Speakers I Owned since 2006

macnuggetmacnugget
edited December 2010 in Loudspeakers
Just noticed there is nothing in this section yet, so I thought it might be good idea to start one with my list of speakers owned in the last 4 years. I put a rating against each purely based on my own personal opinion so here it goes;

Kef 105/4 (3)
Kef 105/1 (4)
Kef 105/2 (4)
Kef 107/1 with Kube (5)
Dali 300 (3)
Roksan Darius (2)
Infinite Reference Kappa 9 (3)
Lumley Monitor 6 (3)
Linn Isobarik with Tonigen Ribbon Tweeters (2.5)
Linn Kans 1 Early (3)
Linn Kans 1 Late (3)
Wilmslow Gemini with mods (4.5)
NoBox Open Baffle (3.5)
Monopulse 62A (3)
IMF RSPM III (4.5)
TDL Studio 0.5 M (3)
TDL Studio 3 (3)
DCM Time Window (3)
Quad 57 Early (4)
Quad 57 Late (4)
Heybrook HB3 S2 (3)
ATC SCM 50 (3)
Monitor Audio Studio 3 (1)
Morduant Short MS 10 (2.5)
Townshend 2000 (3)
Leak 2075 (4.5)
Rega Ela (1.5)
Impulse H3 (2)
2 pairs Mission 753 (1)
Goodmans Dimension 9 (1.5)
Wharfdale Modus (1)

Yes, there are 32 pairs altogether. The most disappointed ones are ATC and Isobariks, they are just far too forward for my liking and you really need to crank up the volume to hear some bass. 

I found the Leak 2075 were very good and you can hear a lot of deep bass even at very low volume. The big IMF I had only managed to make it to the lobby because the wife hates the look and they are pretty special too.

Comments

  • JimJim
    Jeezy creezy!!

    Are you a dealer?

    I haven't owned that many in 35 years

    The only two I have strong opinions on are the 'Bariks - can't stand them and the '57s  - love em to bits.  Most on your list I haven't heard - and the ones I have heard (apart from the two mentioned) would have only been in passing.

    What do you have now?  And why/how are they better/preferable to the ones you rejected?
  • uglymusicuglymusic
    Oh heck. How do you get the time to really get to know them?
  • DocfosterDocfoster
    I can't over the quantity.
    Do you still own them all?
    Ben
  • macnuggetmacnugget
    edited December 2010
    To cut the long story short. It was in 2006 when I first heard the105/1 sound and fell in love with them straight away. I ended up with a pair of 105/4 to start with but the bass just not enough for me, so I tried the 105/1 then the 105/2 and so on. All these speakers needs a beefty amp to drive them to the full potential.

    From then on I always fancy the Reference 107 but never managed to get them for various reasons. A lot of these purchases were mainly sensible ones meaning I managed to buy them at a good price and sell them on for a small profit if I decided they are not for me. So through the process with the small profits I made here and there I used the money towards the next upgrade.

    I always do a lot of research beforehand and read up a lot of the reviews and get a feel on their value and so on. Out of all the speakers I mentioned before, only two pairs I sold were break even and the rest all ended up with a small profit. Sometimes I have use the profits to buy my wife some presents to keep her happy in order to get her continuous approval.

    Normally it will take me two or three tracks to decide whether they are for me or not. I mainly look for the warm sound with smooth vocal, deep bass and decent sound stage. It is a bit like going to the Wigwam show or any other hifi show and some rooms you just need to spend a short time in purely because you just don't like the sound. I know room acoustic has a lot to do with it in some cases.

    I am now mainly using the Kef 107, I like the large scale sound that they produces with bass goes right down to 18Hz. They are very special speakers and you can pick them up for about £800-£1100 for a decent pair with Kube and refoam drivers, which are known to be degraded after 15 years of service.

    The second pair I used in the 2nd system is the Wilmslow Gemini with external crossovers and high grade components. The tweeters are the renown Morel Supreme. The are very good indeed and I really love them.

    Oops! I did missed out a pair of Gradient Revolution (Rating 4) in my list. They are semi open baffled with a very clever design. Again the bass was just not enough for me. The guy who bought them is the MD of Lehman Brothers. He uses them with his Leben amp and he is very happy with them. Again this is a very subjective hobby as I said it before.

    So there you have it. The biggest lesson learn for me is that a lot of the reviews are very subjective and one can only trust their own ears in this regard.
  • MervynMervyn

    Impressive list for 4 years. Only owned the Kans and Quads from the list with the latter incredibly good but not

    the most user friendly in terms of size.

    Speakers for me have always been the most subjective piece of hi-fi kit and have tended to change other boxes/sources more often and not the speakers.

    Mervyn

  • AlanAlan
    Serious list Stephen! I've never seen those KEFs myself - are they the tall cabinet with a kind of satellite speaker on top in your piccies you posted before?



    re wheelin' & dealin' in HiFi to fund the next upgrade & buying the wife's happiness - I know exactly where you are coming from!!

    :-"
  • AlanAlan
    You mention Lumley speakers - have you seen these Monarch 2000? Possibly a bit of a bargain, particularly as he is selling at the worst time of the year.

    http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Lumley-Monarch-2000-Loudspeakers-/250747662402?pt=UK_AudioVideoElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_HiFiSpeakers&hash=item3a61b9b042

    I am pretty sure this is John Jeffries, he is just up the road from me. He sold his high-end business (Sounds of Music) last year & went into retirement. He also used to build his own speakers - Nightingale - but it looks as if he selling off all the bits & bobs he has accumulated over the years.
  • HugoHugo
    edited January 2011
    Since 2006?  Blimey!  My list is more compact:

    Focal Daline 3.1, built from a Falcon kit.  Elegant little quarter wave floorstanders, with very deep bass courtesy of the loading and double voice coils.  Elegant sound, too, but a bit inconsistent. 
    Avalon NP2.0, my current speakers.  Actually shorter than the Dalines and very transparent; a non-speaker, if that makes sense.  Some of you may have seen/heard them at the London Bake-Off Show.
    Quad ESL2805.  Impulse purchase.  I convinced myself, with the aid of man-maths, that they would fit in the living room.  As soon as the back of the delivery van opened, I realised that they wouldn't fit, so had to sell them on immediately. 

    Edit:

    Although the list starts in 2006, I should not overlook the Epos ES14s that I had for a quite a few happy years.  Sadly, I replaced them with KEF Q35s, which were (by any standard) rather poor.  Actually, those Q35s were totally cr@p and have left me with a lasting dislike of KEF UniQ drivers, which is probably now unjustified.
  • AlanAlan
    edited December 2010
    Damn! man maths meets it's nemesis - reality!
  • macnuggetmacnugget
    edited January 2011

    Impressive list for 4 years. Only owned the Kans and Quads from the list with the latter incredibly good but not

    the most user friendly in terms of size.

    Speakers for me have always been the most subjective piece of hi-fi kit and have tended to change other boxes/sources more often and not the speakers.

    Mervyn

    Yes, the Quads are very special. I bought the 2nd pair with the intention to stack them but the wife wouldnt let me. Probably for the best since my room is only about 4x4m and it is too small even for the single pair.

    The Kef 107 is the one shown  in the photos. It has two 10" bass units coupled together and firing downward and exit via the port facing upwards, a very clever design. If you do a google image search you can see a cut away view of the internal bits.

    A lot of the my purchases involved long distance driving and taking into account of petrol cost these days and cost associated with using your vehicle it does take up a lot of effort. Thats why I see this as a bonus and not a business.

    The Lumley does look very interesting and I suspect you will not a pretty large room to make them sound good. Something like these are very rare. In my opinion they are a bargain for £1500 but if you need to shift them you might struggle to get your money back, unless you prepare to deliver them yourself.
  • GromitGromit
    Strewth!! That's some list - next time I'm thinking of going box-swapping, I'm going to show that list to my missus. :)

    Strange thing is I've owned my present speakers longer than any other bit of kit I've had for years.
  • JonVJonV
    Speakers , I've owned 10 pairs in the 33 years of buying HiFi (I use that loosely) ..Wharfedale Dentons , a pair of Lentecs ???? , ARC baby speakers ,Linn Saras , Linn Kelidh , PMC FB1's and finally Avondale Rev1's I have some AE aegis and Wharfedale diamond 8.2 on my computer .. I dont box swap very much , I just listen to music , which I can do on almost anything ....
  • uglymusicuglymusic
    Speakers , I've owned 10 pairs in the 33 years of buying HiFi (I use that loosely) ..Wharfedale Dentons , a pair of Lentecs ???? , ARC baby speakers ,Linn Saras , Linn Kelidh , PMC FB1's and finally Avondale Rev1's I have some AE aegis and Wharfedale diamond 8.2 on my computer .. I dont box swap very much , I just listen to music , which I can do on almost anything ....
    Welcome to the club, Jon. I don't swap gear very much either.
  • RobHoltRobHolt
    edited January 2011
    From the late 1970s:

    Solarvox - number escapes me but cheap from Laskys in the 70s
    Goodmans RB20
    Chartwell PM110
    Chartwell PM210
    Heybrook HB2 - lovely speaker and an all-time favourite.
    Celestion SL6 - Oh dear, pass the razor blades.
    Celestion DL6
    Mission 770
    Wharefedale Diamond
    Linn Kan 1 (lasted about a week arghhhhhh! take them away!)
    Gale 301 - phew that's better....
    Epos ES14 - Excellent and a classic.
    Monitor Audio MA700MD
    Cyrus 780
    Cyrus 752
    TDL Studio 1
    Mission 750LE
    Spendor LS3/5a - no, no,no, yucky, yucky, yucky.
    Rega Ela - another favourite.
    Naim SBL
    Rega Ela Mk2
    Linn Kan 2
    Epos ES11
    Graves Audio  - Lowther EX2 design but had no bass and gave everyone poorly fitting dentures. Most odd.
    Impulse H2 - One of the most dynamic and engaging speakers ever made - period.
    Tannoy Chester
    Tannoy LGM
    Quad ESL57 - spine tingling at times
    Rogers Export Monitor (a Rogers BC1)
    Audiosmile Kensai - obviously :) 
    Goodmans Maxim - originals but the drivers fell apart on encountering Bob Marley :(
    Acoustic Research AR8
    Acoustic Research AR18
    Usher S520 - boom-tizz-boom
    Dynaco A25 - £50 used but prepare for a shock as these are seriously good.

    Still own several of them and some were rescue and refurbish projects.

    The H2s lasted by far the longest at around six years.



  • uglymusicuglymusic
    edited January 2011
    I had a pair of Impulse H6s for a while and loved them. As I think I said to you one time, I've always hankered after a pair of H2s, but they've always been too big for the rooms I've had. Maybe one day.

    NVA Monoblocks and Impulse H2 horns? Mental!
  • JimJim
    I've had very few commercial speakers and have only bought one pair new - yup in over 35 years!

    I have owned:

    Mordaunt Short Festivals
    "                    " Carnivals
    Royd Minstrels

    Uh, that's it.

    I have, however, probably made over 50 pairs and variations.

    My name's Jim and I'm a speaker builder :)
  • GromitGromit
    Kudos to you Jim - always wanted to have a go at speaker building but was always a bit nervous of trying it (or more to the point I'd end up buildng something which looked a complete dog's dinner!). :D

    My speeks since 1979...

    Celestion Ditton 15 ***
    Mission 70 Mk2 **** (great fun these - and soooo tweakable).
    Monitor Audio R352 ** (boomboxes)
    Celestion SL6 *
    Mission 737 **
    Wharfedale Diamond Mk1 ****
    Linn Index (original) **
    JPW P1 ****
    BLQ Q1 *****
    Boston Acoustics A40 ****
    Tannoy Mercury ***
    Mission 760i ****
    ProAc Super Tablettes ****
    ProAc Tablette 50 Sig ***
    Linn Kan Mk1 * or ***** depending on the weather/phase of the moon etc
    Quad 21L **** (real surprise these - took some driving but were great!)
    Audio Note AX2 ****
    Royd Merlin *****+ ;) (still got)
    Royd Minstrel *****
    JPW Mini Monitor **** the best 10 quid I ever spent. :)
    Mission 760 *** (still got)


  • AlanAlan
    edited January 2011
    Kef Cadenzas. (Grew up with these at home, later inherited when Dad upgraded)

    Castle Severn II (no better musically but more neutral)

    AR 18BX (In loft, need re-foaming)

    AR 4ax (Interesting, very coloured. Tatty, so broken & sold for spares)

    Goodmans Magnum K2 (In Original 'K' version cabs, with new caps in x'over. Tatty but fun, broken for spares)

    Goodmans Magister (Yes, the big 15" bass driver ones - in garage still, sometimes give them a run with a T-amp. Never yet been on main system)

    Royd Minstrels (Also garaged, with one ever so slightly ill bass driver)

    Royd RR3 (I retired from main system speaker auditioning at this point).
  • alfamattalfamatt
    Blimey, a fair few speakers from the OP.!
    For some strange reason, speakers are something I seem to change less frequently than other gear.
    So for me, since the early 80's, my speaker list is small
    Heybrook hb1's
    Gale 301's. Really loved those
    SBL's
    Totem Forests. I'd still love some Totem Winds. Heard them a few times & really impressed. Trying hard not to say they "blew me away"
    Now currently Focal 1007be's. Totally different to the Forests, but great (I think) in my present system?
    Matt.
  • Papa_LazarouPapa_Lazarou
    Speaker history...

    Wharfdale Diamond 2
    KEF C55
    Royd Abbot
    B&W CDM9NT
    Wilson Benesch Arc
    Acoustic Zen Adagio
    Living Voice OBX-R2

  • AlanAlan
    Being an ardent Royd fan, especially standmounts, I have often wondered what the Wilson Benesch Arc are like.
  • Papa_LazarouPapa_Lazarou
    edited February 2011
    Fast, punchy and a little explicit. Not the last word in tone and timbre - but a lot of fun. They need a smooth and powerful amp to avoid sounding overly cool though. I really liked them, not sure they'd suit my tastes now though. Wouldn't run off my valve amps and i'm never going back to solid-state!
  • AlanAlan
    Thanks for that - that itch seems slightly less insistent now...

    BTW, is your sig referring to the average age of our posters here?
    8-X
  • scottyhammerscottyhammer
    Linn kans (1979)
    Linn keildhs
    Epos 14
    Shahinnian Arc's
    B+W 401
    Naim sbl's
    PMC ob1
    Naim Allaes
    Naim SL2
    Kudos c20 (present)
  • AlanAlan
    Ooooh Shahinians! You didn't keep them then?
  • scottyhammerscottyhammer
    couldnt get em to work in my room......unfortunately.
  • SteveS1SteveS1
    Speaker history:

    Marantz 4G
    Wharfedale Teesdale
    Tannoy Oxford
    Linn Kan Mk1
    Rourk Sabre
    Epos ES14
    Naim IBL
    Naim SBL
    ART Emotion Signature

    Steve
  • chriskchrisk
    Since 1981:-
    Rogers Studio 1
    Castle Howard
    Audiovector M1Signature (upgraded to)
    Audiovector M1Avantgarde
    Audiovector M3Avatgarde Arrete LE
    Proac D18 + REL R305
  • flatpopelyflatpopely
    Since 2006

    Tannoy Eyris DC3
    Linn Sara (loved those gals)
    Epos ES14



    At work
    Denon scm51
    Linn vKan
    Soon Linn Kan MKI in teak.
  • BrumjamBrumjam
    Wow Mission 760's hey Gromit. That's where I started. Since 1995:

    Mission 760i
    Dynaudio Audience 5
    ATC SCM11

    Rob that's quite a few speakers you have been through! Glad to hear you still have some of them in your possession.... My wife frowns on hoarding.....especially of the hifi kind ;-). Wait until she hears of my plan to acquire some ATC floorstanders and use the 11's as surround speakers :-ss
  • AlanAlan
    Heh heh - Brumjam's in trouble...........
    b-(
  • JimJim
    Since 2006

    Tannoy Eyris DC3
    Linn Sara (loved those gals)
    Epos ES14



    At work
    Denon scm51
    Linn vKan
    Soon Linn Kan MKI in teak.

    I've always liked the old Saras.  Not sure why as they get a lot wrong IMV.  BUT they get an awful lot right.
  • RadikalRadikal

    Since 2006.

    Monitor Audio Silver RS600 .

    Naim SBLs

    Naim SL2s

  • deeslexiadeeslexia
    Kef Cadenzas - new house , no furniture !
    Active Diamonds , short lived .
    RCL Small Loudspeaker 1981 - best against Linn Kan and LS35a  33cm high .
    Magnaplanar SMGa 
    Battered RCLs just repainted black !
    RCLs big sister - same SEAS drivers , 44cm high cabinets ex e-bay eagerly awaited 
  • ArfaArfa
    Looks like a lot of you have had Royd's, good to hear. ;-)

    Anyway my speaker history goes a bit like this (since around 1999):-

    Gale Gold Monitor II
    Royd Apex
    B&W DM610 (second system)
    JPW Minims (third system)
    Royd Envoys (used as centre and then in second system)
    Royd Doublet
    Royd AV77
    Royd Minstrels (another system)
    Wharfedale Pacific EVO DFS dipole thingys (rears obviously)

    Probably should try some other speakers...
  • bhobbabhobba
    Axis LS88
    Lenehan ML1 Plus R
    Lenehan ML3 Reference.

    Thanks
    Bill
  • MontyMonty
    Since 2006:

    JBL L1's (had them for probably 19 years and still use them in a 2nd system) and replaced some terrible Mission 763's

    My current Usher Dancer Mini 2's.....

    I'm not one for changing speakers as you can see !
  • uglymusicuglymusic
    OK. I'll contribute another short list.

    Main rig: 
    Royd Minstrels
    Royd RR3s

    Office:
    Mission 761s

    Kitchen:
    Creative Labs active something-or-others
  • Brain_DeadBrain_Dead
    edited July 2011

    1975 Telefunken ?
    1977 Yamaha (Ear shaped things)
    1978 Panasonic things ( total rubbish)
    1980 Deisis DF4 by Brian O,Rouke (nice man)
    1982  Ruark Sabre (still have them exchanged them for a Claymore)
    1983  IMF (now in S.O.S.)
    1983  Wharfdale Diamonds ( smoked and died)
    1983 Celestion SL600 (killed by 400W Magnum)
    1983 B&W DM2? (now in Laindon Essex)
    1984 Tannoy Buckinghams (big beasts, sold to LWT)
    1988 ProAc Tablets (stolen)
    1990 ProAc Studio Special (one off design, now in Cornwall)

    2011 Home built monsters

    Best Col

  • mattlynchmattlynch
    let us know how the monsters sound Col, would love to read the recipe for them too, quite fancy having a go at building some speakers .

    here's my few,


    AR 7x
    wharfedale linton xp2
    kef celleste III, killer rock speakers that take a beating
    wharfedale diamond 5,with different tweeters and reworked x-overs and soft dome tweeters, wonderful, regret selling them
    leak 250
    leak 2050, love leak speakers, that sandwich cone is the work of genius , when i can afford ,and have space for them i will be hunting down some 2075's.
    kef calinda,
    rogers ls4a mk1
    rogers db101
    epos es11 , regret selling these too!!!
    b&w dm220 the bigger ones
    eltax monitor 3 with diy crossover and a pair of mordant short subs,
    mission 760i
    mission 733i
    pmc tb1
    usher s520 ,flawed gems but gems all the same
    jpw ruby II
    jpw ml710
    sony ssx 70 ed (picked these up for £100 and still have them in the workshop ! in a big room they are almost electrostatic like!!
    celef 2 way model unkown,
    kef q7 been using these for a few years and although they are flawed in many ways there is something that keeps me coming back to them,
    next i would love to get a listen to eminent technoligies LFT16 ,they are so ugly(i still like them) they have to sound good



    ;-)
  • Brain_DeadBrain_Dead
    epos es1  I loved these Robin made them I had listen years ago very good,
    How is the interconnect?
  • mattlynchmattlynch
    hi Col,
    yeah they were superb wee speakers , if i remember correctly they had no crossovers, well just a cap on the tweeter , might hunt down another pair, they would sound a bit special on the claymore.
    the interconnect has been a bit of a rocky road, it went from sounding dull , shut in and TBH a lot worse than the cable it has replaced but, it is changing with each LP,  the sound is still a bit 2D but is gaining a bit of depth this evening i notice! its only had about 8 hours of use so far so i am hoping that it will open up quite a bit more with extended use,
     hope Geoff doesn't mind me taking so long with getting back to him. will email him tomorrow,
    will post my final thoughts on the black IC soon,
    all the best for now,
    matt


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