The best speaker you ever heard?


In my opinion, the speaker is by far the most important part of the audio system. After all, it is the only part you hear. OK, the other stuff really matters a lot, but without a great speaker... No go.

I am a bit 'speaker-obsessed' I guess, and now I am wondering: What are the best speakers you have ever heard, and what made them the best?
njonker
I would still have to pick the old Magnepan Tympani IVds driven by Mark Levinson. Those and the Klipsch Horns made the biggest impression anyway. Must have, I own Maggie 3.7s and Klipsch Corwalls now :-)

My best if list would alo include Vandersteen 5A and the Avalon Isis sounded great too and if memory serves the Infinity Reference had my jaw dropping, but size alone might have done that

MikeH
"Magnepan Tympani IVds driven by Mark Levinson. Those and the Klipsch Horns made the biggest impression anyway."

Funny, I first heard both of these at a single visit to a local dealer as a teen. I can remember the sound of Fleetwood Mac's self named album playing on these and what a revelation it was. Though I was a music lover and had a modest $200 Sanyo compact stereo system prior, I think that was the day I could have first been dubbed an "audiophile".
Tannoy active VXP 15" dual concentric VXP 15Q is THE best I have heard so far, especially the new active powered VXP8 8" is just so amazing for home use. They blew my socks off. They save you the bother of buying amplifiers. Instead you can invest in a decent balanced tranny/valve preamp. Fatigue free listening combined with ball coddling bass is heaven. Makes you forget that there is a wife you can go to for the same pleasure. I try listening to "hi fi" speakers costing twice as much but so far most of them fall short when you turn the volume dial up. At low volumes some speakers sound annoying and lack coherence. I like Quad electrostatics too for an ethereal sound but lack the guttural "realism" the cone drive units easily give. Thanks Dee
Best Ive heard,Analysis Audio ,I think it was the Omega.Im very surprised they are not seen often here.
Somersetboy -- very enjoyable description. And interesting because the VXP 15Q is design and presumably sold for sound reinforcement applications.