Speakers with imaging "Free of the box"

Of the many box speakers I have heard, the ones that image most free of the box have narrow cabinets such as those mentioned by Siliab.

I also forgot to mention Gallo 3.1, which are known to be free of the box...well, they have no box, so it makes sense!

The responses are interesting. I have heard many speaker that image exceptionally well. Mine included...and some mentioned above. Very few I have heard make the enclosures absolutely disappear. I suppose I'm looking for the last 4%.

I should have mentioned that I am primarily interested in box speakers, but the mention od electrostatics is appreciated.

I agree that Merlins disappear very, very well. Some Ohm Acoustics I recently heard totally disappeared, also.

04-20-07: Rgs92
I think the most interesting phenomenon I enjoy is when a musical entity is recorded hard left or right and still the sound seems to come from somewhere external to the drivers or the speaker itself.

That's along the lines of what I'm interested in. Not just an excellent stereo image, but an image that's "free of the box" even when the sound is panned hard left or hard right.

Buy these speakers - if you don't love them, then I will buy them from you (at the regular 50% off list price, of course).
Ckoffend (Threads | Answers)

Gosh, and I would only lose $5500 bucks in the process! ;)

I see you're asking $1125 for your Arros with stands and beaks. Is the retail price $2250 for these items?

Maybe you are joking?

I'm beginning to think my VR4 Gen III HSE are the bargains of the decade.

I don't own Duettes.

I've recently acquired a pair of Silverline Sonata III, and they are wonderfully free-of-the-box. Incredible imaging. As a friend said recently, they image like large two way monitors.

Congrats on those Silverlines...did you replace the VR4 Gen III HSE or are you adding to your extensive collection?
Shadorne (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers)

Extensive collection? I owned the VR4 Gen III HSE for four years, and just recently replaced them with the Sonata III when a pair of Castle Acoustics Howard S2 kept blowing woofer drivers.

Hardly an extensive collection.

if you close your eyes or darken a room, it may be difficult to tell whether the music is coming from the speaker(s) or not.

Mrtennis (Threads | Answers)

It may. Or it may not. If it's difficult to detect the loudspeakers, then they are doing their job, IMO...and they are doing an excellent job of imaging "free of the box".

That's my goal. it may not be yours.

You are far too modest. In any case, congratulations and how do they compare to the VR4's...?
Shadorne (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers)

The Sonata III disappear better (image better), and are more refined in the highs and upper mids. The bass is a bit bloomy and uncontrolled relative to the VR4 Gen III HSE. It's a small, niggling point. The VR4 were more resolving overall...really a reference loudspeaker.

My wife and I prefer the appearance of the Sonata III. Each speaker has it's strengths and weaknesses. I'm more apt to forgive a speaker for its bass performance than I am a top end that's too aggressive. So, at this juncture, I prefer the Sonata III overall, but they are not hands-down winners versus the VR4 Gen III HSE, IMO.

As I am still experimenting with amplification, pre-amplification and wire, my opinion may very well shift.

I took delivery of a Supratek Cortese preamp yesterday, and the result is that my system snapped into place. The image is completely free of the box and fully three dimensional.

Speakers are Silverline Sonata III. Amplification is VAC Standard 160 monos or Belles 350A Reference (both are excellent). Speaker cabling is Silverline Audio Conductor. Power cords on the amps are Purist Audio Dominus Ferrox. Power cord on the Supratek Cortese is Volex 17604.