Hello,
I've been using Kenleigh LSM 2's (Logical Series Monitors) for some 4 years, before that Kenleigh FFM (Focus Field Monitors) of different cabinetry for the balance of ten years. 8" driver w/Horn-Loaded ribbon. They are extremly detailed. You can see them at www.rossexchange.com
I've had them on both SS and Tubes. My current set-up includes ARC SP6 to a pair of Sound Valve M-40 Tube monoblocks. Previously an Acurus RL-11 thru a Hafler XL-280. The Kenleigh's are rather efficient @ 91db and fill my 15 x 22 room quite nicely for CD, anolog and TV/Laser. I have been getting some very strange looks from my bro-in-law (fellow 'phile) for many years now, usually of amazement as though he is hearing something that he's not heard before.
Good luck in your quest. I hope I've been helpfull.
Cheers,
Jon Tiffin |
I'm another person taken with the Apogee Stages. I've built my system around them and they keep doing it for me. I too am tri-amping them. While other components come and go, the Stages stay. The only other component that has hung around longer is my Reference Line pre-amp. However, there IS that pair of EPI 100s I've had languishing in the basement since college..... |
Quad:ESL-63, ESL-989
Avalon acoustics: Eidolon
Master designs which have or will stand the test of time. |
We had a set of Magnepan Tympani I-D's for about twenty years. Finally, decided to look around. After nine months and many auditions later bought a pair of Wisdom Audio M-75's. The factory calls them an "heirloom product". I think they're right. My daughter will eventually inherit them. I will never sell them. |
I will make this brief! After owning two excellent speaker systems previously--Acoustat 2+2S and Dunlavy SC-IV, I bought the Revel Studio. For me, at least, the Studios are the ones, period.
Perhaps I am fortunate having the combination of electronics and cables I do, but the audio experience one has in my media room, listening through the Revel Studios, is not only utterly captivating, it is addictive!
I cannot tell you to buy them, but I do urge you to give them a challenging listen. |
Beowulf - The idea of a monopolar line-source (such as the Wisdom M-75's) fascinates me. Would you address a post to describing the differences in room interaction and placement requirements for this design vs. your old dipolar Maggies? How do these differences affect the way one listens to these speakers as opposed to dipoles or conventional boxes? Thanks for your thoughts. |
In 1978 while in school I bought a used pair of already-old Electro-Voice Sentry II monitors (16 ohms, 12" woofer, horn tweeter, about 80lbs. each) from a guy for $110. He had just bought a pair of the latest JBL thump-snap 12" 3-ways (the big show-off-your-stereo record was Supertramp Crime of the Century, remember?) and as I carried the EV's out the door he looked like he wanted them back...I kept them happily until last year when a move to a new house necessitated something smaller and nicer-looking...I was shocked that I had to spend about $2000 for speakers that I liked as well...the EV's sound is like the performer is actually singing in there, just behind the warm woolly grille cloth. I found a good home for them where I can still go listen. They make great end tables, too. |
Ditto for Dunlavy SC-5. They are in my system for life. |
I wish, I still had my old Servo-Static panels, especially for their tweeter elements. Sigh.... |
EPOS ES14! Absolute stunning sound, incredible sound stage, luscious mid-range, voices, especially female, are spectacular sounding. I have owned quite a few pair of speakers in the past. Martin Logan Aries i, SL3s, Polk Audio, KEF, Pro-Arc, Dynaudio, Klipsch, Naim. The Epos have put them all to shame, regardless of the price and size. People seem to have the idea programmed in their heads-that the more the speaker costs the better it sounds! I heard a pair of Wilson Watt\Puppies played through a KRELL FPB 600 and I had to bite a hole in my lip to keep from laughing! What a sucker punch to pay the price for all that equipment and have that kind of sound come out. I have a modest system that if you blindfolded yourself and listened to the two, you would save yourself enough money to buy a decent automobile!! The only problem with these speakers have, is finding them! |
I still have a pair of B&W DM7's. I bought them new 23 years ago. They are not in my main system but I still listen and enjoy them. My other speakers are from Avalon and I plan on never getting rid of them. If you haven't heard the Avalon line please check them out they are incredible. |
altec stonehenge III say no more! |
Dahlquist DQ 30i. Had them for about 15 years and to my ear still wonderfull. There are probably better speakers but price does make some difference. It is nearly impossible to find DQ30's but DQ 20's are readily available (as are the most famous DQ 10's) for around $400. In fact I bought some DQ 20's recently to put in a secondary small room. Great value. |
I've had PSB Stratus Golds since 1996 or 97, and I have yet to hear anything that I've wanted to replace them with. (I use a SONY DVD-S7700 (as a transport only) input to a SONY TAE-E9000ES pre/pro (w/ver. 2.01 upgrade) through an ARAGON 8008BB). I wanted that lowest octave (20 - 40 Hz), so I added a VELODYNE HGS-15, but the Golds bass is quite good (-1 db @ 35 Hz) without augmentation.
For 22 years before that I had ESS AMT-1Bs (uprgaded to 1Ds later), but I felt they were too bright and not smooth enough. |
For about 30 years, I've had a pair of Dynaco A-25 speakers which I bought new in 1972 or 1973. They have smooth, clean, neutral sound, and one can listen to them for long periods without fatigue. They're best for music played at moderate volumes. They don't have the power-handling capacity to play rock really loud. I have no illusions that they are the ultimate audiophile speaker; there are doubtless many people on this forum who have better speakers. For small-combo jazz, classical chamber music, or the like, however, they do just fine. Put it this way -- I've been listening to all kinds of music on them for 30 years, I could afford to replace them, but I'm in no hurry to do so. |
I've owned a pair of Aerial Acoustic 10T's in Santos Rosewood finish for about 18 months now. The 10T is a very nice looking full range speaker with excellent fit'n finish. The sonics are very good but you really need an amp with about 250 wpc or more to really make them sing.
To me, these are speakers to keep. No matter what else may come along, there should always be a place for these in my house. |
to hang on for life, they better be planars |
I can't imagine you guys/girls are really serious. You mean to tell me with your so called hyper hearing that them old ragged speakers you have are as good as what's produced today?
I mean, I got 11 year old Stages and they were terriffic in their day and are still pretty good in the midrange, but there are speakers out there that cost less today than the Stages did 11 years ago and have the midrange magic and are better in other ways.Plus they don't dominate a room.
Just because I own them though, doesn't make them saintly.
If loudspeakers didn't improve in every parameter in the last 10-20 years, then we wouldn't even be at this web site. For the industry would have gone outa business.
C'mon folks, face the music, your speakers that you so cherish from the by gone days are far from top shelf any longer. Most of them are nothing more than boat anchors at this point. Even my Stages. |
Almost 25 years ago I got this speaker kit by a company called "Fried". Designed by a gentleman named Bud Fried.
Well, I have listened to a lot of other speakers over the course, and these do everything right. The voicing and midrange is excellent. I have found that they go down cleanly to 40hz, and they sound a heck of a lot better than
a lot of current speakers that are way fancier, bigger, and
certainly more expensive. I see an ccasional "Fried" speaker on this site, and I believe they are still in business. I will always keep these, at $299 for these a long
time ago, they will always have a place somewhere. |
Although I'm in the market for a significant speaker upgrade, I've been using a pair of the original Boston Acoustics A200, Andy Petite's first design after leaving Advent c1981 for nearly that long now. I've upgraded the caps in the crossover, bypassed the fuses, spiked the cabinets, and put in new woofers from BA a couple years ago when the old surrounds wore through. I liked them the first time I heard them and they've definitely stood the test of time for me, despite my electronics having improved a couple orders of magnitude.
I find the frequency balance ideal and the detail resolution to be surprisingly good, enough to discern all cables and electronics upstream. Their HF dispersion is near perfect. The biggest deficit is bass, the 10" acoustic suspension woofer not having nearly the articulation of more modern designs, and the fact they were designed to be against a wall for proper bass extension - much is lost when they're centered in the room. With their wide front baffles they also sound 'boxier' than the narrow-profile current spkrs, though this does make for a very stable soundstage, at least laterally.
In my recent quest for my next speaker, I am amazed how well these compare with anything under $3K. Of course, that makes it all that much harder (or pricier) to find a spkr that significantly improves on these in all areas... |
Steveallen, I'm with you. Prices are down, technology has progressed, and anyone who comes into the game with the idea of hanging onto *anything* 'for life' is shutting him/herself off from the progress that's happening all the time.
That's not to say that you should not hang on to good stuff for a long time if you can't find anything that will beat it--but you should recognize that eventually something will. |
I just recently purchased a pair of Goldmund Dialogues from an Audiogon ad. I had wanted them for many years and will no doubt keep them for many years. This is a timeless design first introduced in 1983 and discontinued sometime around 1990. Very fast, very articulate, accurate and musical.4 ohms and 96db efficiency make it very amp-friendly. Hard to find but well worth the search. I use mine with a Rowland Concentra for incredible results. |
The Spendors LS3/5a or any of the LS3/5a variant would be for keeps.
The newer S3/5 or S3 is definitely worth considering as well. |
There are some big league speakers in here, so Im chiming in timidly. But, considering that I do not like stereo equipment which dominates a room, and knowing my listening rooms will always be on the smallish side regardless of where I live, my ProAc (this brand has come up a few times now) 2.5s are definitely speakers that I know I will keep. In an absolutely stunning cut of yew, I consider these as good as it gets (or I ever care to get) in a two way. |
Steven Allen:
I would be hard pressed to find speakers at a decent price that can do what my Infinity IRS V can. Sure, I could go and get the newer Genesis 1.1 for a lot more money, but the upgrade is rather small in my mind versus the money it costs.
Besides, newer technology isn't always better. People still use tube amps and listen to vinyl here, so don't come off saying that all these old systems are just boat anchors. Besides, my system wouldn't anchor my boat - it would sink it. ;-)
I realize that there have been improvements in phonographs and tube amps as well, but there still isn't a CD player that sounds better than phonographs that existed a long time ago.
Keeping something for life? Well, I don't know about keeping my IRS V for life, but I plan to hold on to them for at least 15-25 years (2-3 refoamings necessary) and often times, a life sentence ends up being about 20-40 years, so that may be about right for my speakers. |
Well, I can understand all the reasons why anyone should stick with his speakers for more than five years. I own a pair of Spendors LS3/5a, and they beat any speaker for imaging. But then again I appreciate my Dynaudio Contour 3.3, because ON THE Whole they trounce the small speakers and they are a better compromise over a wider listening window. |
Martin Logan CLS
I have mine since the CLS IIa (about 8 years ago) and upgrade to CLS IIz. I don't know that is qualify to your original question. If so, I will explain why.
I like the CLS becasue it will tell you whatever you put in front of it. It use a SINGLE driver. A real full range single driver. Not like those high db 6" little drive that need a hugh box to make any sound. The CLS has NO cabinet. The driver make all the sound. It simply recreate an image that I cannot remember from any other speaker. However, this happen ONLY when you have the correct front end.
For those who think ML bright and thin. You just didn't have a chance to hear ML with a good front end. |
I have a set of M15's and am getting a set of M50's!I would not want to sell them unless I get into trouble replaceing Driver's!
Nothing I can buy less than $4000 would be comparable to them in my mind.
I also have a set of Maggies and the NEAR's are more transparent believe it or not and they do the dissapearing thing better!
Pure musical heaven!
Good luck trying to find your ultimate speaker's!I know I have mine! |
I've owned a pair of Magnepan MG-IIB's since the early 80's (can't remember exactly...old age I guess)Listened to them today and will never part with them unless I buy new ones.May not have the bass response that most like but I find them very pleasing to listen to at any volume and with any type of music. Movies I feel are even better as I have even gotten out of my favorite chair to answer the phone and the front door at different occasions only to find out the sounds were coming from the Maggies'.Very open and spacious with..well..let's just say real. |
I just picked up a used pair of Coincident Conquests and love them. They are a great match with tube gear. |
As the second subscriber states on this list, the Von Schweikert VR7's, which can now be had in the HSE (Hovland Special Edition), upgrade model.
Below this, I would say their VR5 HSE, or their new DB100 true 100dB speaker system especially designed for people into tubes. Reviews will be out soon on the DB100 matched with 300b tube gear I hear. |
I have had Apogee Duettas since 1985 and could not think of another speaker. Apogee may be out of business, but a fellow named Graz is making replacement ribbons for all of the Apogee lines. His designs are better than the original.
Long live Apogee (and Graz). Todd A. Eilts |
Ryllau, I find myself in almost the same situation as you. I've owned Theil CS3.6's since 1996 and have been exceedingly happy with them. I've also made the decision to upgrade, and am questioning my sanity because of it. I do realize that there are better speakers out there and that technology has progressed significantly since the 3.6's came out. My issue is that I'm finding that to better the 3.6's, I'm most likely going to go with the Revel Salon's. They're the only speaker out there (under $20k) that I can find that convince me in all areas that they're a clear step-up from my 3.6's. Except for the Revel's, I haven't found any other speaker that I would give up the 3.6's for (at least if I have to lay down $10k+ to upgrade).
So, what speakers to keep for life? I'll be keeping my 3.6's to put in a secondary system, thank you. They're bigger than I would prefer for a secondary system, but when I consider how hard they are to better, and that they are absolutely flawless in every way but would only bring ~$2k if sold - then there's no way I'll get rid of them...until they give up the ghost. And that'll likely be a long time from now. |
If you're willing to entertain the Salons, have you considered the Vandersteen Model 5's?
If what they say about these is true, you'd have yourself a phenominal speaker system and save about $6k in the process.
They are a bit on the high maintenance side of life in the way of proper setup. |
In 25 years I've switched speakers once, I own Avalon Acoustics now. Unlike many, they are worth considering. |
MERLIN EXL-4 6 YEARS SO FAR & I DONT THINK IM GETTING RID OF THEM ANY TIME SOON |
It is interesting to read everyone posts/opinions. I really don't think speaker design has really changed much - materials on the cones, maybe, but they are basically put together in the same way. It still is an art to design a speaker properly. All of the acoustic measurements you take will not work well in the real world and this is where most of our listening is done. Many designers use special chambers/rooms for their work and this may not equate well with the real world.
We went for simple and elegant - Royd Doublets - we definitely will keep them. |
I bought my Martin Logan Sequels in 1987. At the time, I auditioned lots of very high quality loudspeakers including Kef 104/2, which I also liked very much, and Magnepans.
Here it is - 2002 and I still have them!! Of course they've been driven with high quality equipment, and I've taken wonderful care of them. I've had to replace the panels about 5 years ago, but other than that, they remain PERFECT! The sound still amazes me and I wouldn't trade them for anything!!! |
I'm sure that Ryllau has long since made his decision with or with out help from this clever thread. I have had the same Thiel CS-2's for 14 years. I always wanted the 3 series but my old room couldn't accomodate most of the improvements they offered so I couldn't justify the expense. I have recently moved and now have a room that can handle a bigger system. With that said I can't help but wonder if it's the smaller, lesser speakers that remain in our possesion longest. After all, there's always that bed room, den or what have you that could benefit from a nice little unfussy system. Or perhaps a friend or relative that could use a temporary (long term?) loan that you could accomodate with out too much risk? |
Have had Legacy Focus for about 8 years. I listen to speakers in every audio shop I go into and have yet to find those that make me want to change again. These have it all from low lows to high highs and the mid range is outstanding. I used to swap speakers every year or two until I purchased these. My only adverse comment is I found since they are 4 ohm speakers with 7 drivers they do need lots of power to drive them correctly which is generally contrary to what Legacy Audio says. I have a Krell KAV 1500 powering them now ----a good match. |
Infinity IRS Betas. They need careful matching with big tube amps on the planars and kilowatt solid state amps on the woofers (IMHO), lots of room, and patience to get set up just right, but when you do, WOW! |
Don't know how i missed this thread for so long, but i did. As Macdonj observed above, i have a tendency to hang onto gear. That is, if i like it and think it retains an endearing quality over time. On the other hand, there is some gear that i've had come in my door and leave within the time frame of a week or two. I know that some of you can relate as you've stated so above : )
Having said that, i'll never get rid of my Ohm F's. There is something about an omni-directional point source ( one driver per channel that radiates 360* horizontally ) that covers the entire frequency range that is incomparable to what one gets out of any other type of speaker system. It is so very different that one must experience it for themselves to know what i am refering to. On a good recording, the soundstage is literally "dense as thick fog". You can literally stand in it and walk around with the feeling of complete immersion. The first words that came out of my brothers' mouth were "f**king AWESOME" after experiencing this type of "music reproduction". It was "awesome" because it was no longer just "music reproduction" so much as it was experiencing the "dimensionality" and "atmosphere" of the recording. It was / is experiences like this that make one re-think what a system should sound like and be capable of. After you experience something like this, you'll never look at / listen to a "box" speaker in the same fashion.
Bare in mind that it took me somewhere around a year to really get the F's working decently. Finding suitable amplifiers was a REAL task. We are talking about speakers that average about three ohms across most of their operating range. As if bass does not require enough current to do correctly, these speakers drop to below 2 ohms at low frequencies. Tack on the fact that they are very low in sensitivity, something like 82 - 83 dB's, and you've got one helluva load to try and drive. As such, i don't think that there were really ANY amps made that could do these speakers justice when they were in production. Sure, there were plenty of BIG wattage SS amps back then, but the quality just wasn't there as a general rule. As such, many people wrote off these speakers due to the lack of suitable electronics to drive them. Between the very seamless and revealing nature of the speaker ( no crossovers, multiple drivers or baffle to deal with ), the lack of suitable amplifiers and the fact that there were several engineering flaws designed in from the factory that one would have to overcome BEFORE these speakers would really sing, they faded into the past quite a while ago.
Once i was able to find suitable amplification and tweak the speakers quite a bit, i liked them so much that i drove to Boston ( from Chicago ) to pick up another set to have as spares. As most of you know, the "real" Walsh drivers are only getting older and harder to find due to deteriorating with age. As such, finding a pair that is in good shape and / or been properly repaired and maintained is pretty tough. I've seen way too many Walsh drivers that were damaged beyond repair and / or repaired but not working properly.
With that in mind, looking for and finding a pair of F's worth tinkering with can be a task in itself, let alone putting in the work to really make them sing. If you think that you are going to drop these ( or ANY speaker worth keeping ) into a room, hook them up to an amp and be done with it, think again. I don't know of any "simple" speaker that can do what these or other "highly involved" speaker systems give you when properly set-up. You'll never get the results or the enjoyment that ANY speaker is capable of without putting in a great amount of effort on your part. Sean
> |
Although I've only had them a little over a year, the Vandersteen 5s will be my LAST speaker. Cheers. Craig |
Köchel K300 horns for me. They effortlessly pass through whatever they are fed. They suit my tastes perfectly and provide a stable base to build upon. Every change to my system is immediately discernable. Occasionally an upgrade brings about the need to address another area due to the sensitivity and transparency. A good problem to have though, in my opinion. I couldn't be happier with their performance. |
I will never ever, ever get rid of my Dahlquist 20i speakers. I have heard many other speaker setups, some of them costing as much as $100,000, and am still satisfied with these speakers. I'm sure there are speakers out there that have better this or that than the Dahlquists, but as a whole, I am completely satisfied with them. Even if I get rich, (not if, but when)I will still keep them. |
Apogee Scintilla. The 1 0hm one. If you haven't heard one properly powered, and the bet's on you haven't, you will never know perfection. |
Oris 150 horn speakers you can buy now and keep upgrading drivers and such for probley decades,Allways seems to be new full range drivers coming out ,lots of choices ,plus you can upgrade or repair them yourself ,no need to worry about manufacter suport ,If the finish gets dinged up just repaint .I dont think any other speaker system can compare with the sound and value of an oris horn ,plus you get to build them yourself [easy to do].Way better than martin logans or avalons or avantgarde etc .trio |
I think the Klipschorns or other Heritage models fit this topic altough some tend to drift towards a more neutral sounding speaker with age. The Klipsch Heritage speakers have been relative unchanged for decades and still have a fanatic following. 1970's/80's and older models are frequently listed on this site.
I have a pair of 1976 Klipsch Cornwalls & 1976 Heresys. They are great for home theater, but I'm considering something that is more pleasing or not as "harsh" for music. I restored a Dynaco ST-70 with some mods but still need a tube pre-amp to see if that tames the Cornwalls more to my liking or if I should look at something else.
This is very interesting because you can buy many of these vintage speakers and achieve perhaps better value than new. In addition if you do choose to upgrade they often hold their price or even appreciate. |
My vote goes to LS3/5a's. I have the Chartwell 15 Ohm version in Rosewood. My son (now 13) will inherit it! He was thrilled when he heard it first time. |
I think that a dixi cup and string are hard to beat for cost/sound ratios. |
