What speakers have you owned?

[ID.]

Krix Superbrix

B&W 685

PMC DB1i (current)

Fostex PM0.4n (current 2nd system)

 

[matt49]

The same thought had crossed my mind too. Seem to be a rare set of speakers. Goes nicely with my talk electronics storm amp ( not very many owners of these either)

I think they were only in business for a couple of years in the nineties.

I currently have mine running off a Yamaha AV amp, doing home cinema duties. TBH it doesn't really work, though I like the speakers' dynamics and imaging. Maybe I need a better AV amp.

 

[CnoEvil]

Not that many in the last 20 years or so. In order from early 90s to date.

Epos ES14.

Sonus Faber Elector

Sonus Faber Electa Amator

Martin Logan CLS-IIIz, REL subwoofers pair, can't remember the name.

Red Rose M3 ribbon hybrid, still have these in storage.

Studiospares/Seiwin SN4s active speakers in current use.

Well, for somebody who keeps promoting the Active route, you do in fact have good taste in passive speakers!

 

[hoopsontoast]

In rough order, and not including AV speakers... Solavox somethings JBL TLX3Gi Jim Rogers JR149 (they were my dads - I used them for a bit) Wharfedale Active Diamonds Linn Index Heybrook HB100 Musical Fidelity Reference 2 Magnaplanar SMGb Celestion Kingston KEF Reference 104/2 KEF Reference Model 4.2 & Model 1.2 KEF Reference 201/2 KEF Reference 207/2 Jim Rogers JR149 As with amps, there were some more, which I'll add if I remember...

Nice, quite rare those Kingstons, were they the 'Stone composite' cabinet ones?

 

[Frank Harvey]

Nice, quite rare those Kingstons, were they the 'Stone composite' cabinet ones?

I forget what the material was now. It wasn't stone, but it was cold to the touch and looked stone like

 

[Dave_]

Boston Acoustic A70

B&W 684/HTM62/685

PMC FB1i/CB6i/DB1i

Neutron 5 (With amp pak)

Dynaudio Focus 110A

Currently: Mackie HR824 mk2 (A/V), Studiospares Seiwin SN-4A and Seiwin 5A

 

[DandyCobalt]

Quite a short list compared to others....

Previous:
Q Acoustics 1050 floorstanders and centre
B&W CM8s +B&W CM Centre

Current:
B&W CM1s (still got as surrounds)
Boston Acoustic cubes for front heights
Vienna Acoustics Beethoven Baby Grands (Mrs C adores them, thank god!)
VA Maestro Grand

...but the guitar list is a bit longer.

 

[steve iow]

This made me laugh, yours , mine one pair of Linn index on Ku stands.all the best Steve iow

 

[BigH]

Not many over 40 years:

Wharfedale Denton?

Acoustic Research 4xa

Mission 780SE

AVI 9RSS.

 

[Electro]

Several nasty sounding boxes followed by my first proper HiFi speakers .
Mission 710
Mission 770 original
Mission 770 freedom
Mission 751
Mission 752
Audiovector 3X
QLN Qubic 122 ( still own )
QLN Signature HD2 Splitfield with external crossover , also have a unique crossover that QLN only ever made one of in a wooden rather than metal box . ( still own )
PMC 0B1
PMC PB1i ( current )

 

[Dougal1331]

Nice, quite rare those Kingstons, were they the 'Stone composite' cabinet ones?

I forget what the material was now. It wasn't stone, but it was cold to the touch and looked stone like

Think it was called Corian...

 

[BenLaw]

I should add that, mostly, new purchases have been funded by selling previous ones and I'm actually still feeling very settled with the Zensor 3s. I've been using the Denon amp for a year now, the turntable for nearly two years, and the CD player for about 4 months. Things are getting much more stable in MP's world of hi-fi.

You sound like a recovering addict!

 

[Martinblueboy]

Mission 70's.
Mordaunt Short 902i Avant (still own)
B & W CM1's (still own)
Kef R500's (current).

Are there speakers you regret getting rid of? No

Have you disliked any of them? Not at the time. I was happy enough with the CM1's until my brother asked where the bass was.....Kef R500's followed shortly thereafter! I think it will be a long time before the Kef's are sold/replaced.

How many pairs have you got kicking about the house? All the above I think. Not sure about the Missions which were part of my 18th birthday present from my Mum & Dad. They were bought with an Aiwa record deck (linear tracking arm) and amp/tuner/cassette player that was my pride and joy for many years. All the speakers, bar the Missions still have their original boxes and are in immaculate condition.

 

[davedotco]

Not that many in the last 20 years or so. In order from early 90s to date.

Epos ES14.

Sonus Faber Elector

Sonus Faber Electa Amator

Martin Logan CLS-IIIz, REL subwoofers pair, can't remember the name.

Red Rose M3 ribbon hybrid, still have these in storage.

Studiospares/Seiwin SN4s active speakers in current use.

Well, for somebody who keeps promoting the Active route, you do in fact have good taste in passive speakers!

Nice of you to say so Cno......

Re actives, I am really a fan of the active option at the low end of the price spectrum and most of what I recommend is aimed at the kind of poster that wants power and punch on bass driven music at a low price. Under about £1k for amp and speakers some of the actives available are quite formidable, from my (current) favourite Presonus E8 at just £400, the Adam A7x and The Mackie HR624 and HR824, all bar the last of them well under £1k.

I know I am something of an enthusist, but for the application noted above these speakers will get the job done in a way that passive components at comparable prices will not, this has been my view for some time. Sadly they are a couple of steps too far out of the box for most, which is a shame.

Further up the price range I found some excellent active options around the £2k mark, Genelec, Adam S series Quested S7R and S8R for example, event the XXXXXX and sub. Again if clarity, transparency and neutrality are your requirements they offer fantastic value and returning to passive speakers is a very big shift, I can understand the hyperbole of some users.

Above this sort of price level I thought active monitors kind of leveled off, for home use anyway. As you spend more what you tend to get is bass extension and massive output levels, sufficient to cause embarassment in an untreated home situation. Big midfield or main monitors are really not suited to home use at all, there are exceptions but they are few.

The new PMC TwoTwo series may cause me to up my price estimate for viable solutions somewhat, but it is worth pointing out that the TwoTwo.5 at £3.3k is actually cheaper than all the passives in my list (ES14 excepted) if you include the power amp used and this is at 90's prices....!

 

[Roger_A]

Cambridge Audio R50

Meridian M2

AVI9.1T with AVI Sub

 

[CnoEvil]

The new PMC TwoTwo series may cause me to up my price estimate for viable solutions somewhat, but it is worth pointing out that the TwoTwo.5 at £3.3k is actually cheaper than all the passives in my list (ES14 excepted) if you include the power amp used and this is at 90's prices....!

I loved the ES14s but preferred the MA R852s (but only just).....though I think there may have been some common design between them (and Celestion SL6), but I could be wrong.

I felt these truly cemented MA place as a quality speaker brand, and Mo Iqbal brought a real touch of class to the cabinet making.

 

[El Hefe]

1. A pair of monstrous Technics speakers inherited from me late dad 1991 to 1997

2. A pair of Wharfedale for a tenner bought in Brighton sunday market in 1997

3. JPW bookshelf speakers in 1997

4. TDL RTL3SE in 1998

5. Heybrook Optima in 2000

6. Mission M71 in 2004

7. Mission M34i in 2007

8. EPOS M12.2 in 2008

9. ProAc Response D18 in 2010

 

[davedotco]

The new PMC TwoTwo series may cause me to up my price estimate for viable solutions somewhat, but it is worth pointing out that the TwoTwo.5 at £3.3k is actually cheaper than all the passives in my list (ES14 excepted) if you include the power amp used and this is at 90's prices....!

I loved the ES14s but preferred the MA R852s (but only just).....though I think there may have been some common design between them (and Celestion SL6), but I could be wrong.

I felt these truly cemented MA place as a quality speaker brand, and Mo Iqbal brought a real touch of class to the cabinet making.

The 852s were designed by Robin Marshal to be a flagship product for MA but Mo would not pay for the custom drive units Robin wanted. Damn fine speaker though.

The ES 14s, with their own drivers, was pretty much what Robin wanted for the 852s. They were clearer and more explicit than the MAs, technically a superior speaker in a number of ways. The 852 had a reputation for sounding 'musical' but by that stage I had tired of Mo's overbearing manner and was not selling the brand.

The R852s were probably the best Monitor Audios I ever heard, I did an evaluation, for a third party, of the Bronze and Silver (were they the silver then, I cant remember) ranges, a most unpleasant experience.

 

[matthewpiano]

I should add that, mostly, new purchases have been funded by selling previous ones and I'm actually still feeling very settled with the Zensor 3s. I've been using the Denon amp for a year now, the turntable for nearly two years, and the CD player for about 4 months. Things are getting much more stable in MP's world of hi-fi.

You sound like a recovering addict!

Well, I think there is something in that. It all gets a bit silly in the end. Luckily, like Dougal, I feel the Zensor 3s are the best standmounts I've ever owned - in my case I feel they are the best speakers I've ever owned.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

A pioneer all in one home cinema system.

Mission Elegante E82 home cinema system

B&W MT30 speaker system

B&W FPM speaker system.

 

[CnoEvil]

The 852s were designed by Robin Marshal to be a flagship product for MA but Mo would not pay for the custom drive units Robin wanted. Damn fine speaker though.

The ES 14s, with their own drivers, was pretty much what Robin wanted for the 852s. They were clearer and more explicit than the MAs, technically a superior speaker in a number of ways. The 852 had a reputation for sounding 'musical' but by that stage I had tired of Mo's overbearing manner and was not selling the brand.

The R852s were probably the best Monitor Audios I ever heard, I did an evaluation, for a third party, of the Bronze and Silver (were they the silver then, I cant remember) ranges, a most unpleasant experience.

That is very interesting, and sums up why I chose them over the ES14s.......musicality has always been the driving force behind all my choices. I didn't go for a CDP until I heard Linn's Karik/Numerik, which was the first time I'd heard the format giving a sound I could live with after the LP12 (which was far from "digital sounding").......and interestingly, still prefer the way it sounds compared to their later CDPs. The same applies to Linn's amps, preferring Kairn / LKs / klout, to their modern offerings......Linn's "old sound" is more musical to my ears, though less detailed / analytical.

I also don't get on with the current MA sound, so you appear to be reading my mind atm.......maybe it's a product of being brought up on the sound from those days.

It's fascinating to speak with someone with such inside knowledge from those days....so thank you for the insight.

:cheers:

Cno

 

[ErwinC]

1. B&W Matrix 802 series 3

2. Audio Physic Virgo

3. Dunlavy SC-IV

4. Dunlavy Athena/Aletha

5. B&W Nautilus 805

6. B&W Nautilus 804

7. B&W Nautilus 803

8. ATC SCM12

9. Dynaudio Contour S3.4

10. Cambridge audio S30

11. Dali Mentor Menuet

12. Dynaudio Focus 110

13. Proac Reponse Tablette Reference 8 SIgnature

14. Dali Zensor 1

15. Q Acoustics 2020i

16. Monitor Audio BX2

17. Kef LS50

18. Kef LS50 and Monitor Audio BX2 (bought again)

19. B&W 685

20. B&W CM5

21. Q Acoustics Concept 20

22. Q Acoustics Concept 20 and B&W CM5 (bought again)

 

[CnoEvil]

Apropos of nothing in particular, except speakers.....for the last 20 years, I've been trying to remember the speakers that I heard in 1979 in Cambridge (possibly at Chew and Osborne) and playing Dire Straits "Sultans of Swing".

They sounded terrific that day, and the only clue that I could remember, was that they had an all-round black grill cloth. Well, I've just stumbled onto the answer.

Would anyone like to hazzard a guess what they were?.....it's a tough one, but this forum never ceases to amaze, with the way the Hifi Sherlocks seem to come up with answers.

 

[Roundhead 5000]

Wharfedale Denton 2
Realistic Optimus 45
Realistic Mach 2 (15inch bass-mental)
Wharfedale 310
Jamo D365
Jamo power 566
Mordaunt Short MS 25i
JBL LX66
Monitor Audio Studio 20s
Monitor Audio Studio 50s
Mission 752f
Mission 750le
Mission 753
Mission 754
B&W CDM7s
Jamo Concert 8
Jamo Concert 11
Monitor Audio GR60s
Spendor A9s (Current)
Kef R900/500 (Current)
I don't regret any of them, It's all a learning process after all.... think I got there in the end, but it has been fun all the way.
And I doubt I've finished

 

[CnoEvil]

Spendor A9s (Current)

Kef R900 (Current)

If you don't mind me asking, which of these two do you prefer.....and if it's the A9, how close do the R900s get to them