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
Just a note: I too like the MBL's and think they are the best, but the electronics and source behind the speaker are critical!!
I just improved my analog source and can't believe I was considering a possible speaker future upgrade? What is wrong with me? I don't know there are alot of things wrong with me.
BTW I had to modify my tt cosiderably to get it to sound like this!!
This is my first post on this site so maybe you will forgive me for being long-winded....and European!

My first criteria for speakers is that they MUST involve me in the music. I have heard many fine monitoring systems which do what they are meant to do but which I would not give house room to for home listening. Likewise I have heard beautiful domestic speakers in a studio control room environment which were next to useless.
Be Yamamura's big cork horns! These were without doubt the most involving speakers I have ever heard. I was aware that the tonality was perhaps not quite accurate but that said no other speakers have 'involved' me in the music to the extent that these speakers managed.
From a purely 'Hi-Fi' angle, Be Yamamura made for an Italian client a pair of one offs which were the best rock speakers I have heard. They comprised bass tubes, a back to back mid-range in a tube suspended in a frame hammock style by wire and a TAD bullet tweeter with hand filed flare.
In both cases the speakers were driven by a total Yamamura system: the horns by his 'current' amps, the tubey system by a completely dual mono PP 845 tube system built in 1/4" copper sheet chassis.
For my own use I have a pair of old UK made Impulse H2 3 way horns along with a variety of hardware incl. DIY, earlier Yamamura prototype stuff and even an old Perreaux power hitched to an early ASR Collector pre with phono.
These horns will do as I have not found anything better and affordable for my purposes. IF allowed I would build in situ open baffles with 15" WE bass, something very papery in the mid - probably modified Lowther - and ribbons at the top, bi-amped with triodes - 845 at the bottom and something very musical in the mid/treble.