The best speaker you ever heard?


In my opinion, the speaker is by far the most important part of the audio system. After all, it is the only part you hear. OK, the other stuff really matters a lot, but without a great speaker... No go.

I am a bit 'speaker-obsessed' I guess, and now I am wondering: What are the best speakers you have ever heard, and what made them the best?
njonker
the best loudspeaker I have heard is the one that hasn't been designed yet with a revolutionary discovery. In essence it's a personal taste. Most of us could never own let alone hear some of the most expensive and exotic loudspeakers out there and on this site. I am sure most are the best sounding to those who like their sound. I am happy with ohm's, magnepans, eminent tech, acoustat because those are the manufacturers I own and I was once a bose flagship owner in the 80's and until I found about audiogon and high end, I never looked back. For me, I cannot go without planar/electrostats and CLS (Coherent line source) designs by magnepan, ohm acoustics and any of the electrostat manufacturers like martin logan's, innersound, quads, etc. since my acoustat is defunct in the u.s. and belongs to china now. I purchase or upgrade based on these designs. I like horns since I own klipsch and wharfedales zaldek also
Armyscout, ah, another solution to my old problem-have everything. I decided instead that no speaker was more than a compromise of one aspect or another.
The best speaker I have ever heard is the Martin Logan CLX with the Magnepan 20.1 running a close second.
Wilson Watt/Puppy. Incredible imaging, dynamics, timbre, and soundstage. And, importantly, balances well visually in an apartment for those of us who don't have a dedicated audio room.

For naturalness, smoothness, detail, liquidity, openness, air, and vocals, Quad ESL-63 USA Monitors.

The B&W 800's are awesome, but my tastes run to the Quads, then the Wilson Watt/Puppies.
ProAc D80 is one of the most impressive loudspeakers I have ever heard. Sparkling clarity and absolute authority that is quite exceptional.