Best speaker youve listened to over the past year?...

[Thaiman]

TheHomeCinemaCentre:The ART Deco 15's for me. Stunning in every way all the time.

My ART Emotion Signature is the most "real" sounding speakers speakers I have ever heard so with the extra midrange driver - I bet the 15's are pretty awesome, I would love the Deco 20 signature but they are huge!!! (in size and in price)

 

[Anonymous]

I've heard quite a few speakers over the last 12 months, cheap Wharfedales, expensive Proacs and the elusive ADM 9.1s. But, recently, I bought my own for the first time, and I opted for a used pair of Proac Response 1SCs. I absolutely love them, even in suboptimal conditions, and I'm sure that they'll survive a couple of electronics upgrades. They're definitely my favorites right now!

Hedgehog

 

[hifikrazy]

TheHomeCinemaCentre:

A slight change for me.

My God, I didn't realise the Muons were that huge! Absolutely dwarfs the Dali (Helicon 400?) next to it.

 

[Anonymous]

Gryphon Atlantis, stunning when on the end of some very high end gear, have listened to the latest b&w 800 diamonds and a few other pricey models but the Atlantis transports you on stage with the musicians.On a personal note, the Spendors make me enjoy music rather than just listen.

 

[Anonymous]

Listened to some great speakers this year:

- budget : XTZ 99.26 (smooth and dynamic, heard nothing like them in the > 600 Euro region)
- mid priced : Gallo Strada + 300 sub and the new System Audio Mantra 60 - both fantastic speakers ( the Strada's blew me away)
- style speakers : Vienna Acoustic Schonberg (sound as good as they look, which is a tough task)

But the absolute best this year:

WLM Stella monitor + Basic Duo Subwoofer - mind blowing!!!

 

[Anonymous]

RCduck7:

Looks like Darth Vader's hi-fi

 

[hifikrazy]

I thought these look more like Darth Vader...

 

[AlmaataKZ]

hmmmm, let me try to remember... in the last year or so I have listened to:

- Martin Logan electrostatics (cannot remember the model but it was I think the second from the bottom of the range)
- Sonus Faber Liuto
- Sonus Faber Toy Tower
- PMC Fact 8
- ATC scm 50 classic passive
- ATC scm 50 classic active
- ATC scm 100 classic active
- ATC scm 100 tower active
- ATC scm 40
- KEF XQ 30 and 40

you may know from other threads that I went for the atc 50s active towers but some speaekrs from this list I thought were quite good:

- Sonus Faber Toy Tower and Liuto
- ATC scm 40

The electrostats were nice and had good midrange and treble but bass was ordinary. PMC fact 8 had the bass a bit boomy to my liking, KEFs were OK sounding and very good looking.

 

[Thaiman]

hifikrazy:

I thought these look more like Darth Vader...

I reckon the gap 828 also come close...

 

[Naxos]

Based on my experiences on Saturday (see my other post), and the fact I haven't been to any shows to sample really expensive stuff, I'd have to say the Neat Elite SX! Also loved the Spendor A5 and A6.

 

[Anonymous]

When first listening to my M6i in a listening room I asked the salesman if he could hook them up to a more expensive set of speakers then my own to see what it's potential is for any future speaker upgrades.

He hooked the amp up to a pair of Focal Electra BE 1028. Most impressed i've ever been by a pair of speakers

 

[Andrew Everard]

 

[plastic penguin]

Far from spectacular, but the Ruark Sabre IIIs made a big impression with me, likewise Spendor SA-1 and PMC DB1is.

 

[AlmaataKZ]

Ah, I forgot these ones (at Bristol show) - they sounded OK, but did not have a sound I would want to have.

 

[JamesOK]

Diamond Joe:
I heard the PMC Fact 8s at the Bristol show, really impressed with them, totally my cup of tea. It's just a shame that I have neither the cash or the space to get a pair.

Ahhh, I was trying to remember which PMC it was at the Bristol show, I think they were driven with some Bryston kit. Absolutely fantastic, but rather a long way out of my price range.

Those in my price range are the Spendor A5 (which I now own).