Experienced audiophiles best speaker

What Elizabeth said...

The ones in my living room are my current favorites.

The second best were the ones I didn't buy or couldn't afford.

I'll just rank a few of the more popular ones that Ive had.

Martin Logan Aeon i 9
Martin Logan Ascent i 9
Paradigm 100 v2 7.5
Paradigm 100 V3 6.5
Legacy Focus 20/20's 10
Magnepan MMG 6
Magnepan 1.6 8
Gallo 3.1 7.5
Paradigm 20 V2 7
Paradigm S2 V1 7.5
Paradigm S8 V1 8

It seems to me the OP was looking for people to compare loudspeakers they have heard. Or at a minimum, the OP asked for people to list the speakers that "did not take the gold."

Perhaps that's a question that yields a less than interesting outcome. So far no one has answered the question. An answer might look like:

"I was amazed when I listened to the Wilson Sophia at a dealer and I thought I heard the woofer cone strike the back of the assembly when a loud drum thwack was played back on Reference recordings' 'Pomp & Pipes'. If it was not that, then all I could figure was the small tube amp they had connected to it could not deliver the required power."
or...
"I owned the PSB stratus Gold i's with McIntosh MC300 and C15 preamp, and could never get them to sound good in two different rooms, whereas the B&W M802's with the same electronics were fantastic in every room."

Those are two of my experiences. (btw, I also heard the Sophias at another dealer with Ayre electronics and they were quite fantastic, though I did not hear the same CD).

Such testimonials also offer the potential buyer/researcher a direct lead to contact the poster by personal email on the sidelines, as to not get into a "my brand is better than your brand" dispute, though of course that discourse is perhaps the oft consequence of any useful comparisons people present from experience.

Any kind of direct reference and comparision is the most meaningful data that people can share on a forum like this in my opinion (especially on "what's the best" threads). Answers like "B&W 800D's are the best" or "Harbeth M40's are the best" are those that have had members chastising "what's the best" threads for years. Without frame of reference of what you have owned/heard and did not like, the rest is meaningless.

Perhaps the OP can tell us if that is what they were asking.

OK, here is a stab at the question. One of the best I have heard recently is the Sonus Faber Cremona M driven with MAC gear, 2300 preamp, etc. Just a delicious speaker. Only average in the bass, but good for the woof size, but the musicality of the midrange only begs for long listens. Nothing spectacular, just musical, musical. The richness is lifelike, organic, and just plays music. Is there a speaker called the best????...what really is the best is and always will be a mystery. Even live music is not the best as some live music is very bad. Bad mics, poor acoustics, etc. No, I don't own Cremonas, but I would like a pair. I have heard a lot of speakers, currently just sold my beloved 1.6 maggies, have the 3.6 which are fabulous for different reasons, love my Aerial 10T's, and have the Nestorovic 5AS MkIV, each one spectacular in a given setting and the right gear with them. One of the best has been the Legacy Whisper HD, just grand, spectacular, and so panel like, but with efficency. And the maggie 20.1, given enough power, is so inviting as well. All speakers I could and do live with, at least some of. The rest are owned by friends. Did I hear better systems at the CES show????...No. Jallen