My speakers suck, but I have to love them, because nobody wants them.

@kohnfutner9637

3 жыл бұрын

In the south, we say bless your little ❤️. Awesome comment 😄👍

@tupuhumuhumunukunukuapuaa3093

3 жыл бұрын

Well have a little fun with them. If you can manage, look up the Cardas speaker setup guide www.cardas.com/room_setup_main.php. You might think the measurements are crazy but follow it through and get the positioning right. Measure and make sure the distances are correct. You'll be surprised at the result, may not be what your used to but that's where the magic is once you get the speaker placement and seating right. Use whatever you have to get the tweeter closer to ear height. This is all given you aren't fighting really bad room acoustics. Your bad speakers might not be so bad once you have everything setup properly.

@tupuhumuhumunukunukuapuaa3093

3 жыл бұрын

@ He can ignore what I wrote if they're Bose. I don't know of a solution for those beside replacement... I forgive their little boombox speakers, although they even have that Bose sound but when you just need sound in an area you can actually do way worse in that regard.

@johnsweda2999

3 жыл бұрын

Try the Nelson pass active crossover might bring them to life

@kohnfutner9637

3 жыл бұрын

@ Bose are some of the worst I agree but a lot of people want them because it's the snootiest name in audio for non-audiofools.

It was so cool to see this video because, the speakers you list first - the Ohm Walsh 2000, are speakers that I co-designed w/John at Ohm Acoustics. They were the first speakers that we ever fully simulated the crossover in software, and actually listened to the speakers playing first w/the simulated computer crossover which allowed rapid instant changes to be A/B to our heart's content without building up various prototype boards and swapping out parts! It was an amazing experience to get to spend a few years working with John Strohbeen of Ohm Acoustics on the 2000 and the "Micro" Walsh line up! That was from 1999 - 2003 - it's very fun to see them coming up in videos all these years later still.

@torreslarry6837

3 жыл бұрын

so it"s roughly1987-88 and i am sick of"multiple"drivers phase X-overs coloration & bullshit" as i pass the hi-fi room {American of Oak Creek Wisconsin}i hear the very !st satellite system from "Henry Kloss" -- i did"Not" fall for th"hype" & as i turn "There They Were

@torreslarry6837

3 жыл бұрын

@@hardknock1278 the F "15-inch Metal "Full-range" is the Crazy stuff 1960"s tech 200 lbs !?! each

@torreslarry6837

3 жыл бұрын

original design Lincoln Walsh 1926 tech

@hardknock1278

3 жыл бұрын

I owned them. Bought them new. 2 XO. Now I have 4 pairs of them and a pair of OHM 4 . They are incredible speakers.. anybody who hears them is amazed.

@michaellatta

3 жыл бұрын

Walsh 2 for a long time. Loved them.

My first high end speakers were bought last year. My wife and I adore our Klipsch La Scalas. We’ve shared the experience of them with friends, family, repairmen, and even a couple of nurses who were checking on my wife. Everyone is blown away. So thank you Steve. Your review of the La Scala, along with a couple of others, motivated me to find a dealer close by. Gratitude

Steve...I'm retired now but as a teenager I fell in love with horn speakers. I've tried others but horns and tubes do it. As a teenager I had two outstanding sets of North American speakers. Simply amazing...15 inch woofers and large horns. Currently I use Cornwalls from '82 and Heresys from '85...both sets of speakers have Bob Crites updates...and I use tubes.

These "list" videos from Steve are gold! The combination of recommendations from someone who knows good sound along with the stories from his history is highly valuable to me and I imagine the audio community as a whole. Thank you Steve!

The Ohm Walsh speaker when it first came out was one I loved listening to when I sold audio in the late 70's. My roommate own a pair so I got to enjoy them at home. I was happy to hear you also enjoyed them. Glad to see that they are still making in Brooklyn today.

You should make this series with every component in the chain! I'm loving it!

In ‘79 I auditioned the best spkrs on the market. I fell in love & bought a pair of KEF Model 105 Series 1 for $1,800 new. I still own & play them daily, now 44yrs later! I recently bought a ‘80 Threshold Stasis3 amp & matching SL10 preamp In original mint condition. The results have left me gobsmacked, the clarity is astounding, as well as all the other attributes of a Class A system. Not sure how you didn’t list/missed these Steve🤔, still an awesome performer by today’s standards, I’ll never sell them🎼🥰🏆😎.

Steve, you are such an asset to the audiophiliac community! Thanks for your expressive, articulate reviews with soul!

One of the few channels that I’ll watch the videos from start to end. So much reminiscing on this one. I had my hands on some Altec 19’s way back in the day, those left an impression.

Still listening to my Polk Audio SDA 2b’s after some 30 years . Their soundstage is unreal and still have great clarity with true bottom end. Upright bass with vibes on the side and a couple horns is like being there....to me.

Great walk through of some legendary speakers. I’ve owned and listened to all sorts of great speakers and the best I’ve heard and own are the incredible Kef Blade 2’s. Totally immersive, emotional, dynamic, transparent, with awe inspiring room filling sound. A modern day classic.

This is one of the great audiophiliac videos, the years of experience shining through, I salute the sensei!

Your enthusiasm for this hobby is infectious! When you describe the Wilson Audio Puppy and recall going into work early with a bunch of records so you could listen to the Puppy's that says it all. You have been living your dream and it is a fine way to live.

@pauldow1648

3 жыл бұрын

What's not to like about a puppy.

@bennardvandiermen4523

3 жыл бұрын

@@pauldow1648 Mainly it's size.

Your audiophile journal is very interesting to me. I respect your opinions and your honest down to earth style. It's obvious to anyone your genuine enthusiasm for music and sound. You have a musician's sensibility, which makes your perspective relatable to me .

In high school I was introduced to mirage M-3 speakers/blew me away. So instead of buying first car I bought speakers/very unhappy step father. They lasted with me for 20 yrs, moved them (125lbs each) from Kc, to Ny, to Sf. They opened up a whole new world of sound that I beleive made me more opened minded and a lover of all genres of music...

One year ago I moved up from B&W Nautilus 803s that I loved for 18 years into a pair of Devore O93s. Never looked back.

Absolutely one of my favourite episodes so far 👍 Regards from Sweden

@clasvirhodes4969

3 жыл бұрын

Love Sweden and Jonna Jinton

I owned a pair of Martin Logan Aeons for 5 years and loved them. They did everything very well in my opinion.

What a wonderful experience to hear your remembrances and reviews! When I was much younger I had the joy of working in a new audiophile store selling such then esoteric speakers like the first electrostatic Dayton Wright’s which had many problems (arcing , crashing amplifiers and other problems) and new Polk and Magnepan speakers. I have had the privilege of owning many including MBL ( a Canadian brand) JBL, Jensen, ARs , Revel, Rel, Meridian etc but still live long term with Magneplanars, despite their sometimes difficult room placement and amplifier requirements. I really appreciate you never really criticize but mainly point out the virtues of different gear. There is no one “right” just as live performances are always different. Your channel is truly enjoyable! Please keep up the good work.

Steve, an excellent list, I have either owned or listened to most of these speakers. 👍😷

We had the old sears console stereo with no mids or tweeters, just 14” powered coil woofers and the scary crackly knobs , but man the amplitude of the sound that old unit threw out is unmatched.

I’ve owned B&W 704 for 15 years. The company produced them for a while then discontinued now they are back at it. I just love the detail.

Great review Steve! Love the history factor which is a breath of fresh sound compared to today's latest/greatest!

Just got my Ohm 2000’s. Thanks for the review Steve. Your earlier comments started me on the path to getting them. They look fantastic and sound so much more open and clear. (Had Yamaha ns-777 which were good but more restricted sounding vs. Ohms). The way the voices seem to float in the center of the room breathes new life into familiar recordings. It was a 4 month wait but well worth it. Evan at Ohm was great to work with too.

@narmale

2 жыл бұрын

great upgrade from those yamaha's... horribly muddy but boy did they look great in that Steinway black ;)

ESS-1 still blows my mind! When I first heard it I knew I had to get it!

The first Electrostatics, the Quad ESL57 Black with the Quad 303 amplifier. This was in the 60's. THey were my dad's. As a musician and singer I never heard a speaker that made the sound of the human voice sound so real and transparent. Large choral/orchestral works. Magical. That started me on the audiophile kick. You are right, they are not dynamic boxes and are not for rock. But jazz.. oh yeah. The speakers went to my sister, Dad has a set of ESL 63's with another quad amp. Not that many years ago my sister moved and no longer had room for the 57's. I couldn't let her sell them. I traded her a pair of Kefs that I owned that fit her home and was happy to drive home with the 57's and 303 in the back. I still have them. They still sound ok, never having been played hard and only with the 303 amp. I plan to refresh the amp, and the input network in the speakers at some point. I think most of the wear and tear reported failures of bass panels, etc are due to being driven with amps that can't handle the dynamic impedance load these speakers present. Distortion results, and the harmonics cause the damage to the panel. The other speakers I bought on the spot when I heard them and live with every day are the Ascend Acoustic CMT-340SE They are plain black boxes with a matching boxed speaker stand (I filled with recommended sand). Designed for music listening. Capable HT when you add a third for center channel and smaller matching bookshelf speakers, the CBM-170 along with a subwoofer for LFE. Hand built in Southern California. The more upscale and newer Sierra and Sierra II have ribbon tweeters and beautiful finishes, however the CMT-340's are still in production and wow to they provide sound way above their price point. Excellent soundstage and clarity. Surprisingly transparent for a box speaker. It's kind of a no frills audiophile speaker for the common man that immediately catches and holds your attention on the sound, not the speakers. Thanks for your videos. I love that you love those big Klipsch Cornwall IVs There is something about the horns that you either love or hate and I think a lot of it depends on the type of music and whether you want the speakers to be totally neutral, or have their own character about them. The high end Klipsch fall into the latter. I think my love of the Quad ESLs probably does too in what most people think of in the conventional sense of speakers. I've only heard big Klipsch speakers like the Cornwall once in a home environment. They were amazing. Lower end and smaller examples.. not so interesting. Keep putting these videos out there. I'd like to hear your take on studio monitors.

@worcestermark

Жыл бұрын

A second vote for the ELS 57s, but made more magical, perhaps dynamic enough for rock as well by running as a stacked pair in a curved frame. I will admit I listen to more classical jazz and acoustic music, but the rock in my collection never seemed to be missing much in that system. I got rid of them when the kids were little (potentially dangerous voltage to rears) and swapped in a set of early 70s Kef concertos, which are effectively LS3/5a's with a lovely tuneful bass panel built in. I liked a pair of Dahlquists I heard in a shop, but didn't have the room for them at the time.

I had some Magneplaner MGIIs back in the 70s. I also had some Klipsch Herseys. So the MGIIs had the musical naturalness but realized they lacked the dynamics. Well I modified them by adding Flor-stone concrete resign to the side panels. Then on the front perforated steel panel that supported the bar magnets, I created a tool to add peaked ridges of silicon between the vent holes to give more of a wave guide for sound transmission. Finally I changed the HF circuit capacitor that was a mylar film cap to a better polypropylene film cap. Holy smokes, the best MGIIs I've ever heard.

Wow one of your best vid’s to date! Just Listening to your enthusiastic description of each speaker you have owned is really refreshing. Thanks for sharing. “D”

I remember a rule of thumb from the 70s and early 80s. Allocate 50% of your budget on the speakers, and the rest divided between your amplification and primary source device.

Ohm Walsh speakers were my gateway speakers when I was kid. Got me interested in speaker design where I built my first speaker which was a Ohm Walsh replica when I was 13 years old.

@clasvirhodes4969

3 жыл бұрын

Ohm were my first good speakers too . I forgot the model. They were great. Lost them in divorce. I have PSB T6 towers now. They are soft , clear and transparent but not dynamic enough for bands like ZZ Top and Foreigner

@epi2045

3 жыл бұрын

@@clasvirhodes4969 Been there too my brother. Lost quite a bit of gear when I went through my divorce as well.

Loved this two-part series! And man, what an awesome tie dye!! Haha :)

What a wonderful video. Thank you for sharing all of this experience. Nice!

I've had the Spendor BC3 and I still have the BC1... they're both pretty good in my opinion...

Great choice Steve for speakers over $1000. I've had my ADS L 1290"s since the early 80's and they not only sound great but they still thrill me with their clarity, wide soundstage and dynamics. Always love your reviews and perspectives. Keep up the good work!

@soonapa

3 жыл бұрын

I forgot about ADS home stuff. My car was packed with their amps and speakers in the 80’s

@mitchellsigler3057

3 жыл бұрын

I've had the 1290"s since about 1985, they are amazing, over 35 years of joy. Think of getting other speakers, then, I realize, I already got the ones I love.

My first real audio experience was Proac Studio 3, have bought a pair as second string to Martin Logan Summit X. Both have quality and enjoyment when using great amps. Different but not distracted by the sound changes. You have been truly lucky with your work and career path. Cheers from Oz. What I really enjoy from your videos is introducing me to a wider range of music than I am normally exposed to. I buy many of these "test" discs you display to try out as much as possible.

I still have a pair of Ohm Walsh 3xO speakers I bought back in like 90-91. People are always blown away but the sound and staging they produce. Absolutely love them! When I heard them the first time, I knew immediately I could not come close to the sound for the price.

I bought Two sets of Klipsch in 1982. One set are Lascala's and a set of Heresy's. They are still the best speakers I ever heard. Thank you Steve, very much for this very interesting video.

I have lived with my Klipsch Heresy speakers for 40 years. Love 'em still.

@madmex6526

3 жыл бұрын

I also love my Heresy's because they're short and stumpy, low profile. All I see these days are tall and skinny, high profile. My KG4s are 30 y/o this year.

@nickscapellato8248

3 жыл бұрын

I purchased the Heresy IVs this past spring, I imagine there are speakers that do some things better but they are so fun and have ridiculous imagining. The design is beautiful too, I am also sick of tall skinny boring black towers.

@stevenorris283

3 жыл бұрын

Marty Hill bought mine in 1976. Still love them.

@stevenorris283

3 жыл бұрын

Bought mine in 76. Still jam everyday

@taloniilm

3 жыл бұрын

After many years of dreaming, I finally got my Klipschorns in 1994. Yamaha amplifier, DBX signal processing and a B&O turntable makes for a nice system... I like my music clean. I tend to listen to Frank Zappa the majority of the time...

Awesome video, thanks for sharing your experiences!

Afternoon Steve, I watched your speaker review and enjoyed it very much. I have owned several of the models you featured but my favorite of all time are my Harbeth super HL5. The first time I heard them I had to have them, I’m running them with a pair of bi-wired Rogue stereo 100 into an Audio Research ref 2 mk2, absolutely love it. Look forward to your future reviews!

I've owned: SoundLab A-1 MBL 101E Audio Note AN-E I now have Odeon Audio No. 33. They make all of my previous systems sound like toys.

My first speakers were Mordant Short MS-10’s. Very simple, small speakers that on the end of a good amp really sang and got me into music. I am a big fan of the large ATC active designs but love their more affordable passive, sealed SCM-19 bookshelf with a decent sub. The lastest version is exceptional if you have a high current/output amp or digital amp. Also A big fan of large active PWC studio monitors, and their massive dynamics. Many passive speakers seem to have limited dynamics and sound strained on peak output.

@beforever

2 жыл бұрын

The SCM 10 passives are without question the best speakers I have ever heard, the current 7s are good, better than the 11s which are good but unremarkable

I'm more an headphone kind of listener but Totem Mite bookshelf speakers are living with me since 2010 and I really love them. Affordable and very good sounding.

Thanks Steve, as usual an enjoyable and informative video. I bought my first system when I was 17 in 1988, Kenwood separates and Paradigm 3SE's. By my late 20's I had stopped enjoying music as much as I had and talking about that with a slightly older friend he said that he had just gone through the same thing. He sat me down with his new stereo, Sony ES equipment if I remember correctly, and it just wowed me. My search was on. Before long I had Cambridge Audio equipment with Vandersteen 2SE's, I kept my Vandy's for almost 20 years. I almost just replaced them with a new set but after doing a ton of research I pulled the trigger on a pair of Zu Omen Def's. Wow!!! Not fair comparing them to some quite old and well used speakers but the upgrade was stunning. I am pretty sure that the Zu's will live with me for quite some time, they're special.

I've really grown to love my Harbeth M30.1. I miss the dynamics of my Focal Aria 936 but the Harbeths are so much easier on the ears, natural and musical. I think maybe if I get a more brawny amplifier I can regain back some of the dynamics I lost.

28 years ago I went out listening to a number of speakers and tried: "At half the budget, is the difference small enough?" Surprisingly it was with a pair of Infinity RS4001s. They're great and I use them to this day.

Loved the review Steve. For me, I have lived with Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor speakers for 15+ years and hope to be living with them for another 15+ years. Super sound... super design.

Great video! So cool you got to live with all these incredible speakers!

@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac

10 ай бұрын

Right! Thanks for watching.

Forte 3s here. They aren't in an ideal space, but there's nothing I can do for that right now...they still sound great so I can only imagine when they have a proper space to live they'll just get better.

@lepidoptera9337

2 жыл бұрын

They may sound crap in a better space. What you are hearing is the combination of both, speakers and room. There is no guarantee that you will still like the speakers in a "better" acoustic environment.

ESS AMT-1 which I've owned for 45 years. woofers and xover caps have been replaced, but the original big Heils still sparkle

I bought an original pair of Vandersteen 2c speakers this summer. I have been amazed at the amount of music I have been missing all of these years.

Love these favourite lists of yours.

Me is Totem Model 1 signature 2600$ Canadian money in 1998. It sound like a Dynaudio but not has monitor cold if I can say. Warmer and precise and imaging.

Hi Steve, Great episode today. I am an audiophile with some "milage on the odometer". Have owned and enjoyed many box speakers in my life including Ohm , Kef Reference107 , Axiom, Energy, Paradigm, Klipsch and many more. After watching this episode you conviced me to try panel speakers. Maybe the Maggie LRS. I am a bit worried about room placement though. Thanks for your opinions and enthusiasm!

I love your honesty and passion.

Love what you do! In recent years I’ve become an ELAC fanatic. I am blown away by the Uni-Fi UB5s, especially considering they were just $500/pair. I originally bought them as an upgrade to a living room secondary system for background music. Today, after adding a REL T7i, I listen to this system more than a separate system with Vandersteen 5As, which are incredible speakers, and I don’t want to suggest that the UB5s are just as good. But the bang for the buck, IMO, is exceptional. Add the REL, and you may be at least considering whether $500 speakers were turned into $5000 speakers. Now considering upgrading to ELAC Carina floor standing speakers.

Good stuff here, Steve. Would also appreciate a similar discussion on headphones in the future, thank you!

Ive had the pleasure of listening to my Klipschorns daily for the last 45 years. Wouldnt change for anything else

@garysmith8455

3 жыл бұрын

Rob, what year were your Klipschorns made? Mine were 1968, rare WHITE grills and NO spacer between the horn and bass cabinet.... They were also signed by the builder with a black wax pencil on the inside by the driver.

@rongoodman8874

3 жыл бұрын

Totally agree. I own a pair of Belles with recently replaced cross overs..... I have done this for decades and Paul Klipsh nailed it.

@robadob50

3 жыл бұрын

@@garysmith8455 Nice! I know of those. I bought mine new in 1976, the year I graduated HS

@johnlepkowski3831

3 жыл бұрын

Mine were built in 1978. I plan on going to my grave with them. you got to replace the capacitors every now and then on the crossover. Keep them sounding nice

@christophernoto

2 жыл бұрын

I got to hear K-Horns 50 years ago. A friend had bought a pair and invited me over to listen. Even at this distance, it’s a stunning and cherished memory!

I was a box speaker owner for 37 years, though a series of bookshelf speakers (Marantz HD440s and Frieds) to floorstanding B&W DM220s that I still have today in my office. The Frieds were very transparent and handled all sorts of music well, I still have them as well. I gave my son the HD440s and mated them to a Marantz 4300 for a great vintage combo. Five years ago I removed a pair of Monitor Audio Golds from my living room and installed Magnepan .7s, and I fully agree with your comments on the requirement to live with a pair of Maggies at some point in one's audiophile journey! They are fabulous, throw a holographic soundstage and play well with all different types of music as long as you give them POWER. I have a McIntosh 200WPC solid-state amp feeding them. I recall hearing Ohm speakers years ago and wanted a pair, but as a teenager I had neither the money nor the floorspace.

I can't tell you how glad I am to have this kind of knowledge available to me. You want to talk about great? Thanks, Mr. Guttenberg. Love, LOVE your channel!

Love my Magnepan 1.7s, which I've had for a few years now. That dispersion pattern, being enveloped by sound, is so wonderful. And on top of that, the reproduction of things (especially acoustic instruments) just feels so true to life. But I'm growing a little restless, on a few fronts: I'm also impressed by the high-end KEF concentric drivers like those in the LS50. They seem to solve phase alignment issues in a similar way to the planars, if not better. From my past one of my favorites was an early model of the B&W 801s with the angular head on top. Oh man, those were SO MUCH FUN. Never should have sold them. But they are HUGE. Speaking of big, a friend of mine has the JBL 4367s and I honestly think they may be the best I've ever heard, but they are completely unforgiving to poorly produced music. As a result, I'm highly curious about the Tannoy legacy/classic series. It's a stark contrast from my Maggies: large woofers, dynamic speakers that are high efficiency. The Klipsch Forte/Cornwall is also a contender but I've been so impressed by well-engineered concentric tweeters that I'm holding out to audition a Tannoy Cheviot or Arden first. Would love it if you can ever get a pair to review yourself. And the other one I'm super keen to hear is the Ohm Super Sound Cylinder.

@viggozing598

2 жыл бұрын

I've heard the Magnepan 1.7 in the same room as the KEF LS50 with a bunch of people and everybody agreed that the Magnepan 1.7 sounded so much better.

i had watt 3 and puppy 2's. It was back when they first came out. I would have many a night where i would be listening to a piece of music and the tears would be rolling down my face. They were incredible. The whole system was, but i moved from my house to a condo years later and i sold my system. :( I'm just now getting back into it but headphones keep the peace in my life now.

@theoriginalcraig

Жыл бұрын

Howard Sokoloff My reference point for how good a speaker and piece of music are...is when tears are shed. That's when it all becomes real and transcendent. It's a spiritual thing. Only sorrow and beauty pierce the heart all the way through, and those moments of beauty are worth ten times every penny spent on a sound system. Thank you for sharing your experience. I'm right there with you, sir.

Wow! My speakers are on your list. Gallo Acoustics Nucleus Reference 2. I’ve had them for 5yrs. Phenomenal speakers. Best investment I’ve made in audio. They go very well with my McIntosh gear. Great video Steve. You have a wonderful channel.

Glad ES14s made your list. They sound beautiful when properly set up.

Ha! That picture of the Wilson Audios is of my pair and a picture I took. I watched your video in that same room, which we have since remodeled. I screamed at my TV!

@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac

3 жыл бұрын

Wow that’s cool!

The two that made me pay attention to the artist's performance on the recording like no other: The Acoustic Zen Adagio and Gallo Reference 3.5

@66jodaco

3 жыл бұрын

@@michaelcampbell8315 Yeah, you know what? I'm completely wrong and you're right. I never realized they're a joke and over priced with no bass. I should've asked for your expertise before I bought them. What was I thinking? I only know how they sound in my listening room with my gear. You must know better because you obviously tried them in every listening room with all the gear out there!

Love you videos. Years ago I was on a mission to find the best speakers I could afford. Long story short, I found KLH to be the best for the money. One day I bought a pair of Sansui 5000 speakers from my friend. I owned them for years and loved them! I would never have sold them but about thirty years ago I needed the money . I still regret it!...in fact every now and then I dream I get them back. I have never heard any speaker as good especially for voice and wonderful realistic base. An active 15" 2- 8''s 2-6''s 2-horns a large port and about 90pounds of warm wonderful sound. Oh boy, hope I don't dream about them tonight! Happy New Year!

Great video Steve. My favourite speaker at the moment are the B&W 683 S2. I have had these in my system for around three years and they never cease to impress on every level. The off axis capability is the best I have ever heard, the imaging is great and at all power levels they are very involving. Everyone who listens to music at my place always talks about the music, which is what you want isn't it?

Two stand out for me. I don’t know the model but I went to a strangers house to collect some speaker stands I bought on eBay. Turns out he used to work for Mission and then Cyrus and was quite senior in the company. Got talking to him and he showed me his Cyrus stack playing through some Quad electrostatics, modern ones but have no idea of the model name. Wish I did because although older electrostatics rightly get criticised for lack of dynamics, these ones blew my socks off! He played (on my request) Prince’s “Seven” and the bass drop after the initial a Capella section was jaw dropping. They were special special speakers. Back down to Earth, the speakers that for me punch WAY above their weight are Royd Minstrels. Tiny odd looking things but kick out a surprising amount of bass for such a small and narrow floor stander and because of the design (lean back) the sound stage is HUGE. The music sounds like it’s floating above the speakers somewhere and as a consequence the detail and depth they go is frankly brilliant. Only £250 back in 1994, but still now.....the best speakers I have in my house and have ever owned. I wouldn’t part with them for anything.

i'm pretty happy with my older acoustic research three ways with ten inch woofers. i also loved the sound of the tall "cabasse" cabinets! from the late nineties.

@edthefirst2859

3 жыл бұрын

AR-3as are still some of the best "bookshelf" speakers ever made. I owned them, the 2ax, the 9LS and the 4x.

This was a very pleasant trip. My first decent system in the mid 60s was a Thorens TD150 with SME arm Shure v15/4 cartridge, Leak Sandwich Speakers, and , what I regret not keeping, Radford STA 25 amp and sc22 pre amp. Tastes and needs change over the years and I appreciate an honest and informed opinion such as yours.

Great Vid. I watched and enjoyed every minute of it. For me...My Klipsch Forté speakers I bought brand new in 1990. I still have them and love them. They are so easy to drive and absolutely pound! Back then, I paid $1,000 for them. A total steal. I will never part with them.

Apogee Stage; transparent, fast and musical. Pretty easy to drive for a ribbon, too ❤️❤️❤️

Absolute best sounding speaker I've heard on multiple occasions was a pair of bookshelves built by a good friend of mine. He used 6" Morel Titanium series carbon fiber woofers with Morel Supreme soft dome tweeters. The size of the sound that came form these modest 2 way bookshelves defined logic, the sounded 20' tall and had depth that went so far beyond the front wall it was incredible and infectious. He paired them up with a Morel 9" sub woofer using a BASH 300 plate amp and it was just audio bliss, I alwasy called it my Hi-Fi therapy session.

Steve! Terrific personal list. You have such a great wealth of knowledge for your viewers and you pass so much along in fun and not just informative ways. Thanks. I think if you only had a bigger apartment you might extend your list of favorite Klipsch speakers to include corner horns. I could tell you really loved them and were maybe a little wistfully envious when you’ve encountered them a couple of times in video reviews. I had a pair of tweaked Forte II and moved up to Klipschorns and your description of both Klipsch horn sound and of more open sounding panels and open backs is very reminiscent of my experience with my corner horns. And what a bargain.

your addition of electrostatic speaker technology was interesting I loved the mid and high range function ..

Now I subscribed finally. Got a pair of Watt Puppies 6 basically based on your earlier coverage of the Watt Puppy 5. What a fantastic recommendation. For me they are end-game speakers and a perfect upgrade from my LS50+dual subs setup. Of course, I am still using the subs. Many thanks again for this great advice. Enjoy every minute with the WP6s :-)

@Joker-ig8im

3 жыл бұрын

Welcome to the community.

@benicetall

3 жыл бұрын

What is your setup, I have watt puppy 6 with Ayre 5xe and Shindo Argelius. Does not come.close to my Harbeth SHL5.

I lived a long time with Apogee Stages. Sold them and still miss them.

@edwardbalboa5528

3 жыл бұрын

Idiot

@zhemzhem1819

3 жыл бұрын

@@edwardbalboa5528 dont be rude

that was fun! stay well. thumbs up. i am an appreciative subscriber!

I was very impressed with the PMC Ob1 floor standing speaker. Got a perfect pair used for 2500 a few years back.

No list is complete without the Bob Carver Amazing Speakers Platinum edition - could stand with the best of them!

I have been extremely happy with my Aerial Acoustics 10Ts.

@warrenc2822

3 жыл бұрын

Mike Young Me too! So much so I have 2 pairs in my home theatre and one pair in my office.

I bought a pair Revox symbol b speakers almost 40 years ago and they still sound amazing. I have had to have them re-coned once.

Steve, I loved this piece. Like you, I’ve been an audio nut for decades. I live in the UK, and I’d like to list the various loudspeakers that I have owned since the early sixties. First up a pair of Whitley Stentorian bass reflex speakers that I kept for a few years when still at College and living at home with my parents. Second up ; a pair of Harold J Leak Sandwich speakers. These were beautiful cabinets of an infinite baffle design. The main driver was an interesting design with thin metallic skins over a composite infill, giving great rigidity to the driver to give a pistonic action. ( I remember an ad with the old man himself , HJR, standing on top of a drive unit; I don’t know what that was meant to prove! ) Third up ; a pair of Epos ES14’s just the same as you. I agree these were really cool and gave great results. Fourth up ; I then delved into active speakers for the first time and bought a pair of Meridian M2’s, that had enclosed amplification and were on stands that gave the speaker the appearance of leaning backwards away from the listener. These speakers made by Boothroyd Stuart were very fast and focused, but lacking a bit in the bass area, and so I only kept them for a couple of years. Fifth up ; and by now I was well into the Naim / Linn sound that was very big over here in Britain for audiophiles for years. I bought a pair of Naim SBL floor standing speakers which were of an interesting two compartment design for the bass/ midrange, and tweeter separated above. This was also an active design, but I ended up with so many boxes of amplifiers and active crossovers, that the whole ownership thing became too much. I kept these guys for about five years though even though management at home was underwhelmed. Sixth up ; Everything went , and I had a craving for simplicity of use and functionality. I bought a one box integrated amp and streamer and then bought a pair of PMC Twenty5 23’s. Lovely smallish floor standers with a transmission line design. Nice speakers, but unable to perform as well as I would like in my largish listening area. Seventh up ; More PMC’s , this time the next size up the rank in the Twenty series, the PMC Twenty 24 model. Same design and a very listenable experience, a good product. Eighth up ; My current speakers !! ATC SCM40A ‘s. Again active design with amplifier within the a cabinet of an infinite baffle, three way speaker. I just love these speaker’s and have no plans for any more ventures ! Keep up the good work with the channel Steve, I like to visit your videos quite often and really enjoy your approach to the subject of our mutual interest.

When I was 18 I'd take some beer, a few of my favorite albums and some other stuff that's not legal in all states yet over to a co-worker / friend's house on Friday nights and we would listen to my albums on his Dahlquist DQ-10s. I realize Dahlquist DQ-10s are not the mega buck speakers like most of the speakers in this hall of fame but he was also an electronic technician and was on retainer to a guy that had a system that cost more than the house that the system was in. I can't remember that far back clearly enough but I did see the system a couple of times and the speakers were the Infinity reference with what appeared to be about 4 or 5 feet of ribbon tweeters that I was told cost $30K way back in 1980. I have no idea if that's really what they sold for or not but they were impressive looking although I never really got to hear them to their full potential because my co-worker friend spent most of his free time replacing fried ribbons. Anyway the Dahlquist DQ-10s were on my short list of speakers to own before I die but there's more life behind me than ahead of me at this point and they are pretty bulky so you can't just store them in a closet very easily so the time I spent listening to them way back when will have to suffice. I think audiophiles and audio enthusiasts are probably living in the best time ever to own an elite level of gear with minimal cost. To be 18 again...

@alext8828

3 жыл бұрын

The DQ-10s were the best speakers, by far, that I had ever heard. That is probably true to this day. They were insane.

The way you describe the snell reminds me of the jbl studio 580: it doesn't do anything exceptionally well (except maybe bass) but it does everything nice and smooth. Kind of like elac, too.

Hey Steve back in 1997 I bought a pair of Klispch KG 2.5 large bookshelfs speakers that are a MTM speaker 2 6.5 inch driver in each box and a horn loaded desighn in the middle and the horn resembled the horn in the Triangle EZ and adventually I got my hands on a Sansui AU 11000 Integrated amp and the combo sounded amazing ! Espically with LPs different era back then Todays Audio has gotten so dam good !

Dynaco A35s, with PAT 4 Dynaco preamp and Stereo 120 Dynaco power amp. (which I built from kits) (later built stereo 70) I loved the sound of that gear so much. Fun episode Steve. Thanks

Miss my college days with double large Advents driven by a Phase Linear 700b. My dorm room was a very popular place.

@clasvirhodes4969

3 жыл бұрын

Yes I remember those early Advents were very dynamic

I’m still enjoying my B&W 805 Matrix speakers! And I’ve held onto my Radio Shack Optimus Linæum tweeter speakers for about as long.

@jllpmusicman

3 жыл бұрын

Ben --- Were the Optimus Linaeum speakers from a Portland, Oregon, company? Seems they might have been the speaker a customer realized they sounded better with an opening stuffed with drinking straws & told the manufacturer. Company ended up modifying the speaker after looking into his hack.

@antigen4

2 жыл бұрын

Jim Little are you talking about SPEAKERLAB? they were from portland i thought. fun company. interesting products and kits.

Great to see; your walk through your speaker life was a blast from the past (of my entire audio life)! I am currently loving Ohm's European offspring, the German Physiks Unlimited- maybe my last speaker although I've said that before. I started with KEF but then went to Magnaplanar 3.6s in a tiny co-op. Got a house and got Snell Type B. Listened to Apogee and Martin-Logan a lot at The Listening Room in Scarsdale on Thursday evenings when they were open late. Moved on to B&W Matrix 803s. Moved again and went with three generations of Goldenear Tritons (love those pleated tweeters!), and for my 60th birthday increased my budget cap and got the magical G-Ps. Fun to hear your speaker journey!

Great selection, Steve! I've had my Definitive Technology Mythos ST Super Towers for about 10 years now. Each with its own powered subwoofer. They absolutely rock!

Hi Steve, have you ever reviewed any Paradigm speakers, I've got an old pair of Reference Studio 100s, probably over 20 years old, got them from the original owner who had the in storage for about 15 years, great price so Iouldn't pass them up, and I kinda like their sound. what are your thoughts on Paradigm in general??

I thought the B&W Nautilus 802s were spectacular even though I have never cared much for the brand's lower-end offerings. The NHT 3.3s cost less but were also unforgettably engaging. More recently, the MartinLogan Motion 60XTi speakers have impressed me quite favorably.

Steve, I absolutely love your segments. As a kid in the 1960s, I was taken by the lush sound of Magnavox consoles in the Music store where I bought the latest LPs of the day. The side-mounted 12-15" bass speakers and front-mounted exponential horns delivered very pleasing sound, and Magnavox sold more stereo systems than any other brand in the world at the time. Frankly, on a performance-per-dollar basis, they were very hard to beat. But at the same time, I always had great interest in the "high-end" and read Stereo Review and High Fidelity reviews all through the 1960s and 1970s. After graduating from college in 1976, I chased Magnavox until they hired me in 1979. By then, Philips had bought Magnavox and I now had the dual enjoyment of working for Magnavox but also selling Philips' high-end offerings. This led to a very satisfying career that lasted until my retirement in 2009. Now, my goal has been to assemble the "very best" from Philips. It took a few years to obtain, but I finally did it. It includes the famed LHH1000 CD player, which you are likely familiar with. Not too many were made...they were $4000 in 1990. Rarer still, are the Philips Reference Series FB1000 speakers with large ribbon mid-range and ribbon tweeter as well, with two woofers at different crossover frequencies (they are 4-way systems). These too sold for $4000 (pair) in 1990...the equivalent of a bit over $8000 today. As Philips owned Marantz Japan at the time, there was a Marantz LS-95 twin that was also available. I find these speakers very satisfying with startling clarity and great sound-staging. Have you ever seen or heard them? Very few were made, as Philips was really more interested in making a "statement" than continuing in the high-end on a long-term basis. As a volume manufacturer, it was hard to keep management focused on low-production "statement" pieces for long, but it was fun and I am very happy to have been able to preserve a bit of high-end history that is not well known. Keep up the great work!

I’m glad I could join you on your journey of favorite speakers from over the years! Of all the different speakers that have come and gone from my house, the JBL CF150 which still resides in our great room now for over 20 years, has earned its right as a permanent fixture. It has a fairly large footprint (like a dorm refrigerator), but the sonic quality of this speaker still blows me away even today. The 3 way speaker uses a rather small 1.4mm Mylar dome tweeter followed by a rather large 16mm midrange that looks like a miniature version of the poly laminate 15” woofer just below it. This is truly a full range speaker, and with a 98db efficiency, it doesn’t need a boatload of power to sound great. The soundstage that this pair creates is absolutely massive, and easily fills the 20x24 room they are in. The tweeters recreate notes that you can almost catch right out of the air, and the mids with their large cone are gentle, but precise with just a touch of dryness, which sound beautiful for realistic reproduction of instruments, and vocals. And the Star of the show is the massive 15” driver that effortlessly creates sounds into the low 30hz range, but seamlessly mates to the mid driver, leaving no usable frequency unfilled. All in all, this speaker sounds great, and never beats you up in the process, and for what seemed very expensive at the time (just over 1k a pair in the late ‘90’s), would be a fantastic bargain for what’s offered today.

I picked up a pair of Infinity Kappa 7.1 II's on Craig's List for $175! I believe they originally sold for around $2000 a pair. They were filthy, full of cat hair, reeked of cigarette smoke and the Poly Dome Mid's were yellowed from years of exposure to cigarette smoke. I thought that for that money, I could part them out and make some money on the deal. But when I gave them a listen, they actually sounded pretty damn good. So I cleaned them up, refinished the cabinets, got the Mid's rebuilt by Bill LeGall at Miller Sound (AMAZING work) and glued the loose port tube that was vibrating on certain bass notes because it had separated from the inside mount. I just LOVE these speakers. They can really play loud and thump the room! But they also have great detail and the bass digs deep. Then about 2 yrs. ago, a guy I worked with was moving and had a pair of Dahlquist DQ-10's (about $1600/pr. back in 1976) that had been in a storage locker for 20 yrs.. They were so dirty and dusty that they looked like they were covered with snow! He didn't have the skills to refurbish them nor did he want to throw them out. He knew that I worked on old amplifiers so he figured that he would ask me if I wanted them. I reluctantly said 'yes'. The woofers needed surrounds, the grill cloths were loose, the wood side panels had scratches and white paint splashed on them and the stands were ruined in a flood. I figured that I would clean/refinish/fix them up and then sell them since there seemed to be a huge following of the DQ-10's (that I didn't understand). Once I finished them, built new stands and finally hooked them up, my jaw dropped! The soundstage was huge and open, detail amazing and the bass was much better than other users had indicated(my upgraded Hafler DH-500 amp had something to do with that). Last year I rebuilt/upgraded the crossovers and they now are my new favorites. I don't think I will ever part with them. I do have my eyes on the Spatial M3's, but they are just a bit out of my budget for now.

@HareDeLune

3 жыл бұрын

Great story! Thanks for sharing. : )

@Aswaguespack

3 жыл бұрын

Excellent story and there’s an interesting lesson here. Many old speakers regardless of design, have histories of abuse, unintentional or otherwise, and neglect and if a person has the time they can without a great deal of expense and with some TLC can resurrect fine classics to their former glory, giving them a proper home for the respect they should receive as true classics and maybe even with a few tweaks improve their response to a level that some modern speakers can’t match plus there’s great satisfaction in doing so. Great story.

After a year of spending some time bouncing around the big shot audio reviewers channels i put steve at top because no rambles in a more entertaining and useful way.

@davehood1514

3 жыл бұрын

Yamaha ns1000 I heard these in my local dealer years ago on the end of a Linn LP 12 and Cambridge pe/power amp was blown away be how good they sounded for at the time A bargain £550 wish I had bought a pair 🙄

One of my absolute favorites, though a bit older, and no longer made, is the KEF Reference 104/2 bi-wire. I own a couple pair of these, and use them for both HT, and music, and they were a steal brand new at $3,600/pr, and even more so now for about $800/pr in decent, reconditioned shape. I've rebuilt a number of them, as well, and they never fail to make me smile.