The best speaker you ever heard?

Interesting comment Ctsooner...I have heard a few people whose opinions I respect make a similar comment: bass integration and image size. I suspect the former is setup but the latter I cannot say. I was amazed by the Genesis 1.1s when I heard them. I don't focus on image size too much...I rarely even listen in the 'sweet spot' since its an open-plan place. Nevertheless, I can understand it is an important element...and if it 'super sizes' everything, that raises a few questions.

if I ever get to hear them again, I will pay attention to both more carefully.

Excellent post AtmaSphere!!

Von Schweikert VR-4 MkII with the 5 mod from the factory. Clean sound, articulate, spatially accurate, intimately satisfying on small groups or solo. Sounds live like real music does. Real music like an orchestra the sound is a bit jumbled, separation in real life is an artifact. That's what I hear when I listen to VS VR-4II with the 5 mod.

I have had Vandersteen 3asigs, 5 sigs, Usher, big Fried transmission lines called the Super Monitor. Electrostatics ML Source, Acoustat Mod 3s. Would not trade any of them for what I have now.

Atmasphere, thanks for your informative post. I understand the logic of using the rated efficiency and impedance to determine actual efficiency, however in your comments you have not considered the phase angle and impedance dip of a speaker and how that can influence the load presented to the amplifier. The Infinity Kappa 9's for example had an amp-crushing 1 ohm dip with a severe phase angle which literally made many amps go up in smoke. Just my 2 cents.

What's the price range of your modded VR4's? Your comment on real music is dead on. I've really noticed that recently in my changing out my system this past year. The other artifact is crowd noise in a live recording. It's actually backwards of what you would hear sitting in a crowd. That said, it's what we are conditioned to hear and what we spend forever trying to 'recreate'. Maybe we are all just nuts. lol.