which speaker can be considered a "legend" of its time...

Posted by: ken c on 25 January 2002

Posted on: 28 January 2002 by Rico

quote:
That must count higher than Kate Bush having an active DBL system.

Does she really?

Rico - SM/Mullet Audio

Posted on: 28 January 2002 by DAVOhorn

Dear Ken,

well let me see

Sony SCD 77 es SACD player
Concordant Audio Excelsior valve pre
EAR 509 500w valve power mono blocks

So i have 500w into 105dbw speakers talk about overkill, but hey i love the sound this set up makes.
I have added a pair of Pioneer PT R 7 super tweeters to the ACR's so system good for 25hz - 100khz give or take a bit.

Regarding the query have i ever heard the JBL paragon?

Yes many years ago at Excel HIFI in Hongkong who were the Importers for lovely exotic american hifi.

The JBl 's were using Audio Research pre and power and a top flight EMT T/T set up. Amazing sound.

regards david

Posted on: 28 January 2002 by Keith Mattox

KEF 104a

I might have the official designation wrong, but it was viewed as a reference here in the West Coast.

Spica TC-50

Marvelous little speaker built to get the important things right for the money - same small stature and lack of deep bass as the Kans, gives up a little on speed but makes it back on midrange. I heard them twice backed up by Brit gear and they sounded fabulous.

Altec Voice of the Theater

I still read rave reviews about what they could do in the home.

Has anyone mentioned the Gales yet?

btw, what was the designation of the mini-mini speaker from ADS? I recall that speaker setting a trend (I'm not saying that it was a good one)

Cheers

Keith.

Posted on: 29 January 2002 by Martin M

I'd say

Klipschorn
Quad ESL
Tannoy Westminster Royal
Infinity IRS-1b
Linn Isobarik
B&W 801
Apogee
Quad ESL-63

Posted on: 29 January 2002 by DAVOhorn

Dear Ken

tried to send you an email direct as i want to send photo's of the various bits of kit you asked about.

E mail rejected by server via this forum.

so can you e mail me direct so that i can send the photo's.

or alternatively tell me how to put my photo's on this forum.

I am a no hoper when it comes to computers so give easy instructions.

regards david

Posted on: 29 January 2002 by Rico

Ok yeah the ESL must take the cake.

The Kan, and indeed to a (slightly) lesser degree, the Brik have had more written about them (and hence are legendary) than any other speaker. barring of course the SBL!

Then there's the Epos ES14 and later the ES11 (almost a cult following, doncha think?

And I agree, the spica TC50 deserves a mention.

SL6's?
LS3/5A's?
AR7's?
Kef Codas?
JPW P1's?
NS1000's?
BC1's?

And what about those huge nasty old JBL's with the orange foam checked grilles?

Rico - SM/Mullet Audio

Posted on: 29 January 2002 by Keith Mattox

quote:
And what about those huge nasty old JBL's with the orange foam checked grilles?

The L100's - read a few postings back. One of a few speakers I lusted after in my teen years...

Backed up by a big-assed Pioneer receiver of course

Cheers

Keith.

Posted on: 30 January 2002 by Alex S.

Wharfdale Diamonds

Posted on: 30 January 2002 by ebirah

Yeah, its quite clear I never got on with Saras. I bought a new pair many years ago and used them with a 72/Hi/250. These were the original straight edged, non-medite model. After several months it became clear they just werent musically involving, at least not in my setup (front end was LP12/Ittok/Asak). A friend brought his Kans around and they instantly transformed my system – far, far more involving in a foot-tapping type of way. I thought the Saras put a rather silky veneer over the entire frequency range.

This effect was markedly demonstrated several years later, this time with Sara 9s, when a friend upgraded to SBLs. The latter were far, far leaner than the Linns and, to all of our ears, far less coloured. I dont think the SBLs are a neutral listen, and do tend to sound a bit too fast and lean, but in my experience the Sara is almost diametrically opposite – too round and full sounding and really quite slow. If that’s your cup of tea fine, its just not mine.

Im not against colouration per se: none of the older Linn speakers were neutral and my current ARCS are definitely coloured; theyre bloody fast and transparent though, neither adjectives I would personally use to describe the Sara. That’s not to say I haven’t heard them sounding good though. They were good at the dealers when I bought them (he was using a 160) and I once heard a pair using active 140s that were super; one of the best systems Ive ever heard. Still very coloured but very enjoyable. I can predict a chorus of ‘ theyre so difficult to drive’ but I reckon if a 250 cant do the job, then don’t bother; anything will sound good on the end of a 500? Incidentally, I never thought driving them was the problem.

On a final note, all this is relative. At the 300 quid or so Saras command s/h, theyre a fine buy (if you cant get Kans!).

Steve

Posted on: 03 February 2002 by Jonathan Gorse

Other worthy contenders include:

AR18's deserve a mention because in the 1980's they defined the £100 quality speaker.

Even as a Kan owner I'd have to say the LS3/5a has to come above the Kan - without the former there's be no Kan.

Kef 103/4 and 105/2

B&W Nautilus - just look at the influence it has had on speaker design

Top of the heap has to be the Quad ESL