If $ was no object what speaker would you buy?


Products of the year award in TAS of March of 2006 gave the top award to MBL. When TAS staffers were asked which speakers they'd most like to own, virtually everyone from music editor Bob Gendron to Ceo Tom Martin(who actually does own a pair) would answer : the MBL 101Es.IMHO the MBL's sounded closest to me what a live event sounds like, it was amazing. They were so pleasant to listen to that I even appreciated music that I typically didn't like prior to hearing it on MBL's. For me that is significant, it provides me with an opportunity to start appreciating other genres.
In the same issue there is a pressing article suggesting that makers of high-end audio could be in financial trouble. In the same article the panel discusses how to get the word out about high-end audio, and how to increase the number of people interested in buying high-end audio equipment.
I believe in the awe effect, if the audio showrooms could display a playback system that simply awed the newcomer, they just may be swayed to make a purchase before walking out.
Perhaps we can get the attention of audio engineers and designers and suggest that we audiophiles have discovered a music playback system that awes us, and are willing to purchase a system of that caliber providing it is within our means.
For some of us MBL has got what we want. For others it may be another brand. Maybe in the near future we can find affordable speakers that will near that magical sound that our favorite super expensive speaker have.
What speaker would you love to own that is out of your price range. The speaker you would like to see used as a reference point for engineers and designers to make an affordable model yet completely awesome.
Then maybe they can be used to catch the attention of non-audiophiles at demonstrations of high-end in shopping malls or luxury car dealerships.
pedrillo
I think that I would call Dave Wilson and have him design for me a new speaker that would outperform the WAMM 7a's...Yes, with as much money as I ever needed that is what I would do....now all I have to do is spend another $300k on components and I would be just fine!
The MBL 101Es are very intriguing but I've never listened to them.

For me it would have to be the exotic Kharma Exquisites. The most beautiful speaker I've yet seen.

Regardless of what others claim of their supposed sonic shortcomings, I'm convinced one could make any well engineered speaker adhering to certain fundamentals sound like a million dollars with the right amplification and other secondary components and accessories.

-IMO
Verity Parsifal Encore. Just right for the size of my room. SF Amati Homage not a bad match either, but the Verities are local. Loth-X Polaris a contender but a tiny bit oversized for the application. Ensemble Prima Donna unfindable.
French-Fries,

I have not heard the Alexandria's but when you mentioned the $ 135,000 price tag I thought I would have a look at the reviews. I have heard other lower priced Wilson's before and thought they sounded very good, although a bit too much harmonics (resonance) for my taste.

I was shocked to read that Wilson still uses ordinary commercially available driversin these exceptionally priced speaker; drivers that are used by many other speaker manufacturers.

Reasonably priced speakers naturally use third party drivers. This reduces construction costs by outsourcing the most significant components and leaving only cabinet design and driver integration to the speaker manufacturer.

I would demand unique higher quality drivers for that kind of price....not just good "modified" commercially available drivers.
The ones I have on order: The brand new Green Mountain Audio Calypso's. I get the 1st pair even.....