What do you think are the best speakers ever?

[tweakmm]

Originally posted by: AlienCraft

Originally posted by: tweakmm

Originally posted by: AlienCraft
This drives DIY more than anything , I think.

No, the amazingly incredible markup on retail speakers is what drives the DIY market.

LOL, RIGGGGhhhht, MOST hoobyists I know will spend far more in tools, materials, and time than a comparable pair would run.
I think DIY is driven by a quest to DO the deed simply for it's own sake. I doubt that anyone gets into DIY thinking they're going to go into business.

Quite right, most DIYers do it to save money for quality fideltiy not to go into business. I don't even know what the markup is for speakers off the top of my head but it's at least 500%. Obviously much higher for some and lower for others.

DIY doesn't necesarilly mean doing everything yourself. I'd definitely buy premade cabinets for my next speakers. A soldering iron is less than 50 bucks and for anything else, I don't know about you, but I have friends with assorted tools who are easily bribed.

 

[cheesehead]

Originally posted by: AlienCraft

Originally posted by: tweakmm

Originally posted by: AlienCraft
This drives DIY more than anything , I think.

No, the amazingly incredible markup on retail speakers is what drives the DIY market.

LOL, RIGGGGhhhht, MOST hoobyists I know will spend far more in tools, materials, and time than a comparable pair would run.
I think DIY is driven by a quest to DO the deed simply for it's own sake. I doubt that anyone gets into DIY thinking they're going to go into business.

I already own a soldering iron, hole saw, and a gajillion other tools.

I can bribe people with computer parts to make my stuff on a CNC machine.

Trust me, it's much cheaper.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Cheesehead

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
So I'm supposed to come in here in say something?

Well, yes. After all, if you say Bose=crap, what are you comparing it to? (At one point in time, the Bose Wave radio was a pinnacle of audio engineering - like before 1940, when unamplified, hand-cranked phonographs were all the rage.)

I'm comparing it to comparably priced hometheater systems. I have issues with their marketing that has many Americans thinking that Bose is the best audio equipment out there. They claim to be superior while their audio performance is quite lacking compared to the competition. I would not have a problem with their products if they were more honest about performance and didn't overcharge for them while telling people they were the best.

I think people can get much better bang for their buck, and if size is still a factor (or WAF in general), there are also many small sized alternatives to Bose that are much more robust and offer better sound quality.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Oh, and my sig wouldn't be a simple "Bose=Crap" equation if the sig length was longer. I have four links in mine and I need every character I can get.

 

[cheesehead]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: Cheesehead

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
So I'm supposed to come in here in say something?

Well, yes. After all, if you say Bose=crap, what are you comparing it to? (At one point in time, the Bose Wave radio was a pinnacle of audio engineering - like before 1940, when unamplified, hand-cranked phonographs were all the rage.)

I'm comparing it to comparably priced hometheater systems. I have issues with their marketing that has many Americans thinking that Bose is the best audio equipment out there. They claim to be superior while their audio performance is quite lacking compared to the competition. I would not have a problem with their products if they were more honest about performance and didn't overcharge for them while telling people they were the best.

I think people can get much better bang for their buck, and if size is still a factor (or WAF in general), there are also many small sized alternatives to Bose that are much more robust and offer better sound quality.

Can anyone say "Magneplanar MMG"?
500$/pair, and they completely pwn anything Bose makes.

And they're FLAT.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

The thread title is "best speakers ever." Why is everyone talking about Bose and $500 speakers?

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy
The thread title is "best speakers ever." Why is everyone talking about Bose and $500 speakers?

I was asked to comment

I don't have a "best speakers ever" answer, so I didn't mention anything specific.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy
The thread title is "best speakers ever." Why is everyone talking about Bose and $500 speakers?

I was asked to comment

I don't have a "best speakers ever" answer, so I didn't mention anything specific.

I wasn't picking on anyone... just wondering why everyone is aiming so low.

 

[Squisher]

Wilson Watt and Puppies sounded pretty good to me.

Certainly not the loudest, but nice.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy
Just sold off my M&K S-150 system. I loved those speakers...

Best system I ever installed was a B&W Nautilus system. Four Krell FPB-600 amps. Wadia CD player. Krell CAST pre-amp. B&W Nautilus speakers...

$120,000 audio system. It was a religous experience.

of course you did.....lol

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy
The thread title is "best speakers ever." Why is everyone talking about Bose and $500 speakers?

I was asked to comment

I don't have a "best speakers ever" answer, so I didn't mention anything specific.

I wasn't picking on anyone... just wondering why everyone is aiming so low.

Well the only one I listened to for more than a minute that was quite expensive were Vandersteen 5As.

I wouldn't mark them down as the best ever though

 

[cheesehead]

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy
The thread title is "best speakers ever." Why is everyone talking about Bose and $500 speakers?

Best is subjective.

I was also thinking in terms of type, not particular model. A 120,000 B&W systen will kick the crap out of a pair of 500$ electrostatics, but many people generally prefer electrostats to standard speakers.

 

[fs5]

I don't know about best but my pair of Monitor RS6s work pretty well http://www.monitoraudio.co.uk/product.php?range=2&product=4 for their price.

 

[Staples]

I just have to say, don't spend too much on speakers. More than $200 a speaker and you will not notice the difference.

It is easy to get caught up in the hype but don't.

 

[NanoStuff]

Originally posted by: Staples
I just have to say, don't spend too much on speakers. More than $200 a speaker and you will not notice the difference.

It is easy to get caught up in the hype but don't.

Bhahaha. Oh boy, I burst a tear on that one.

 

[Snakexor]

i like the vienna acoustics we have at work

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy
Just sold off my M&K S-150 system. I loved those speakers...

Best system I ever installed was a B&W Nautilus system. Four Krell FPB-600 amps. Wadia CD player. Krell CAST pre-amp. B&W Nautilus speakers...

$120,000 audio system. It was a religous experience.

of course you did.....lol

What? This is what I do for a living. People with lots of money contract my store to install cool toys.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Originally posted by: Staples
I just have to say, don't spend too much on speakers. More than $200 a speaker and you will not notice the difference.

It is easy to get caught up in the hype but don't.

So so so wrong... Go to a specialist. Listen to a pair of $200 speakers. Then listen to a pair of $1000 speakers. Then listen to a pair of $10,000 speakers. There's a huge difference.

 

[LeadMagnet]

B&W Nautilis

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: Staples
I just have to say, don't spend too much on speakers. More than $200 a speaker and you will not notice the difference.

It is easy to get caught up in the hype but don't.

I take it thats coming from personnal experience?

Or have you ever owned a $5000 set of speakers?

 

[Xyo II]

Originally posted by: Cheesehead

Check the OP.

They're a custom, homemade design based (loosely) off of Rob Samson's stuff.


http://www.t-linespeakers.org/projects/sampson/index.html

edit: whoops

I was thinking along the lines of a DIY when you said homemade.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda

Originally posted by: Staples
I just have to say, don't spend too much on speakers. More than $200 a speaker and you will not notice the difference.

It is easy to get caught up in the hype but don't.

I take it thats coming from personnal experience?

Or have you ever owned a $5000 set of speakers?

Maybe he has severe hearing damage

 

[spidey07]

Always have like the Statment from martin logan. electrostatic subwoofer....mmmmmm.

http://www.goodwinshighend.com/productpages/statement.htm

 

[IGBT]

..I recall the AR9LS and AR 10 pi as among the best I have ever auditioned. Sadly both are out of production and long gone. From time to time they show up on ebay but are gone as fast as they appear.

 

[yhelothar]

Probably from some no-name novelty brand that makes $5m speakers.
My neighbor's $15k audiophile system sounds pretty darn close to being transparent though. So does my Etymotic ER4S w/ amp setup.