best loudspeaker ever heard

[sergiox]

in my opion the esl 57 , electrostatics, and the neat ultimatum mfs (also better than the other in the ultimatum range) , what's your opinion about ?
cheers
s

[walpurgis]

in my opion the esl 57 , electrostatics

Yes. At what they do, I've heard nothing better. They have limitations, but are amazing nonetheless.

[Barry]

Yes, the Quad ELS 57s have some limitations/shortcomings/failures (depending on your viewpoint), but given the longevity of the design they were, and are, a remarkable achievement. If you have room for stacked pairs, that will go some way in ameliorating some of their shortcomings. Some have had success in using a sub-woofer to enhance the bass performance, but I couldn't get on with such an arrangement.

I have been using Quad 57s for about forty five years and am unlikely to change them now.

[karma67]

Mine are ms signifiers followed by what I use now, Yamaha ns1000’s

[anthonyTD]

Tend to agree, However; the limitations i suspect Geoff and Barry refer to can become obvious, when compared to other well respected Speakers.
Yes. At what they do, I've heard nothing better. They have limitations, but are amazing nonetheless.

[Barry]

Tend to agree, However; the limitations i suspect Geoff and Barry refer to can become obvious, when compared to other well respected Speakers.

And vice versa. No loudspeaker is perfect; one has to choose which comes closest to what you want from a speaker.

[Macca]

Linkwitz LX521 - but you have to build them yourself and they are active so 8 channels of amplification required.

https://i.ibb.co/Q9qHzjn/OIP.jpg (https://imgbb.com/)

For passive 'plug n play' the JBL 4365:

https://i.ibb.co/9rbB3R8/570-loahi-end-JBLStudio-Monitor4365-2.jpg (https://ibb.co/BCyvK8z)

[AJSki2fly]

Well as you asked, I heard these at a friendly dealers (I think it was this model), they just blew me away the resolution, purity and musicality of the sound was profound, it sound like Eva Cassidy was stood in the room with her guitar, just stunning. I suppose they should be good at $100K. At the time they were driven with some serious Jadis pre and power amps with a SME 30/12 I think.

The system would be on my list if I won the lottery, maybe a different TT, I'd have to evaluate that one.:eyebrows:

Having said that I think my system doesn't sound so far off, but I beat the dealer would whole heartedly disagree with me.:lol:

Rockport Cygnus
https://www.ultrahighendreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/rockport_cygnus.jpg

[anthonyTD]

Indeed, once you have become acustomed to listening to a good pair of 57's, when you go back to listening to conventional loudspeaker types, your constantly reminded of what most do wrong! :eek:
And vice versa. No loudspeaker is perfect; one has to choose which come closest to what you want from a speaker.

[Audio Al]

STOP BREXIT NOW was the best loudspeker I heard

We had the last laugh :lol::D

[Filterlab]

😅

The best I’ve ever heard are the B&W Nautilus (admittedly on the end of a quarter of a million pounds system).

Staggering insight, fluid, nothing jumps out, nothing hidden, all frequencies covered and so smooth and musical. Plus they look absolutely jaw dropping.

Luckily I’m good friends with the manager at Martin’s Hi-Fi in Norwich, so I get to hear all sorts of goodies. 😃

https://i.ibb.co/x8TYj2M/3-C545-C2-B-4-D3-C-46-D9-A386-FD3-F19-B6-A42-F.jpg (https://ibb.co/jZXzM8L)

[ReggieB]

The best system I've heard is Mark's (of Ming Da fame) (https://www.mingda.co.uk/ming-da-uk-malvern-showroom.html). I don't know what the speakers are, but the whole lot sounds fantastic:

https://www.mingda.co.uk/wpimages/wp17e4aedb_05_06.jpg

They are out of my price range (and floor space).

The speakers I aspire to a Graham Audio LS8 (https://www.grahamaudio.co.uk/products/ls58/) - I've heard them at a couple of shows and love their sound. However, the LS6 is closer to my budget

https://www.grahamaudio.co.uk/images/ls58_no_grille.jpg

The other speakers I've always enjoyed are the Fujitsu Eclipse TD712z. It was these that led to me getting my current speakers - the older TD512 (https://www.eclipse-td.com/uk/speclist/512.html)

https://www.eclipse-td.com/uk/products/td712zmk2/images/TD712zMK2_mimg.jpg

[Barry]

��

The best I’ve ever heard are the B&W Nautilus (admittedly on the end of a quarter of a million pounds system).

Staggering insight, fluid, nothing jumps out, nothing hidden, all frequencies covered and so smooth and musical. Plus they look absolutely jaw dropping.

Luckily I’m good friends with the manager at Martin’s Hi-Fi in Norwich, so I get to hear all sorts of goodies. ��

https://i.ibb.co/x8TYj2M/3-C545-C2-B-4-D3-C-46-D9-A386-FD3-F19-B6-A42-F.jpg (https://ibb.co/jZXzM8L)

It looks like it was styled by H. R. Giger. ;)

[Firebottle]

How long ago did you hear Mark's speaker Rob?

The speakers are hORNS Universum, if it was more than 4 months ago then they sound even better now. Particularly on the end of the latest Audio Detail power amps.

[walpurgis]

Thing is, are 'the best speakers' you've heard, the same thing as the ones you liked most? :)

[Barry]

Thing is, are 'the best speakers' you've heard, the same thing as the ones you liked most? :)

And as a corollary - I've heard some very well-regarded speakers sounding awful, due to either lousy set-up, or the rooms they were demonstrated in being far too small. Some examples being the Linn Isobariks; Dayton Wright XG-8 electrostatics, and the Sound Labs A1 electrostatics.

[southall-1998_mk2]

Don't really have a ''best ever heard speakers''. But, one of my favourites are the Neat Petite III.

S.

[ReggieB]

How long ago did you hear Mark's speaker Rob?

The speakers are hORNS Universum, if it was more than 4 months ago then they sound even better now. Particularly on the end of the latest Audio Detail power amps.

It would be about 4 months ago I think. I first went over there to see if he could service my Ming Da headphone amp. He also did a great job servicing my Beard amp. I get over there a couple of times a year and it's always a pleasure.

I bought one of his Audio Detail phono amps so know how good Mark's amps are. He said you'd visited, as I mentioned having one of your phono amps. .... I may be a serial phono amp purchaser :)

[Filterlab]

It looks like it was styled by H. R. Giger. ;)

😅

They are a bit alien-esque now you mention it. Sound amazing though! My girlfriend thinks they’re ugly, but what does she know?! 😂

[Audio Al]

��

The best I’ve ever heard are the B&W Nautilus (admittedly on the end of a quarter of a million pounds system).

Staggering insight, fluid, nothing jumps out, nothing hidden, all frequencies covered and so smooth and musical. Plus they look absolutely jaw dropping.

Luckily I’m good friends with the manager at Martin’s Hi-Fi in Norwich, so I get to hear all sorts of goodies. ��

https://i.ibb.co/x8TYj2M/3-C545-C2-B-4-D3-C-46-D9-A386-FD3-F19-B6-A42-F.jpg (https://ibb.co/jZXzM8L)

Looks like a new film in the offing

Alien v Preditor v Nautilus

[Filterlab]

:lol:

[graham67]

Snell A, Dom's system exhibited at Scalford a few years ago was the most realistic sound I have heard, it was jaw dropping. Too big for my house but they are the speakers I would like if I had the space to do them justice.

[Flo]

Lucky enough to hear living voice Olympian prototype with full kondo rig running off battery supply fed by opus 21 cd. Ruined me for life, but holy shit who do I have to kill to afford them.
Fave domestic speakers In no particular order , esl57, LV OBX RW, ACOUSTIC ENERGY AE1, AND CURRENT BOENICKE W8SE.

[Mr. C]

Well I have to admit to owing a pair of B&W Nautilus, they are VERY sensitive to which amplification you place on them also having quality impedance matched cables help a great deal, really no big shakes these days. The designer a certain Mr L Dickie now designs the Vivid's although build quality isn't as good as it should be they sound a good step up from the Nautilus. Only reason I have them is for the retirement fund.

Sorry can't get to enthused about Kevin's Olympians despite them using TAD drivers, every time they play any other music rather than pretty jazz, female vocals (yawn) or baroque. It really struggles. but the WW fan boys dribble over them :rolleyes:

57's have a place but they are limited make no mistake, if you like em stick with them. Nostalgia seems to have more of a place with speakers than anything else in audio I believe.

In the same way the Magico Q7's leave a lot to be desired SQ wise but maybe impressive to look at but sonically that another matter

Nothing can be labelled the bets here just which particular speakers are preference

[struth]

probably, for all round sound and ability to work on pretty much any system, i'd say my Edingdale mk1's... never really put a foot wrong... 6 watt valve amp, little switcher or big integrated.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200709/dc25d22e26266d45320da747f7a53e4c.jpg

Found one of mine..lol

[DavefromDorset]

Looks like a new film in the offing

Alien v Preditor v Nautilus

A friend of mine was co-producer on Alien v Predator, and a hi-fi nut - I'll pass your suggestion on.

[Jules_S]

Snell A, Dom's system exhibited at Scalford a few years ago was the most realistic sound I have heard, it was jaw dropping. Too big for my house but they are the speakers I would like if I had the space to do them justice.

That was an exceptional system of Dom's, I remember it too. Spent a few hours in that room listening to all sorts of music, and was moved by it. TBH I don't care for the tonal balance of the Snell A's, and they are truly Fugly (with a capital F) but they communicate the music like little else.

I've heard a few "impressive" speakers (Kef Blades, MBL 101, Focal Scala Utopia, I think they were) but I don't think I'd be able to live with them for very long. Sometimes less is more, and the more realistically-priced speakers are far better at doing what they should than the big-ticket stuff. I genuinely preferred the Tannoy Definition DC10 to the Westminster Royals I heard - the Definitions didn't have anything like the scale and "grandeur" of the Royals but they communicated the music far better, I thought.