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After the thrill is gone

I think we all understand there is no “perfect” speaker. Strengths, weaknesses, compromises all driven by the designer’s objectives and decisions. 
 

Whenever we make a new (to us) speaker purchase there is a honeymoon period with the perfect-to-us speaker. But as time wears on, we either become accustomed to the faults and don’t really hear or hear past them, or become amplified and perhaps more annoying or create minor buyers remorse or wanderlust.

I am guessing the latter would be more prevalent when transitioning to a very different design topology, eg cones vs horns vs planars etc.

While I’ve experimented with horns, single drivers, subwoofer augmentation …  I’ve always returned to full range dynamic multi-driver designs. About to do so with planars but on a scale I’ve not done before, and heading toward end game system in retirement.
So I just wonder what your experiences have been once the initial thrill is gone? (Especially if you moved from boxes to planars)

inscrutable
nottmkid
13 posts
 

I was somewhat fortunate to hear a set of speakers at a store an hour away from home. I do not have a large room but struggle when staring/listening to a small box mounted on a pedestal. The speakers in question found their ways into my listening room and I have not even thought about looking for anything else. The final touch was to move away from all solid state amplification and boy it sealed the life long desire to keep what I have. I never tire of listening to the ensemble, and neither do my friends.

System comprises:

Pro-Ject turntable (soon the be replaced with Transcriptors Hydraulic Reference)

Wolf Audio Server

T+A DAC 8 DSD

Circle Labs A200

Audiovector R3 Arreté

i have been lucky enough to find what works extremely well in my room (typically the biggest problem to solve).

Post removed 
ball-wheel
70 posts
 

The Nola KO speakers are the end game speakers for me. I had the Dahlquist Dq 10's for 30 years. Then the Qg 20's for 12 years. 

jjss49's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
jjss49
6,608 posts
 

The Nola KO speakers are the end game speakers for me. I had the Dahlquist Dq 10's for 30 years. Then the Qg 20's for 12 years. 

i agree, carl marchisotto is one of the great designers (and nicest people) in the industry... his speakers through the various brand names and iterations were unfailingly open, sweet sounding, musical and natural sounding... 

sns
3,003 posts
 

I ran various Alons for many years, loved open baffle sound qualities. Went to ported box for a couple years, couldn't get past sense of closed in sound quality. Some Klipschorns fell into my lap, wow, could hear the potential right off, sense of live performers in room unsurpassed. With extensive mods i voiced in over the years, these are my last speakers.

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