Your hifi history part 1 - speakers

Colinjg

Legend Wammer
Wammer
Nov 1, 2016
7,216
4,485
148
South Midlands.
AKA
Walter Fagen.
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Wharfedale Dentons, ( I think.) 5 years. Great for a Student.
Kef Cantors. 4 years. Bit odd tonally but ok..
Heybrook HB1s 14 years. Just great.
Proac 1SCs 23 years. Just really great.

Obviously, sources and amps got a bit better over time.
 

Fullrange

Wammer
Wammer
Sep 12, 2015
508
363
118
Torquay
AKA
Marc
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Now where do I start....

Jamo? 1984
Kef?
Mission?
Ruark Sabre MK2
Magnepan SMGa
Volt / London Decca
Living voice auditorium
Epos es11
Tannoy Lancaster
Harbeth Monitor HL
Ruark Epilogue
Various vintage models that I modified
Genexxa LX5
Acoustic Precision FR1
Beauhorn Accelerando ( lowther PM6a )
Various kit / home made
Tannoy pro monitors
Monitor Audio PL100 mk1
Monitor Audio PL300 mk1
Rogers LS3/5a
Magnepan SMGb
Rehdeko rk 115
Audiostatic
Ruark
Opera Consonance M15
JBL L100 ( vintage )
Quad ESL57
Spendor Classic 2/3.
Back to Lowther horns ( PM6A )
 
Last edited:

Dogwithnotail

Underperforming idiot
Wammer Plus
Apr 10, 2022
165
565
148
Warwickshire
AKA
Ash
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Trying to remember, especially the early days so here goes:

B&W DM110.
Celestion 3
Mordaunt Short MS10i
JPW Sonata
Quad ESL 63
Tannoy Arden (original)
Magneplanar SMGb
+ REL storm
Quad 22L2
PMC Fb1i
 

topoxforddoc

Wammer
Wammer
Apr 11, 2009
1,142
196
108
Cheltenham, , United
AKA
Charlie
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Celestion Ditton 15XR

Mordaunt Arundel (1966 design with Decca Ribbon tweeter) - still have
Stirling LS3/5a (1999 - original T27/B110) with Rogers AB1 - still have
LS3/5a clones (KefKit CS1a - T27/B110) - still have

Avantgarde Duo 2.2 - current main system
Wilmslow Audio HSM custom built - study system
 

Linear

Wammer
Wammer
Nov 7, 2022
287
438
83
Lancashire
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Only two speakers.

First was a pair of Mission M72, I like these speakers, they are now stored in the loft, I might dig them out one day and give them another listen.

Next up was a pair of pre-owned Linn 109's, I have had these speakers for about 12 years.
 

Boycie

Wammer
Wammer
Feb 23, 2010
367
156
73
Suffolk
AKA
John
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Only two speakers.

First was a pair of Mission M72, I like these speakers, they are now stored in the loft, I might dig them out one day and give them another listen.

Next up was a pair of pre-owned Linn 109's, I have had these speakers for about 12 years.
This won't take long....

Kef small cheap bookshelf 2 ways, can't remember what they were but sealed quick but with bugger all bass.

WAD KLS9's which I had for a long time but now Jack NSM is the new owner. Fairly large floor stander ported two way with aerogel mid bass drivers. Transparent and good bass and soundstage.

Currently, Wharfdale Evo 4.4 three way floor standers with AMT tweeters. Balanced, Transparent and I love em!

Boycie
 

Mantra Maniac

Newbie
New Wammer
Oct 31, 2021
15
13
23
France
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
First were a pair of unknown 12" drivers in a furniture store hi fi cabinet driven by a Kenwood(Trio) receiver. Sound was nothing special.
Next was a pair of Wharfedale E70s fed by a Sony TA-F450ESD amp. OMG! I was hooked.
Then was living on a boat with no room for the E70s so bought a pair of Bower & Wilkins designed bookshelves called Rock Solids. Incredible for such small speakers. They moved so much air they would blow off the driver shield if I turned them up really loud.
Next was a pair of KEF C75s donated by a friend who had blown the tweeters at a party. I replaced the tweets but they never really did it for me. Just sounded lifeless and dull.
Today is a pair of Paul Carmody designed 3-way towers that I built myself. Love them to bits and won't be looking to replace them, ever. Still using the mid 80s Sony amp..................Rock on!
 

martinpix

Wammer
Wammer
Nov 17, 2014
580
353
103
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
started out in the late 80's with some technics kit.
Then the following speakers that I can remember.

Tannoy don't know model were really bass light. weird shape 6 edges as you looked from the top, remember thinking as a teenager that they were it and thought £149 was expensive LOL

Jamo Ruark icon ( I consider these my first pair of decent speakers )
Tannoy Floorstaanders cant remember model
Mission I think 737
b&w 802
opera callas gold
Proac Responce 1SC
Proac D1 and D2
Pmc twentyfive 21
Pmc Twentyfive 22
now on some Kudos super 10A. these are my keeper speakers , have no intention of changing them they are perfect all rounders, to beat them I'd have to spend a considerable amount of money , I don't have and wouldn't see or feel the need to even if I won the lottery, they are that good.
 

hearhere

Wammer
Wammer
Apr 9, 2013
1,373
1,185
158
Portsmouth, UK
AKA
Peter
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
I was trying to remember my earlier speakers recently so decided to list them - not for this thread but just for my own reference. The descriptions are a little exhaustive I'm afraid, but here it is:

My Speaker History

Home built Concrete Column speaker with 10" upwards-facing full-range driver (mono) inspired by Gilbert Briggs' description in his 1962 "Cabinet Handbook"

Home built Wharfedale Airedale speakers, prompted by Gilbert Briggs' comment in his Cabinet Handbook "Probably difficult or impossible to make at home, we are including drawings as they may be helpful in more remote corners of the earth". I was living in London, but accepted the challenge. 15Ω, 15", 8" and 3" drivers in 4.5 cu ft 6-sided enclosures.

Same Airedale enclosures but modified with KEF drivers – 8Ω, B139 "racetrack" bass, B110 and T27 drivers, now all facing forward. Greatly improved stereo imaging

Acoustic Research AR-1. 4Ω, 12” driver with 8” tweeter! The original 1954 Acoustic Research speaker that was similar in size to subsequent and far more successful 3-way AR3 and AR3A models. I found this single speaker at a London furniture auction sale.

Westrex 2326A studio monitors c1961 16Ω with 15" bass and pressure dome tweeter. Very rare - bought after placing a Wanted ad in local paper in the Under £20 section. Pretty good buy for £20!

Acoustic Research Teledyne AR94. 6Ω 87dB, Twin 8” bass drivers. Rather disappointing sound-wise, but they looked rather good at the time.

KEF Reference 107 speakers. 4Ω 90dB, Twin 10" bass drivers totally enclosed within the body of the speaker, plus swivelling head with B110 and T33 drivers and CUBE. Great speakers from 1986, rarely seen in UK

ATC Active 50 speakers, bought ex-demo (or refurb) rom ATC. 15Ω, 9" bass, ATC mid and Vifa tweeter. Didn't like these speakers much - I wanted to push them 20 ft further away!

Avantgarde Uno horn speakers. 8Ω 101dB, Twin 10" self-powered bass, plus mid and top horns. Bought after disappointment of ATCs and reading Stereophile's rave review and award of Best Speaker of the Year. Great speakers. kept for 17 years.

QUAD 2905 full-range electrostatics with transformer mods to 2912 spec. 8Ω nominal 86dB. Bought used for experiment with electrostatics as not intended to keep. Sounded surprisingly good, even in my difficult room. Inspired next purchase -

Martin Logan Expression 13A electrostatics. 4Ω or less 91dB, Twin 10" bass, plus large electrostatic panel. After reading great reviews and convincing showroom demo, I bought these new, only to find out that they were not at all happy in my room.

Avantgarde Duo (2006 vintage) horns bought used at a bargain price in 2020. 8Ω 104dB, Same SUB225 bass as Unos but improved horn sections. Bought after the disappointment of the MLs. I modified the support system to improve appearance. Still have these great speakers

Avantgarde Duo XD horn speakers bought new in 2020. 18Ω 107dB, Twin 12" bass with built-in amps and room correction DSP, plus mid and top horns. My current speakers - again with modifications to improve appearance. Fantastic speakers if lifelike sound is wanted.
 
Last edited:

xiskillsx

Newbie
New Wammer
Feb 25, 2023
1
1
18
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Wow, that's quite an impressive speaker history! Here are some model suggestions based on your previous experiences:

  1. B&W 805 D3: These bookshelf speakers offer a detailed and balanced sound with excellent imaging, making them great for a wide range of music genres.
  2. Focal Sopra No.2: These floor-standing speakers have a dynamic and energetic sound that is particularly well-suited to rock music.
  3. Harbeth P3ESR: These compact speakers are known for their natural and engaging sound, particularly in the midrange, making them great for acoustic music.
  4. Dynaudio Contour 20: These bookshelf speakers offer a balanced and precise sound with excellent imaging and detail retrieval, making them great for a wide range of music genres.
  5. KEF LS50 Wireless II: These active speakers offer a compact and stylish design with a detailed and balanced sound, making them great for both music and home theater use.
Hopefully, these suggestions will help you find your next favorite speaker model!
 

MusicMan76

Just do what you know to be right!
Wammer Plus
Mar 1, 2023
716
1,337
148
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
B&W 603 - Terrible
Living Voice Auditorium - Decent, but build quality let them down
Dali Ikon 6 - For the cost, can't complain
Dali Epicon 6 - Decent, nice rich mids, but lacking in resolving power for me
Dali Epicon 8 - As above, more bass
Dali Epicon 2 - brilliant compared to the above, better in all areas.
KEF R series - good punchy bass, decent across the board
Currently exploring new options....
 

dari

Wammer
Wammer
Nov 1, 2019
768
485
83
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Tonsil Altus 75 - biggest speakers I ever had.

These were quite fragile as I broke two bass drivers playing (mostly) rock.



Sony SS-CSE1 - small and wont go very loud but very satisfying, well balanced sound.



Kef Q300 - stereo is great on these. A little coarse top, good mids.



Dali Zensor 3 - a little boxy. lack of energy in lower mids. nothing special.



Yamaha HS8 - these are all about bass. Poor top (a little shouty) and recessed mids.



Avi DM5, Avi DM10, Avi DM12 - the last two are very similar to the ATC SCM 7 and SCM 11 respectively. Elevated midrange around 1kHz makes them very capricious with a wide variety of music. The DM12 tone controls are of no use as once the bass is lifted they are boomy quite quickly. Jazz with well recorded double bass sounds good on DM10 and DM12. Piano isn't very good on Avi, same with violin. Avi (the ones I've tired, so all listed above plus ADM 9) are all mids heavy, bass light with neutral top.

Back wall proximity helps with bass but won't decrease the mids and even without any measurements one can say something is off with the mids (which are as much as 5 to 8 db up in the 1kHz region. Try adding that much boost on a flat speaker, reduce some bass and you have Avi)







Genelec 8030C - I don't think 'hifi' when I listen to them, maybe because so much various music sounds so right thru these? They are not laid back or in your face. The most balanced speakers I've ever had (I have added extra 2db at 2.5 kHz on my RME ADI-2 DAC for more detailed presentation).

If I would add a Genelec sub (or two) it would be all I ever wanted from a speaker. If the Genelecs could only look better.

I like the fact that these are also energy efficient and together with the RME draw so little from the outlet, yet produce warm, full bodied, pleasant and detailed sound.
 

nickv

Newbie
Wammer
Feb 21, 2021
35
40
23
Reading this is great fun. Inspirational in fact. Genelecs are there on my list below:

Celestion 44
Mordaunt Short Festivals
Tannoy Berkley
Tannoy DMT 12
Tannoy DMT 15
Genelec 8030 Actives with BK 15" sub.
AVI Actives
Some lovely old Goodman 5 ways - huge square things from 1960's. Sound nice. Use every day.
LNB Para Lab Transmission Lines
Sony SS-G1
Sony SS-G3
DCM Timewindow

As you may be able to deduct, I like vintage kit.... No I love vintage kit (when it works).
 

oldius

Moderator
Staff member
Dec 30, 2008
6,938
5,969
158
Liverpool
AKA
Geoff
HiFi Trade?
  1. Yes
Wharfedale Diamond II (I think)
Royd Minstrel
Castle Avon
Kef Reference 103
Shahinian Obelisk
Kef Reference 104.2
JBL L90
JBL L96
JBL 4312B
B&W801 Series 80
Beauhorn B2
Castle Howard I
Yamaha NS1000M
Celestion A1
Beovox MS150.2
Yamaha NS1000

The only speaker in that list that I did not rate at all is the Beauhorn.

The best sound I ever achieved was with the 801 - massive room, massive amps, huge scale, beautifully balanced. What a shame I could never hope to replicate that in the house I now live in.

Loved the 104.2, JBL models and Obelisks.

Yamaha NS1000 my favourite, and what I have now.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lowendall

lowendall

Wammer
Wammer
Feb 14, 2009
1,345
274
113
Scotland
AKA
happy enough
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Gotta love the old Yamaha speakers lovely . I listened to the JBL 100 re issue speakers recently ,quiet nice but I do wonder if the old Yamaha's would still sound a bit more together . Rich
 

oldius

Moderator
Staff member
Dec 30, 2008
6,938
5,969
158
Liverpool
AKA
Geoff
HiFi Trade?
  1. Yes
Gotta love the old Yamaha speakers lovely . I listened to the JBL 100 re issue speakers recently ,quiet nice but I do wonder if the old Yamaha's would still sound a bit more together . Rich
JBL are superb speakers. My friend spent several hours with me listening to 2k speakers in a local dealer, on the back of Accuphase. Nothing moved him, nor me, and he ended up buying a set of used JBL L96 for about half that. They were leagues apart from what we listened to - vastly superior, IMO. Subsequently, he has invested in a really good pair on NS1000M and he is utterly delighted.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lowendall

Lawrence001

Mega Wammer
Wammer
Jul 21, 2015
5,953
3,535
168
London
AKA
Lawrence
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Reading this is great fun. Inspirational in fact. Genelecs are there on my list below:

Celestion 44
Mordaunt Short Festivals
Tannoy Berkley
Tannoy DMT 12
Tannoy DMT 15
Genelec 8030 Actives with BK 15" sub.
AVI Actives
Some lovely old Goodman 5 ways - huge square things from 1960's. Sound nice. Use every day.
LNB Para Lab Transmission Lines
Sony SS-G1
Sony SS-G3
DCM Timewindow

As you may be able to deduct, I like vintage kit.... No I love vintage kit (when it works).
I'm not aware of 5 way Goodmans could they have been DIY/another brand using Goodmans drivers which were quite common at the time? Radford being a good example.
 

Gizza

Well-Known Wammer
Wammer
Mar 12, 2011
4,795
1,828
158
65
Sutton Coldfield
AKA
Gary
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Monitor Audio MA4 - Very nice, lovely top end compared with others in the same price bracket.

B&W DM7 - Was pleased with them but realised when trying them with better amplifiers that they had their limits and needed upgrading!

Snell Type E MK1 - Very good speakers and only sold them due to a change of financial circumstances

Spendor SP1 - Very good but didnt like the bass from the front ports. Putting in bungs etc. didn't give me the right results either.

Quad ESL63 - Wonderful in all respects other than the limited maximum volume/dynamics. Very frustrating that the protection circuits kicked in before 'realistic' volume levels could be reached and/or when music with loud transients was played

Yamaha NS1000 - Excellent in many respects but couldn't get them to image well.

Quad ESL63 again but with accompanying Gradient Subwoofer and active crossover. Superb, much better than sole ESL63's. Only got rid eventually as I was fed up with failing panels, otherwise would have been a speaker for life.

JBL 4365 - Superb. Fantastic all rounders, although not yet managed to equal the imaging of the Quad/Gradients. Only had them circa 6 months though and not played much with positioning, which I think may improve that. The naturalness of the midrange from the compression drivers is something else, however and more important to me than imaging. The quality of bass from the 15" drivers is surprising too. No boom and tizz from these speakers, contrary to their appearance. A definite keeper.
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
113,444
Messages
2,451,263
Members
70,783
Latest member
reg66

Latest Articles