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My Top 10 List of Speakers


edwinr

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I hadn't considered introducing this very special speaker until a little later in my ramblings. But now that it's been mentioned... Dynaudio's Special Twenty-Five loudspeaker was released in 2002 to celebrate the Danish manufacturer's 25th anniversary. A fairly large, stand-mounted, two-way design, the Twenty-Five costs $5200/pair. The speaker's tweeter is Dynaudio's superb Esotar 2 1.1" soft-dome unit, also used in Dynaudio's Confidence C4 speaker, which I have previously mentioned. The crossover is said to be first-order in nature, and the 8" plastic-cone woofer is reflex-loaded with a large flared port on the Twenty-Five's rear panel to give a claimed bass extension of 3dB at 35Hz. Please don't disregard this speaker because it's a bookshelf model. The Special 25 is one of the true highend products of this century. When I heard it, I was stunned. I reckon I could play this speaker next to my Martin Logans and not feel in any way short changed. A true top 10 contender...

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And another speaker I rather like is from the manufacturer who is really into carbon fibre. The A.C.T. replaces the A.C.T. One and Two exploiting the new carbon fiber composites now available as well as some very clever metal engineering materials. The entire speaker is actually constructed of metal and the wood seen is only for aesthetic reasons. Wilson Benesch also make some rather nice turntables...

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German loudspeaker manufacture Duevel specializes in designing and manufacturing unique full-range horn units. This design is said to provide full 360o radiation of the drivers to provide a precise and full room soundstage. An interesting 2 way horn design...

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bang and olufsen copy?

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Compiled List as of Monday, 6 November; up to 174

1. Acapella Audio Arts Triolon Excalibur

2. Acoustic Energy AE1 MkIII's

3. Acoustic Research AR's

4. ACT One

5. ACT Two

6. Advent

7. Allison Ones

8. Altec 19

9. Altec AlNiCo 604

10. Altec Lansing A7

11. Altec Voice of the Theatre

12. AR XP410

13. ATC SCM 50

14. Audio Note AN_E/ Lexus

15. Avalon Eidolon Diamond

16. Avanetgarde Solo

17. Avantegarde Duo

18. Avantegarde Trio

19. B&W 801

20. B&W 802D

21. B&W 802N

22. B&W 805S

23. B&W Emphasis

24. B&W N800

25. B&W Nautilus

26. BB5/XBD stacked array

27. BBC LS3/5a

28. Beauhorn Virtuoso

29. Bonneville 650s

30. Bose 901

31. Bosendorfer AC7E

32. Bozak Concert Grand

33. Cain

34. Cain & Cain

35. CarfraeHORN.

36. Dahlquist DQ_10s

37. Dalis Megaline

38. DL_15/Bs

39. Duevel

40. Dunlavy Audio Labs SC_VI

41. Duntechs

42. Dynaco A25

43. Dynaudio 25

44. Dynaudio C4

45. Dynaudio Conyour S 5.4's

46. Dynaudio Evidence Master

47. Dynaudio Master

48. Dynaudio Temptation

49. Dynaudio's Evidence Temptation

50. Edgarhorn Titan

51. Elac 330.3 Jet

52. electronluv

53. Eliptica

54. ESS AMT

55. Ferguson Hill FH001

56. Final 0.3

57. Final Sound_1000_i

58. Gallo Reference 3's

59. Genesis Technologies II.5

60. Grand Monument Reference

61. Grand SLAMM X1's

62. Gryphon Technologies Poseidon

63. Harbeth Monitor 30

64. Harbeth Monitor 40

65. Infinity Reference Standard I A/B.

66. Innersound 2

67. Innersound Kaya

68. Jadis Eurythmie

69. JBL 4311

70. JBL 4312

71. JBL 4313

72. JBL 4350

73. JBL 4430/ 4435

74. JBL Everest

75. JBL K2

76. JBL L100

77. JBL L166

78. JBL L200

79. JBL L_7

80. JBL4535

81. JM Lab Focal Grande Utopia

82. JM Labs Grand Utopia

83. JM Labs Micro Be

84. Joseph Audio Pearl

85. KEF 105

86. KEF B139 woofers

87. Kharma Grande Ceramique

88. Kharma Reference 1A

89. KL_650

90. Klipsch Belle

91. Klipsch Cornwall

92. Klipsch Heresy

93. Klipsch Jubilee

94. Klipsch KPT_Grand_HF_T

95. Klipsch KPT_MGM_4_T Grand

96. Klipsch LaScala

97. Klipsch RB5

98. Klipsch RF_7

99. Klipsch RF_83

100. Klipschorn

101. Klipschorn 60th Anniversary

102. Krell Resolution

103. Krix Esoterics

104. Krix KX_5986

105. Legacy Whisper

106. Living Voice Airscout

107. Loth_X Audio Amaze

108. Loth_x Bard

109. Loth_z Amaze

110. M&K S150 satellite

111. Magnaplanar MG20.1

112. Magnaplanar MG3.6R

113. Magnaplanar MGLR1

114. Martin Logan Aerius

115. Martin Logan CLS

116. Martin Logan Summit

117. Martin Logan Vantage

118. mbl 101D Radialstrahler

119. McIntosh_XRT2K_3

120. Meridian DSP8000

121. Midi_Grand_Ceramique GRCe_M_0,

122. Nearfield Pipedreams

123. NHT

124. NOLA Grand Reference IV

125. nOrh 9.0

126. Oheocha D2 Saturn

127. Opera Audio Consonance M12 Barque

128. Paradigm S2

129. Paradigm S8

130. Piega

131. Polk Lsi

132. Proac Reference 8

133. Proac Tablette

134. Quad 57

135. Quintessence Acoustics Stealth

136. R312's Cerwin Vega

137. Red Rose Revelation

138. Red Rose Rosebud

139. Reference 3A Dulcet

140. Reference R909

141. Revel Salon2's

142. Rockport Technologies Hyperion

143. Royal Device Audio

144. Salk Veracity HT_3

145. Soliloquy 6.5

146. Sonus Faber Amati Homage anniversario

147. Sound Fusion Hyperion

148. Sound Lab A_3

149. Spendor S100P

150. Spendor SP100

151. Stradivari Homage

152. SuperCustom19k

153. Tannoy Westminister

154. The Infinite Wisdom Grande

155. The Meridian DSP8000

156. Thiel CS3.7

157. Thiel CS7Bowers

158. Totem

159. Totem Arro

160. Triangle

161. Triangle Magellan

162. Veritas V2.4i

163. Vienna Acoustics Beethoven Concert Grand

164. VOTT

165. Wharfedale

166. Wharfedale W_70

167. Wilkins 800 Signature

168. Wilson Alexandria X2

169. Wilson Grand SLAMM X1's

170. Wilson WITT

171. Wisdom Audio Sophia

172. Zephyr

173. Zingali Butterfly .3

174. Zu Definition

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Naim Audio not only makes amplifiers - they make some interesting speakers too. Their largest speaker, the DBL features a 15 inch bass driver mounted in its own enclosure which is vented downwards into the large L-shaped chamber which forms the main body of the loudspeaker and includes the integral stand. Between these two cabinets is a unique precision acoustic resistance unit, which precisely controls the movement of air between the two. The top cabinet houses the midrange driver and the tweeter, both of which receive individual decoupling treatments; the tweeter by its own suspension plate mounting, and the midrange driver by slotting and damping the cabinet front panel itself...

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The Vandersteen Model 5 has been in production since February 1997. One of the many unique features incorporated into the Model 5 is complete upgradeability. This speaker features state of the art technologies with a Switch Mode, Regulated Power Supply for the subwoofer amplifier, a new trilaminar woven fiber cone and high efficiency magnet system for the 5's patented midrange driver and a new alloy chassis and aero dynamic magnet system for the tweeter...

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We shouldn't forget Mirage. They have a great new range of speakers out featuring this flagship model - the OMD-28, a floorstanding speaker featuring a complex curved cabinet design finished in exquisite wood veneers. The OMD-28 combines uncompromised 2-channel audiophile performance with the benefits of OMNIPOLAR technology...

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I'll Let Klipsch do the talking here:

Because of its relatively "compact" size, this model offers the greatest degree of placement flexibility in the Heritage Series line.

Features

A three-way design using horn-loaded Titanium diaphragm midrange and high frequency compression drivers.

Direct-radiating 12-inch woofer for powerful low frequencies.

99 dB sensitivity delivers Smooth, dynamic and low distortion sound

Compact form factor permits a wide range of placement flexibility

Available in a high-quality Cherry, Walnut or Black Ash wood veneer finish

What can I say? For many this speaker should have a permanent top 10 spot. The recent upgrades have dragged this icon kicking and screaming into the 21st century...

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Actually as I was posting the Heresy pic, I got to thinking about what an audiophile might do if he or she was on a budget. Few budget speakers can reach the spl's a Heresy is capable of and any that do, certainly lack the resolution and dynamics. So if that audiophile was to match the Heresy with a really good sub like the RT - 12d, then they'd have a speaker system you'd have to spend an awful lot of money to beat...

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Another one from Genesis Audio Technologies - the 5.2 featuring a 44"-high tower with a rectangular enclosure for the lower-frequency drivers and a truncated pyramidal section housing the front- and rear-firing 1" circular ribbon tweeters and the dipolar, titanium-cone, 5.5" midrange unit with a second midbass coupler on the rear of the cabinet, connected in opposite polarity to the one on the speaker's front baffle. 2 aluminum-cone 8" woofers are mounted on the front baffle. The woofers are driven by a 500W switching amplifier, with servo control reducing distortion...

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With the cabinet based META line, Avantgarde Acoustic breaks new ground, presenting an integral speaker concept. The META PRIMO is a 2-way sperical horn speaker, intergrated into 4 active hornbass cabinets (2 per speaker). This concept, featuring ADRIC power amps (pat. pend.) and high efficiency (107 dB/W/m), makes the META PRIMO exceptionally easy to drive. In all sonic aspects, including dynamics and resolution, Avantgarde Acoustic promises a performance close to TRIO OMEGA with BASSHORN...


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Going to the next level, the META PICCO is a 2-way spherical horn speaker, integrated into the cabinet of the active subwoofer, which features 2 x 12 inch high performance bass drivers. For the first time in an Avantgarde Acoustic horn speaker, the tweeter is located above the midrange, thus accomodating the reduced height of the speaker and ensuring an ideal radiation pattern at ear height. Though featuring a compact appearance, the META PICCO is a full blooded high performance horn speaker, following the motto 'small but powerful!'

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