Personal speaker evolution


OK, so here is a thread I haven't ever seen here: What speakers have you owned? starting with the earliest, price paid, new/used, and perhaps the models that really impressed you (for the price) in CAPS.

Rat Shack Something or others, $120, new
Fisher Something or others, $280, new
ADS L710's, $550, new
Snell A2i's, $1100, used
BEVERIDGE SYSTEM 3'S, $1000, used
Martin Logan CLS, $1400, used
MARTIN LOGAN SL3'S, $2300, used
pmwoodward
1973 Studiocraft 330's of brand don't know who made them but, they sounded good in the store. Tweeters were facing 45 degrees outward which seemed to improve the sound stage. 1974 large advents. Nice nuetral sound. 1976, double advents which were stacked woofer, tweeter, tweeter woofer. played much louder. 1979 Audioanalyst phase matrix threes. Had a coned tweeter with a grill that was supposed to improve the sound stage. They wore out in '89 so I bought two Linn Nexus demos which were very nuetral and smooth. Heard Vandersteen 2's that year but, could not afford then. Finally bought the Vandersteen 2 CE sigsin 2002. Love the nuetral , balanced sound.
Starting in 1973 -EPI 50,EPI 100, Ohm C+,Dahlquist DQ10,Chartwell LS3/5a(financial reasons),Spendor BC1,Quad 57's,Quad 63's,Linn Kans,Kan II,Tukans,ATC 20's (Superb!) ATC SCM100a's far and away the BEST! There are many others I've spent considerable time with, too many to mention.
Aiwa mini system ~$100
Technics rack system/floorstander...I was young and seduced by the though of those 12" and 15" paper, and I do mean paper, woofers
PSB Stratus Silver i's $800
Psb stratus Gold I's $1700
Merlin VSM-MM's $7700...these are simply unreal.
I don't know if it actually is an evolutionary link, but I got Magneplanar MG 3.6Rs at the end of last year. I have been busily engaged in the job of getting them to run ever since. Bought used from a guy I would not recommend buying a hairpin from, they required a lot in the way of repairs. They do sound great after many efforts, so all is not negative. Just a question of what everyone has too little of: time and money. Dealing with Magnepan has not been smooth sailing either, since I do not live in the USA, which is reason for the folks at Magnepan to complicate things. I worked with a dealer who, while taking his own good time to get things done, did do a very good job of repairing them. I am now learning the art of replacing the foil in their ribbon tweeter; not the easiest task in the world I can assure you!

Wonder what an SE version of these speakers, using a stiffer panel structure (by incorporating something rigid à la Mye stands in the design) and better quality components all around (including the connectors and, most certainly, the x-overs, would be like?

Looking at the way they are built compared to top box speakers, it is a wonder they sound as good as they do. Strange company that Magnepan outfit...
Pbb sez:
Wonder what an SE version of these speakers, using a stiffer panel structure (by incorporating something rigid à la Mye stands in the design) and better quality components all around (including the connectors and, most certainly, the x-overs, would be like?

I listened to a pair of 3.5 with an allegedly hotrodded x-over (I have no idea as to the schematics). Improvement in the low end, some improvement -- low level detail became more evident -- in the tweet section (without an attenuator). However, I speculate that bi-amping would do the trick famously. Also, rather than changing connectors, one could hard wire cables to the x-over?