Your favorite speakers

[Dismord]

Most people will say what they own... I'm no different. Considering my speakers are the best sounding I've heard, and they are entry level for Focal, I really wish I could hear some Utopias.....!

I've listend to the three top Focal speakers with a range of amplification and never could take to the treble. To my ears it always sounds 'hi-fi-ish' if I can coin a term. Their cheaper models though I could happily live with. Interestingly when Wilson Audio uses tweeters made by Focal in their statement speakers I don't hear this 'hi-fi-ish' effect so maybe Focal are doing something odd with their crossover designs or maybe they've figured that just about all their customers who have enough cash for their top models are middle aged men with diminished treble hearing and they're deliberately compensating for that ? Just a guess but I'm sure a number of high end moving coil manufactures are up to the same trick.
And yes, my favourite speakers are still my own.

[Aural Addict]

Interesting....one of the stores from the company I work for had some Electras, but I didn't get a chance to hear them. Do you think the ones you heard weren't broken in yet. They change drastically in the mids and low end, which creates a better balance...?

[Dismord]

Interesting....one of the stores from the company I work for had some Electras, but I didn't get a chance to hear them. Do you think the ones you heard weren't broken in yet. They change drastically in the mids and low end, which creates a better balance...?

Don't know about the others but the Utopias I heard belong to a friend who's had them up and running for some time with a range of amplifiers from Nuforce V3's to Audio Research 'References' and last time I heard them, MBL mono blocks. Didn't like the treble with any of them and the room is 'kind' to treble being properly set up with diffusion and absorption treatments. Coincidentally (?) my friend also likes expensive moving coils with tilted up high frequencies so he's happy with his Focals.
Horses for courses?

[Aural Addict]

It's funny, I was always more of a bass junkie (Polk lsi, Martin Logan subs, Polk micro pro subs, etc...) then I heard the Focals... They definitely have strong highs, but the cleanliness and clarity is just nuts to me... More detail than I've ever heard before and the inverted setup bounces around my room incredibly... And not in an echoing sort of way, the soundstage amazes me. When I sell them to a customer, they are set up as a 5.1, but I only demo them in 2 channel. Almost every time the customer puts their ear to the center expecting sound, but there is none...
Love em!

[Dismord]

. They definitely have strong highs, but the cleanliness and clarity is just nuts to me... More detail than I've ever heard before and the inverted setup bounces around my room incredibly... . . . . . . . ..
Love em!

Sumiko Blue Point II? Ah ha! I stick to my suspicions concerning diminished upper treble hearing sensitivity in males. However, what really matters is how you hear your music and if the Focals make you happy who am I to argue? What does intrigue me is the difference when Wilson Audio use those inverted dome tweeters. Either they're having Focal make something different for them, they're handing the crossover differently or maybe both?

[raphaelmabo]

My favorite loudspeakers... (drumroll)...

Well, the ALR Jordan Entry 2M - of course!

A compact 2-way design, stand mount.
They still amazes me for their clarity, the amount of detail, the way notes starts and stops, the soundstage, the lovely and sweet midband, the airy treble and the solid, dry and rhythmic bass. A solid construction, a great buy and works wonders. Whatever I throw at them - large scale classical, 70's disco, hard beat progressive trance or singer/songwriter or even Barbara Streisand - they deal with it beautifully. It's a neutral and open sound.

And the fun thing, I don't have them connected right now.
My main speakers are currently the Infinity Reference 50, large 3-way floor standers. They gives me big and large scale sound, also with a dry and solid bass (remarkable considering the 8" woofers, but it is a closed box design and not bass reflex as the ALR Jordans). Treble is extremely detailed and extended (EMIT-R element). But main drawback is the midband. It sounds "shut in" compared to the ALR Jordans. But I have only one wire connected, they are made for bi-wiring so I believe I could better the sound by hooking up an additional wire. The ALR Jordans are single wire.

I had the idea of having the ALR Jordans in my 2nd system, a bedroom system. But they're too good for that. I'm thinking of selling my Ref 50's (I bought them 2nd hand) and calling in my ALR Jordans again in my main system. I bought the ALR Jordans new 12 years ago (they comes with 5 year warranty) and they're still sweet and looks brand new. Black with a blue front grille.

Oh, my amp is the Alchemist Nexus. 80 watt.
Speaker cable is Ixos Gamma for the Inf Ref 50. For the ALR Jordans I have Supra Ply 2.

[lini]

rm: Yup, those ALRs are nice. Even Mr. Gessner (I've mentioned him above) recommends these - and as a former loudspeaker manufacturer he can be quite picky...

That said, I also still like my pair of Focal/JMlab Opal 607s. These are a good bit bigger than the Entry 2Ms, though - and front- instead of rear-ported.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

[Lelolee]

Kef 104.2

[wordwizard]

Pair of Dynaco A25s [early models] picked at a yard sale for US$5.00

[fade away]

Very happy with my B&W CM8.

[Aural Addict]

. They definitely have strong highs, but the cleanliness and clarity is just nuts to me... More detail than I've ever heard before and the inverted setup bounces around my room incredibly... . . . . . . . ..
Love em!

Sumiko Blue Point II? Ah ha! I stick to my suspicions concerning diminished upper treble hearing sensitivity in males. However, what really matters is how you hear your music and if the Focals make you happy who am I to argue? What does intrigue me is the difference when Wilson Audio use those inverted dome tweeters. Either they're having Focal make something different for them, they're handing the crossover differently or maybe both?

Lol, yeah. It way also have something to do with the fact that I was a raver in the late 90's and had a 1500 watt system in a car the size of a civic. I could feel my vertebrae vibrate...
The dumb things we do as kids...lol

[Dismord]

. They definitely have strong highs, but the cleanliness and clarity is just nuts to me... More detail than I've ever heard before and the inverted setup bounces around my room incredibly... . . . . . . . ..
Love em!

Sumiko Blue Point II? Ah ha! I stick to my suspicions concerning diminished upper treble hearing sensitivity in males. However, what really matters is how you hear your music and if the Focals make you happy who am I to argue? What does intrigue me is the difference when Wilson Audio use those inverted dome tweeters. Either they're having Focal make something different for them, they're handing the crossover differently or maybe both?

Lol, yeah. It way also have something to do with the fact that I was a raver in the late 90's and had a 1500 watt system in a car the size of a civic. I could feel my vertebrae vibrate...
The dumb things we do as kids...lol

I'm just sorry it wasn't me in the Civic vibrating your vertebrae although I suspect you're not.

[Popey]

My Ruark Talismans. They came with the Exposure amp twenty years ago. The dealer brought it round for a home demonstration. Within seconds of playing the first track, my wife and I looked at one another and said "they're NOT going back!" After twenty or so years, these speakers still excite me.

If (or when) they or the amp dies, then I'll miss them terribly.

If I had to replace them, I think I'd be interested in something like a pair of Monitor Audio gold or silver or PMC Twenty floorstanders (can't remember the model number). I heard some MA Silver floorstanders (again, can't remember the model number) when I auditioned my new CD player last month and was very impressed with the sound.

I also really liked the Quad ESL63, though these were never an option, being totally unacceptable from a domestic perspective.

[PeterW.]

[quote="Fishtails"]Hi people

Not sure of this has already been done, but here goes anyway.

What,s your favorite pair of speakers?

My favorites are my bang and olufsen beovox s-45's

They sound amazing and I picked them up for $130.[/quote

Mpfffffff......

WOW!What an entirely difficult question.

It depends. Right now in active use are:

AR3a matched to an AR receiver of the same vintage. This is the "Wife Friendly" system. Not many buttons, not many choices. Gorgeous sound.

Maggie MGIII matched to a Citation 16 amp, Revox A720 Tuner/Pre-amp.

Revox Picollo Speakers matched to Revox A722 power amp, Revox A720 tuner/pre-amp (yes, I have two).

ARM5 speakers matched to AR integrated amp and AR tuner.

AR Athena speakers, Scott LK150 power amp, Dynaco PAS3 & FM3

AR4x speakers matched to Dynaco ST35/PAS3/FM3

AR14 speakers/ST70/PAS3/FM3

AR TSW210/Revox B251 integrated/Hafler DH330 tuner.

It depends. Time/place/need/mood.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA