Best Loudspeakers for Rich Timbre?

@ nakdoc, Hi! Yes it's fair to say that all speakers must either be adding or subtracting to timbre (assuming a completely neutral speaker doesn't exist).

So far we have many recommendations and suggestions for the all of the following:

Devore Fidelity 0/96 and /93 (5)
Sonus Faber (5)
+Franco Serblin's Ktema or Accordo
Audio Note (4)
Daedalus Audio (4) the entire line solid wood speakers and very natural and engaging
Big Tannoys (4)
BBC designs eg Harbeth Spendor Graham (4)
Vienna Acoustics (3)
ProAc (3)
Legacy Audio Aeris (2)
Legacy Audio Focus SE
Joseph Audio speakers (2) very accurate but with a particularly grain/haze-free sound. Just the way colorful pebbles are more richly revealed through a clean, clear stream than through one full of fine silt, I find the timbral colors of voices and instruments seem more finely and purely revealed from the JA speakers - a greater "rainbow" of timbres and tonal colors seem to get through. 


and mentions for the following:
KEF reference, KEF Blades
Diapasón,
Ohm Walsh
Focal Sopra 2
Amphion
Gold Note
Wilson Benesch
Thiel Audio
Triangle Magellan,
JM Reynaud
Ilumnia Magister
Audio Physic Libras
Meadowlark Audio
Wilson Alexandrias
Magnepan x.7
Klipschorns
Tonian Labs
Totem Acoustic Element Metal
Vandersteen 3A Sigs with 2wq subwoofers

I am a little surprised to see Wilson get so little mention.

Anyway, what does all this tell us? I suppose the old adage still holds true, you have to get out there and listen to as many designs as you can if you are serious about finding satisfaction.

It also can't be a coincidence that piano music was mentioned quite a few times as well. Perhaps no other instrument has such a wide range of contrasting timbres on offer. Think its time to give the old Ashkenazy disc a spin.

The problem is, unless you are very lucky, it's virtually impossible to listen to half of them with any degree of ease. I'd love to give the Joseph Audio speakers a listen, the design sounds (ouch!) interesting. I'd also love to hear some Klipschorns and Sonus Faber models at least once, how could any audiophile not? What about Daedalus Audio?

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. I'm sure each of the above suggestions will all have plenty to offer. We just have to get out there and listen.

Failing that, do our research and take a calculated risk. Good luck to everyone.

My speakers.










That was a jest.

Speakers don't do math. Nor are they polymaths given the numbers of instruments, materials, musicians, tuning, styles, etc. etc. in existence.

Yes it's fair to say that all speakers must either be adding or subtracting to timbre

Timbre is the human (expert) perception of the sound of a note made by a specific (tuned) instrument, brought into existence by a musician.

Instrument. Musician. Human Perception of Sound. Note: No speakers involved.

From this point on, there is a very long chain which attempts to provide a 'facsimile' of that note. What you are hearing in your listening chair has to do with that entire chain.

Rectilinear III's with their 5 drivers and wide baffles have a lot of "presence"! I have both the Highboys and the Lowboys! 

Hi, there may not be a problem with your speakers or system.  Jim Smith's book points out that bringing the speakers closer together riches the timbre.  I find tweeter to tweeter should be inside 5 feet with speakers towed straight at you and exactly the same distance from your sitting position/ears..  Benefits include good focus with no smearing and a better sense of dynamic contrast between instruments and acoustical space.  Of course multi-miked pop and rock records have little or no ambiance, but at least the timbre is better.  I assume you attend live un-amplified concerts.