amps and source, of course.

Money a concern/practical consideration: what I got now - Simon Mears Audio Uccello. Only "tweak" I’d consider here would be, sometime in the future, adding a horn sub (LAB’s or otherwise). That, to me, would be the budget version of above, and as is (i.e.: without sub) is richly rewarding already.

Financially out-of-reach as is, the "in-between" alternative of interest: Sadurni Acoustic's Staccato.
The speaker I would buy for myself if I had the bucks would be

Muraudio PX1 Omnidirectional Electrostatic Hybrid Loudspeaker

at $63,000.00  the pair.   Oh,  how I wish to own these.
I recently visited a magnolia design center where they had big mono block Mcintosh amps pushing 800 diamonds. It was musical bliss!

Did the salespeople know how to operate it or did you have to show them?

@migueca  
 I recently visited a magnolia design center where they had big mono block Mcintosh amps pushing 800 diamonds. It was musical bliss!  
Money being an issue: the speakers I currently own, a pair of Dali Zensor 1 (bookshelf) and a pair of Zu Audio Omen Def (floorstanding). Both deliver a sound that truly satisfies me and both were acquired after many hours of listening and comparing (within my budget).

If money was not a problem, a pair of Harbeth bookshelf and the mighty B&W 800 Diamond! 
The B&W was the only speaker that fooled me into thinking that I was listening to a live concert before entering the room where they were playing. Matched with the right electronics, of course, that I can't recall what it was.
If money was no concern I'd buy these speakers: Vandersteen Model Seven II.

If money was of concern the best speaker for my dollar would be: Thiel CS3.7. 

I'm a big proponent of time/phase coherence; what else can I say?

Cheers,
Warren

I own the Revel Ultima Salon 2 speakers. Even if I had the money, I think that I've pretty much hit the point of diminishing returns.
As there are MANY cost-no-object speakers to choose from, there are NOT so many pristine recordings (regardless of format) that would transport you to that magical place where everything sounds, if not "real", at least authentic and faithful to your ears.  This has been a conundrum for many years, especially (as in one example) the development of Wilson Audio Watt/Puppy speakers, which have revealed every flaw in the source material.  So I for one have given up trying to attain the absolute sound in my home, but that doesn't mean others shouldn't continue to follow their dream.  
Bombaywalla,
Thanks for not being offended and understanding my grotesque. 
I'm in the same situation and seriously, election here does not exist. Selection does so I usually choose if I ever go vote the one I trust, but not the ones 'selected' that I usually don't trust or want. Truly, such 'selection' is getting worse each time I guess since JFK who probably was selected by mistake that had been 'rectified' I guess by those who didn't want to loose an ability of so called 'financial freedom'. Those who're dreaming of financial freedom are naive because indeed politician giveth and taketh and the fact was proven.
Think about that before purchasing your huge Pipedreams.
Yeah...still the extent and forms vary wildly.
Anyway, I would never buy any speakers for more than, say, half a million dollars regardless of the available funds.
Thanks for your support, inna.
you have to understand czarivey by reading his many posts on Audiogon - he is tongue-and-cheek all the time. It’s SOP for him! ;-) Even in his latest reply to your post he could not resist...
I was not offended when he said i should become a politician - i thought that was funny. i guess his mind went that way due to it being an election year here in the USA & seeing all the "good" our to-be presidents have done for us so far. Yeah, they are going to "fight" for us when they are elected into office...
in my original home-country, they make a solemn pledge to become a politician so that they can extort money - any amount, any time. Worse than the politicians are the civil (IAS) officers - many think they own the country!
i ran from that scenario only to land into the same quagmire here!! The filth of politics is universal I suppose....

good point Inna, becoming a politician can't mean anything bad at least officially can it?
Not all politicians are busy with professional extortion and money printing. Most perhaps but not all.
Bombbaywalla didn't mean anything bad, why offend the man for nothing? In fact, why offend at all?
bombaywalla, you'll need to become a politician. financially free don't need money at all bcoz you can take'm at any time any amount. just be in the right game. good luck
inna
1,853 posts
03-08-2016 1:21am
Money no concern - someone is seriously sick.
Money is concern - too many possibilities.
a good sick, inna! :-) wouldn't you like to be "sick" like that?? who wouldn't like to have financial freedom??

Money no concern - someone is seriously sick.
Money is concern - too many possibilities.
If Money was no object then
* Sound Lab U-1PX or
* refurbished Apogee Scintilla 1-ohm version

in a house built on the cliff with polynesian woods on Maui just like Zephyr's :-)  
Money no object: Charney Audio Concerto

Money a concern: Shelby+Kroll Monitors which I already own...Heck
                              money is always a concern for my hobbies.

Money a deep concern: Something from the Andrew Jones
                                       designed Elac speakers.
If money was a concern, I’d own what I do today...Legacy AERIS; they pack in so much performance and musicality that defies their price-class...I agree with others’ postings above on that sub-topic,..those are all fine speakers and worthy of making the list!

If money wasn’t a concern, we have a MUCH more interesting scenario that involves, but also transcends purely speaker choice;

- build a house in Maui on one of the many great cliff vantage points around the island, custom audio room purpose built, local and other Polynesian woods to finish various aspects is a must,...find a way to make at least one wall see-through so that I could enjoy the outdoor views during the day even when listening while using materials that are acoustically friendly and the room well-tuned...
- find a way to build a removable floor system behind the speakers so that all "huge unsightly audio and power cables" disappear almost immediately....this to increase WAF and end the complaining :-)
- start with the components and cables and speakers that I have today...
- possibly upgrade speakers to one of the following;
     a) Legacy Audio "V" Reference Speaker
     b) Rosso-Fiorentino Florentina Reference Speaker
     c) Eggleston Works IVY
     d) Rockport Arrakis 2
     e) Avalon Sentinel or Saga (new)
     f) Verity Audio Monsalvat...
     g) Listen to other reputed best-of speakers such as Magico, Marten, Wilson, etc...very carefully,

- Look at upgrade to the best of the best tube gear from AudioNote, Lamm, Wavac, TRL, Ayon (Titan) etc.....weigh this move very carefully
- Stick with my existing digital front-end and pre from Eso or move to Grandioso level separates
- Cables, PCs, etc...probably no changes or step up 1 level...

Dream BIG!!!

If money was no concern...

Wilson Alexandria XLF. Heard them at Sunny Components in West Covina. Heard every other Wilson speaker, and didn’t care for them. But the Alexandria XLF’s, hooked up to about 700k worth of gear...it was the best sound I ever heard in my entire life.

If money WAS a concern...

Aerial Acoustics 5t. Heard them at the same place, right after the Alexandria’s, and could not believe how good they were, and that was AFTER hearing the best speakers I ever heard.

So I bought them.

Money no object:

 Difficult, as I never consider the question, as money is always tight, however rich you are. There are other things you can buy with the cash, but I agree with Akg_Ca, the best Tannoy to suit my room.


Money important:

 Daedalus Athena's, I run the DA-RMA's now.

If money was no concern i'd buy these speakers........

YG Acoustic Sonja 1.3

If money was of concern the best speaker for my dollar would be......

Joseph Audio Pulsars
Vox Olympian would be my no limits speaker, and of course a room suitably large enough to properly support them and a hand full of good listening friends.

If money was also a concern the Audio Note AN-E/SPe HE are still not "cheap" but relatively so, watt sparing, and would be an excellent sonic investment for life.

Whether rich, filthy rich, or a relative popper, as I see it, one must look at Hi-Fi as a lifetime investment, not a momentary, impulse purchase.

Happy Listening!
If I had unlimited resources for speakers, I would NOT buy a commercially produced speaker. I would bring in a very good designer and have that individual design and build a system (and tweak it in) around my room, equipment, listening preferences and musical tastes. That includes subs and the appropriate active sub filter / crossover for the room, the subs and the rest of the system.

I have nearly that kind of speaker system now.
If money no object... not sure, but I've heard Alta Statement Towers at $200,000/pair.

If money an object, no question, GoldenEar Triton One.
@bcgator Wilson Benesch is awesome. The Arcs are great speakers. I live near a former dealer and auditioned them back in 2002.
Money no concern, Wilson Benesch Endeavors.   

Money of concern, I like what I have now, BMC PureVox and Wilson Benesch Arcs.
If money was no concern i'd buy these speakers........

The speakers that sounded best to me regardless of my amp because if money was no concern, I would buy the proper amp to drive them too.

If money was of concern the best speaker for my dollar would be......

The speakers that sounded best to me that could be properly driven by my current amp.