Speakers to hang on to for LIFE

I bought a pair of Advents in 1978, and just "retired" them in January of 2010. They certainly cannot compare to today's speakers, but I was very comfortable with, and happy with the music from them.

I replaced them with PSB' Imagines, which are fine, beautiful, and wonderful sounding speakers. But- to tell the truth, I still miss the Advents.

I've had (and still have) many speaker systems over the last 30+ years, and only my KEF 107s, and Quad ESL63s have stayed consistently in service. Actually, the KEFs replaced my old AR9s, the 9s are now being used by my brother... I couldn't let them "out of the family". I've found that I need two systems (at least)in order to play all the types of music I enjoy. One truly "full range" (20hz-20khz, relatively flat)with great dynamics, and a second system for maximum detail & stage depth. The KEF 107s have fit the first for over 15years now, and the Quads have fit the second for over 20!
It's not that I haven't tried others (I currently have ML CLS Is, Ohm Walsh2s, DCM Timewindows, KLH9s,Allison Twos, and several others I won't bother to mention, sitting in a spare room, but although I'm often tempted by another speaker, I always seem to ball back on these two.
So, without a doubt, Quad ESL63 & KEF 107 are MY speakers for life!

I think many Apogee owners have voted already, keeping their speakers running for the past 20 years with no need to buy anything else. The only issue with Apogees is the need to fix the ribbons as the foam surrounds degrade over time. So in that sense they may need servicing, but from a sound perspective I still believe they compete with most anything out there. And the availability of appropriate amps to drive them is better now than it has ever been.

I also have lost my mind over a pair of Coincident Pure Reference Extreme T's. Have never heard anything so satisfying or nearly flawless at any price, truly a breath of fresh air.

An easy load, highly efficient, fast, and dynamic like a good horn based loudspeaker yet without many of the down sides.

As transparent as an electrostatic and show little (if any) compression.

So many "Hifi" speakers play delicate detail and tonal neuance with some good degree of accuracy but when it comes to playing something like say Zeppelin style, amplified guitar stuff, fall flat on their face, they portray little energy or edge, not so with the CPRE's. Who says a Hifi speaker can't also be a pretty damn convincing Rock speaker??? Horn based Jazz sounds remarkably live and the reproduction of horns is like that of... well, percussion drivers or real brass and reed horns. Piano sounds like a percussion instrument as well as a stringed one, again unlike many, many speakers. Skins are apparent on drums, but not in an exaggerated audiophile way, yet not overly analytical, if that is at all possible?!

Nothings perfect or fits everyone's tastes, and ceramic based loudspeakers, including the Coincident can present so tonally neutral, a little too clean(?) and without a shred of warm tonal colours of their own. This leaves the up-stream component choices more revealed than ever.

I have recently had some extensive listening to the CPRE's with Atma-Sphere MA1 OTL's and can say that the combination is simply amazing. Many of my records for the first time (with exception of a friends C.A.R. T3's) sound terribly compressed and mottled on anything else.

I do find these speakers to be truth tellers though, so if hearing studio recording anomalies, variations in pressings, and up-stream cable/component limitations is like a lawn rack on a chalk board for you... and you long only for warmish tones, pretty, smooth sounds emanating always, forget about these babies.

Happy Listening!

My new Volti Audio Vittoras all Horn Loudspeakers are exactly what I have been looking for all of my audiophile life. They are smooth, detailed and warm. A cello is truly playing in my room rather than just being recreated. Definitely the best all Horn Loudspeaker under $15,000.