# Sticky  Personal Speaker Evolution Thread



## Sonnie

What speakers have you owned since you got started in home audio? What is your speaker evolution?

I am really not sure if I can remember everything I have ever owned... :scratch:

I will forgive my home made speakers that I built when I was 14-15 years old... made out of old kitchen cabinets my parents were going to throw away. The drivers were from some old restaurant box speakers that use to hang on the wall at one of our old eating places... probably 8" full range drivers.

My speaker evolution...


EPI (1984 ... do not remember model, but I do remember an 8" woofer that kept bottoming out)
Infinity (1986 ... had a 12" woofer, but wife complained they were too loud for the single wide trailer we lived in so I had to send them back to Crutchfield - yeah... can you believe that... I gave in to the WAF)
Klipsh Forte (1988 - WAF collapsed -also added Klipsh KG1's for surrounds later on)
Snell B-Minor / Snell HCC500 Center / Snell SUR500 Surrounds (1991 - our first major home theater system and the longest I have maintained a pair of main speakers)
B&W 600 Series i (1994 - still use these in our sun room)
PSB Image 6T / 9C / 10S (2001)
Klipsch Synergy All-Weather SA-3 (2005 - still in use for outdoors)
VMPS RM30 / Dipole Surround SE (2006 - used RM30 for LCR setup)
JBL Northridge E90 / EC35 / E10 (2006)
SVS SBS-01 System (2006)
Boston Acoustics VR2 / VRC / VRX (2006)
Ascend Acoustics Sierra 1 / CBM-170 SE (2007 - CBM-170 are surrounds in our great room)
Martin Logan Ascent i / Motif / Fresco (2007)
Martin Logan Spire / Matinee / Clarity (2009)
Martin Logan Prodigy / Theater / Ascent (2009 - home theater room)
Carnegie Acoustics CSB-1 / CST-1 (2013 - in the front stage of our great room)
Arx A5 (2013 - two channel system within my home theater room)


----------



## GregBe

Cool idea. I will play

I first started out with Cambridge Soundworks. I went a little crazy with their old upgrade policy...You could upgrade without any restrictions (They eventually changed their policy because of me...yikes, what can I say, I was young)

Cambridge Soundworks Ensemble II
Cambridge Soundworks MC200
Cambridge Soundworks MC300
Cambridge Soundworks M50 
Cambridge Soundworks M60
Cambridge Soundworks M80
(All of the CSW's were pleasant. Great for the money, but I had more cash to blow...so:spend
Polk LSi7 (I liked a lot about them. Didn't feel dynamic enough for theater, could have been amp)
M&K 850 (Too thin for music, awesome for theater)
Monitor Audio GR10 (a little too sibilant for me)
Era Design D4
Era Design D5

Up until the Era's, I changed speakers every 6 months or so...couldn't find what I liked. I have owned the Era's for about 2 years. I am really happy with them. :T


----------



## fredk

I'll play too.

I started out in '75 with a fancy portable record player with two attached speakers. Not being satisfied with the near-audiophile quality of sound, in '77 I picked up a pair of Advents, dual turntable and pioneer receiver and separate tuner. Sold that to my brother when I wanted to do some traveling and survived with a boom box for the next 10 years or so.

For another bunch of years I lived with boomboxes and micro-stereos until I picked up my current Axiom system 2 years ago.


----------



## Ayreonaut

1998 - I started with a pair of self amplified (5W) computer speakers plugged into my TVs stereo out.
 2001 - I bought a Yamaha HTiB which included five NS-AP16 speakers. These have 2" paper "tweeters" and 5" woofers. I still use these for surrounds! The "subwoofer" was a ported box with a 6" driver. The specs claimed that this was a 150W sub, but when I opened it up (to remove toys) I found that the driver was only rated to handle 50W.
 2002 - I upgraded my fronts to Polk RTi28 and CSi30.
 2003 - I bought my first real subwoofer after an extensive auditioning process. It was the B&W ASW600. I was really unimpressed with all of the ported models I heard at any price. This 10" sealed sub sounded SO much better to me.
 2006 - I upgraded my mains to the Dali IKON 6 after an extensive auditioning process. I decided to forgo the center channel at the time, and I never missed it so I never bought one.
 2006 - I built my IB subwoofer. Four 18" woofers, the Mach 5 MJ-18s, and an 1800W Carvin Amp. Awesome.
2009 - I auditioned the Linkwitz ORION loudspeakers and became a believer. Absolutely my next (and last?) loudspeakers. Current living room prevents me from having dipoles so my next upgrade will be the most expensive of all: _a new house..._


----------



## Jon Liu

Very cool idea!!

My family started out with some Infinity and Boston Acoustic bookshelf speakers in the early 90's that lasted us for nearly a decade. But, I guess I'll start from the beginning of when I personally started collecting speakers:

-1999 - I had some off-brand home theater in a box (I really don't know the brand...).
-2000 - Polk Audio R40 towers, CS30, FXi30 and a Polk PSW-650 subwoofer.
-2001 - I replaced the PSW-650 with an SVS 20-39PCi.
-2003 - Replaced my 5 channel system with a 7 channel system, Axiom audio M22's, VP150, and QS4's all around for surrounds.
-2005 - I replaced my SVS 20-39PCi with an SVS PC-Ultra (TV-12).
-2006 - Decided to go with AV123 as speaker brand. Picked up a set of Rocket RS450, RSC200 Sig, and RSS300's for surrounds.
-2007 - Replaced my SVS PC-Ultra (TV-12) with the SVS PB13-Ultra in Rosenut.
-2008 - Upgraded my main L/R speakers from the RS450 to the RS850 Sigs. Later in the year, in anticipation for my eventual speaker replacement, I got an AV123 X-Voce to replace my RSC200 Sig for center channel duty.
-2009 - GR-Research A/V-1RS replace my RSS300's for surround sound duty and Mid-April my AV123 Focus LS-9's arrive...

That's the end of my road currently.

Wow, it's amazing to see that journey and it's troublesome to think that this is JUST my speaker journey, not including any other equipment changes.... Sad!


----------



## enigmaticEntity.

Sort of a mixed list: (Now = 2009, for people who may be viewing this in 2010+)

200x - 2007: Harman/Kardon '19.5' Multimedia Speakers (2.0), 3" Drivers.
2005 - 2005: 57mm inside-the-computer-case DIY passive stereo speakers.
2006 - 2007: 57mm from-some-workshop-headphone/earmuffs DIY portable passive stereo speaker.
2007 - Now: Kenwood AX-7 Micro Hi-Fi Stereo/Surround Sound System. Will do me for quite a while, I may make some speakers to replace the originals (see below), the originals can be used as the back surrounds.
2008 - Now: 27mm Mylar DIY Prototype Portable Battery powered Stereo Speaker.
2009 - Now: 40mm Mylar DIY Protoype2 Portable Battery powered Stereo Speaker, which is much nicer sounding than the first one, because it uses those silver shiny drivers found in other mp3 speakers.

For 2009 - 2010+: I hope to design an enclosure for a 2.0 1-driver-per-channel Desktop Speaker system using the Audience A3 drivers. I may need to practice some MDF skills by doing a cheapo system first...


----------



## bobdole369

As far as personally owned stuff - I went from a cheesy deskunit 3in1 (tape/tuner/CD) with separated speakers as the main speakers, to now polk audio monitor 30's. Very interested in building my own 4-way fronts and moving the polks off to the rear.


----------



## Mjulnir

My turn:
Home made 3-ways w/15's for the woofer in the late 80's
OHM 8" in the early 90's served me for a long time due to budget constraints.
2002 Seas Thors LCR for the theater/listening room
2008 NHT Clasic 3's LCR for the upstairs system.
various subs attempted with each.


----------



## hdspeakerman

Utah 3 way
Lafayette Criterion
Jbl L88
Altec Model 19
Klipsch Heresy
K Horns
Bozak 302
AR3a
JBL L100
Now many diy efforts
Howard


----------



## dyohn

OK. Let's see, how far back do you want to go? I'm not sure I can remember them all since my first personal stereo in my own home was in about 1973... but I've owned these home speakers (in no exact order):

Lafayete single driver DIY kit
Speaker Lab 15" DIY monitors
ESS AMT 1B
JBL L100
JBL 4315
Wharfdale W80
Tannoy DC4000
Klipsh LaScala
Ohm Walsh 1
Infinity RS2a
Infinity RS2000 bookshelfs
Krell LAT-2
Krell LAT-1
Altec Lansing Voice of the Theater
At least five different DIY systems of my own design, including the large 4-way OB system I'm using now.


----------



## mjg100

In the 70's I built a pair of speakers using a 8"? Radio Shack woofer and a horn tweeter.
Next, also 70's I bought a pair of Radio Shack 3-way speakers. my mother still uses one on her screened-in-porch.
Mid 70's I built a sealed 2-way using Rat Shack parts. i covered the speakers with laminate.
Late 70's I bought a large pair of Kenwood speakers using a 10" woofer. May have been LSK series. At this point I started running my TV through my speakers and have done so ever since.
Late 70's won a store drawing for some small aluminum enclosed speakers using a 4" driver and soft dome tweeter. Started using these as surrounds. Still have these in storage.
Early 80's I bought a pair of Yamaha NS-690 III. I still have these speakers in storage. They are in excellent shape.
In 1988 I paired the yamaha's with Infinity surrounds for surround sound. later adding an Infinity center for full 4.0 (mains, center and single channel for surround). Today the Infinity center is in storage and the Infinity surrounds are mounted on the wall of my screened-in-porch.
In 1995 I added a NHT SW2P subwoofer. First powered sub invented I believe. Still have the sub in storage.
1999 built a family room with one end for the HT, using RBH SI-760's and RBH 661SE's paired with ED A7S-450.
2008 converted a second room into a dedicated HT using RBH-WM30 on-wall speakers and five DIY subs. WM-30's used as mid high units crossed to subs at 100Hz. All in a 1,250CF room.
2010, placed three Klipsch RB-35's up front (center behind AT screen) and used RBH WM-30's for surrounds.
2010 Placed three JTR T8's up front (center behind AT screen) and used the Klipsch RB-35's for surround.


----------



## Jungle Jack

Hello,
Wow. There are some straight up classics in this thread. David, your list is simply sick.
Here goes mine:
1997: Paradigm 7SE MKIII (purchased my freshman year at UGA)
2001: Thiel CS 1.5's
2002: Martin Logan Aerius i (start of dedicated 2 channel system)
2003: Paradigm Studio 100 V2 (2) Studio CC, Paradigm Servo 15
2007: Martin Logan Vantage, Martin Logan Stage, Martin Logan Vista
2009: Martin Logan Depth (Servo 15 died and completed 5.1 ML system)
Cheers,
JJ


----------



## dyohn

Jungle Jack said:


> David, your list is simply sick.
> 
> JJ


Thanks. I wish I still owned some of those... I loved the EV VOTT system but it was traded for a Halcro amp and preamp, and the LATs were sold last year. I loved those things but I needed a cash hit.


----------



## JCD

My list is fairly short in comparison to most here..

~1995 Atlantic Technology 250 5.1 System

Those were stolen out of my garage while we were staining the floors of my house. With the insurance proceeds I was able to get

~2002 Paradigm Studio 60's v2, Paradigm Studio Center v2, Paradigm ADP 370's, Paradigm PW2000
This is the system that is used in my main room

~2005 Usher 2.5 DIY kit from Zalytron 
these are used in my "man cave" system


----------



## sandbag

Heathkit 8" two-way mono '69
Marantz bookshelf (daughter still uses with paisley fabric) '74
Smaller Advent (stereo) '75 (cat pee made them garage sale fodder)
Cambridge SW (several) gave away to kids '89
inherited Advents (still have - two woofers later)
Paradigm Studio 100s Pro (plus Paradigm HT 5.1)
Magnepan 3.6s (plus HT Maggies)


----------



## JoeESP9

I'll start in 1976 although I had speakers before then.
Apr 1976 sold AR2's for B&O S-70's
2 months later heard Magneplanar MG1's 
2 weeks later sold B&O's and bought Magneplanar MG-1's
1978 traded up to MG-2's
1981 traded up to MG3's
1984 traded in MG-3's for Acoustat Model 3's
1988 traded in Model 3's for Model 4's
1994 sold Model 4's for 2+2's
1998 sold 2+2's for Spectra 22's 
2000 added Model 1's for surround speakers


----------



## conchyjoe7

I started in the early 70s with speakers that didn't fold out of the amplifier/turntable...LOL.

Dahlquist DQ10s
DCM Time Window 1As 
Vandersteen 2 CIs
Mirage M3sis
Aerial 10Ts
Eggleston Works Andras
I knew I forgot one pair (at least), I had a 3 way floorstanding kinda pyramid shaped pair of ESS speakers (forgot model #) that used Heil Air Motion Transformers for tweeters...they had what I considered great sound for their day and their imaging and treble was to die for!

By the way Sonnie, what an excellent idea for a thread...


----------



## Jungle Jack

Hello,
Joe, Eggleston Works makes some of the finest Speakers in the World. I must say many of us are quite blessed to have had some of the finest Speakers that have ever been on the market. This evolution list is quite impressive.
Cheers,
JJ


----------



## conchyjoe7

Thanks for the compliment JJ...you aren;t exactly listening to chopped liver either I see...VERY nice rig you have there! I'm willing to bet your monthly power bill would render most folks speechless.
Cheers...


----------



## Jungle Jack

Hello,
Joe, I really do feel blessed to have the system that I do. Sadly my predilection for High Powered Class A/B with a high Class A Bias coupled with power hog Speakers probably do not make my HT Energy Star Certified. Throw in living in Southwestern Florida and indeed the bill is painful.
Cheers


----------



## conchyjoe7

Believe me, I feel your pain...if you look under my profile, while not quite as painful as yours, it still as yours does...NOT qualify for energy star status...but my oh my does it sound good...we are both fans of Parasound!
Cheers...


----------



## goatfarm

1967 - AR4x
1972 - The Advent Loudspeaker (still in use everyday in my vintage system)
1989 - Phase Technology 730es towers 
1994 - Infinity Overture 3s (still in use in living room stereo)
2000 - Infinity Interlude IL60 towers (current)

Also EPI 100s for the computer, Infinity Alpha 20s in the bedroom, Yamaha bookshelfs in the kitchen, DefTech PF1500 in the HT. It's always been about the music. And the available money.


----------



## Spuddy

I'm only 23 so a lot of the beginning stuff is from my poor teenage years, and I also have Asperger's so a ton of what I've done is incredibly ghetto-rigged from scratch without much in the manner of forethought, but hey I'll shoot 

-Creative 2.1 computer system, $40 at BB (actually a really good price for the quality IMO)
-Cambridge Soundworks 15" sub (blew my mind when I got it, kinda "meh" in hindsight )
-Built at least 4-5 bass cabinets for my brother's band, everything from 4x10 stacks up to a 2x18 monster that had to be disassembled to move
-Madison 18" 1,000w folded horn subwoofer, which despite still being some of the loudest bass I've ever heard, I had "matched" with the two little speakers from the Creative system haha
-Sold the massive Madison sub and went through a million various yardsale towers and bookshelves
-Klipsch Synergy Quintets with a Sub-10, got at BB for $900 total I think.. Had them for two years.
-Some good-condition (still junk..) Bose 301s for $50 to help a friend who needed money

-_Went on eBay looking for two more Synergy speakers for 7.1 surround just after getting my Christmas bonus_...:whistling: Ended up getting, in this order:
-Onkyo Integra DTR 5.5
-Velodyne SPL1200
-Klipsch RF-5 fronts
-Klipsch RC-3II Center
-Klipsch RF-3 surrounds

:dontknow:

Good sound is addictive haha. Ive been slowed down by moving and excessive Klipsch purchasing, but I will hopefully be adding DIY'd rotary sub to this list soon as well- I have most of what I need to put it together, now I need time.

Oh yeah, I also just took the stock speakers out of my TV and hooked up my remaining two Synergy speakers to the little wires that were there.. what a difference! I highly recommend this to anyone who doesn't want to put together a whole entertainment system for something as simple as just wanting better sound from cable TV. It's quick, it's easy, and the sound improvement is very noticeable


----------



## myozz

I'll add mine to the mix. Bought my first set of speakers when I was about sixteen year old. Still buying speakers some 40 years later.

Lafayette 3-way (generally lousy sounding speakers)
Dynaco A-10 (best I could afford at the time)
Dynaco A-35 (an upgrade from the A-10's)
ESS AMT-10? (clear highs but not much else good about them)
Dahlquist DQ-10 (wonderful sounding speakers)
Large Advent (Mirror image tweeter mods)
DCM Macrophone (very nice small bookshelf speakers)
Mangepan SMGA (liked them a lot but tricky placement issues)
Wharfedale ? (very nice sounding but quite ugly bookshelf speakers)

Many other small incidental speakers over the years (Optimus, Infinity, Audio Pro) some of which I cannot remember whatever happened to them.

Anyway, I'm looking to buy new speakers again. Maybe another pair of Magnepans.:wave:


----------



## conchyjoe7

Welcome James...You've had quite the assortment as have I...look back a little for my list. If you are seriously looking for an excellent pair of spekers I have a pair of Aerial 10Ts in black/black in flawless physical and sonic condition with Sound Anchor stands. Just gogle them if you're not familiar; they were Stereophile's 1996 speaker of the year. My pair is from 2000. If interested, send me back an e-mail and I will send pics and price. I will tell you this; you will not come close to the sound for the price...
Cheers..
Oh, and if you're not interested, tht's fine too and still WELCOME to The Shack!


----------



## mikeb

No way to remember years or all model numbers but I will narrow it to starting with my first home theater in the early eighties :T

Radio Shack/Realistic Dolby Surround system (front floorstanders and bookshelf surrounds)
Bose 301/201 Dolby Surround system
JBL bookshelf Dolby Surround system
Bose AM 7 Pro Logic System
Klipsch floorstanders, center, bookshelf surrounds
Paradigm Titan/Atom and center
Definitive Technology 2004 bipolars, center, bipole surrounds
and currently;

theater room- Polk LS 90's, Polk CS350 center, and four Polk M3 surrounds
living room- four Polk R300's and a CS1 center
bedroom- Polk 6750 HT speaker system

for a grand total of 18 Polk speakers in the house :gulp:

Subs;
Radio Shack 12" passive downfiring
Bose Acoustimass
A powered Yamaha
Definitive dual 12's in the bi-polars
Definitive powerfield 12
Dual RCA powered 12's
and currently;

Two Velodyne DPS 12's in the theater room
Velodyne VX 10 in the living room
Polk 8" in the bedroom from the 6750 system


----------



## jaball77

Neat idea for a thread!

My list is pretty short as of right now...

1997 - $300 KLH HTIB system
2001 - JBL Studio series 5.1 (White S36 fronts wall mounted, S-Center, N24 surrounds, PB12 sub)
2003 - JBL sub died, replaced with Velodyne CHT-12
2008 - Moved into a new house and upgraded everything... Paradigm Monitor 9's, CC-290, ADP-190's
2009 - Couldn't resist a sale at Outlaw Audio, upgraded the Velodyne to an LFM-1 Plus

I don't know what's next... The sub is pretty much perfect for the room and I really like the Paradigm setup now that it's EQ'd. I might try to free up some space and go with some wall mounted Paradigms like the W5's or Studio Esprits. We'll see.


----------



## goonstopher

2007 - Onkyo htib
2007 - Infinity beta 50's and bic america center
2008 - some kind of boston accoustic towers ha
2009 - paradigm studio 60's cc-570 - then switched to cc-690 and adp-590's
2009 - a single jtr triple 8 - became 3 jtr quintuple 8's and 2 jbl 8340a's
2010 (anticipated) - Salk Songtower RT's

subs

2007 - htib
2007 - psw10
2007 - hsu vtf3-nk3
2008 - pb13 Ultra
2009 - Epik Dynasty and 2 e.D. DIY sonotubes
2010 - JTR Captivator (anticipate adding second captivator OR switching to AE speakers p1512)


----------



## Syd26147

Oddball here:
I've only purchased 1 set of speakers - in the 80's ( Focal Eggs ).
Before that and since it was all manner of DIY enclosures ( sealed. reflex. passive radiator, bandpass, horns and motion feedback )

Syd


----------



## Prof.

Syd26147 said:


> Oddball here:
> I've only purchased 1 set of speakers - in the 80's ( Focal Eggs ).
> Before that and since it was all manner of DIY enclosures ( sealed. reflex. passive radiator, bandpass, horns and motion feedback )
> 
> Syd


Same here!.I purchased my first set of HT speakers in the 90's (BA's and Parasound) and they're still going strong..Although lately I've been feeling like I'm overdue for an update! 
Previous to that, I had also gone through all the varieties of DIY speakers..


----------



## goonstopher

I don't get how you do it!

Once I hear a speaker I want to try something new


----------



## dwr

5.1 theater
Def Tech Mythos with Def Tech center

2 ch

KLH Model 6...(still have these)
Martin Logan Ascent i
Linkwitz Orion++
Currently have Dr Earl Geddes Abbey 12a on order expected delivery mid June (these are the best I've heard)


----------



## Jungle Jack

dwr said:


> 5.1 theater
> Def Tech Mythos with Def Tech center
> 
> 2 ch
> 
> KLH Model 6...(still have these)
> Martin Logan Ascent i
> Linkwitz Orion++
> Currently have Dr Earl Geddes Abbey 12a on order expected delivery mid June (these are the best I've heard)


Hello,
My younger Brother uses Ascent i's for Main and Surround with a Theater i and Descent i in his HT and the results are utterly stunning. 
Every time I go to see him, I am stunned at how much bigger his Ascent's are than my Vantages. They really are lovely Speakers.

For his 2 Channel rig, he uses Focal Electra 1037 BE with Rogue M-180 Tube Monoblocks, Audio Research Preamp and Rockport Turntable.
Cheers,
JJ


----------



## jheyau

I started in about 1965 with a small Zenith stereo phonograph player with extendable speakers. Shortly after I began reading Stereo Review and High Fidelity and discovered Gordon Holt's Stereophile, I caught the hi-fi bug at that moment. First real hi-fi speaker was the AR-4ax, then replaced with Rectilinear Mini III.

Then I heard the Magnaplaner tri-fold panel speakers and instantly became disgusted with my own system, decided rather not to listen to them anymore, vowed to have something that will give me the semblance of the transparent sound that's was etched in my mind. Bought a pair of newly hailed Stax SR Lamda electrostatic headphones and listened to them for years until I finally bought a pair of Apogee Duettas when they first came out. I was happy with them for a few years and then discovered true transparent sound of the Soundlab speakers, replaced Duettas with Soundlab Prestines and was busy rediscovering my growing record/cd collection. 

I found myself occasionally yearning for the real low bass when listening to newly recorded symphonic music. Bought Legacy Focus (twin 12" woofers) and keeping Soundlabs for fear of wrongly selling them. It didn't take me too long to decide that the powerful newly bought Focus can't compared with the Soundlab's transparency and sold the Focus. Bought a pair of Dr. Hsu's first passive subwoofers (SW-10) when I found out that he designed them for his Quads. From that moment on I have been very satisfied with my sound for a long time. When Paradigm introduced the Servo 15 I decided to upgrade my subs to a single Servo 15 and settled in for a *very* extended period of time. 

I recently discovered Dr. Earl Gaddes and began to implement his multi-sub method by reusing my old Hsu subwoofers and a newly bought Polk PSW-10 sub and my Servo 15 (total of 4 subs), my system is now totally *transformed* and I am extremely happy with the sound coming out of my old Soundlab and the 4 subs. But I want to be 100% satisfied and my next step is to get the Geddes Abbey 12a and rediscover the nearly 5000 cd/LP collection that I've built.


----------



## dwr

jheyau.....have you heard Dr Geddes speakers as of yet, and/or ordered a pair? I went to his house and listened for myself back in early April, and ordered a pair of Abbey 12a speakers for my mains and a Nathan for my center. It sounds like we strive for the same thing from our speakers. I am in the process of retooling my system and when I take delivery in mid June of the Geddes speakers that will complete the picture. I too am going with the multi sub method for LF. I am using a total of 5 right now,2 passive 550 watts each, and 3 powered subs 2 velodynes and a yamaha. The LF in my system is great right now and I haven't even done any measurements yet, have you? If so could you please post your results, and when I do begin testing I will post those results. I never would have imagined you could have a sub behind your listening position and never know it was there. I use the subs configured so for 2 ch listening 3 of the subs are operational the 2 passives and 1 powered, and for 5.1 viewing/listening all 5 subs are operational. I control the subs with a behringer dcx-2496 as Geddes recommends. Please let me know how the multi sub approach works out for you.


----------



## JoeESP9

jheyau:
Your and my journeys are very similar. I started in 1968 with AR4 speakers. Today I sit and lsten to electrostatics with multiple subs.


----------



## jheyau

dwr, I haven't heard the Abbeys nor have I placed my order yet. I will most likely go listen to Dr. Geddes system when I pick up the Abbeys on the same day. I'm about 5 hours of drive away from Earl's home so I don't think I want to make two trips. I have read enough positive comments from different people who have bought the Geddes speakers that I feel very comfortable in buying them without a listen. How would you describe the difference in sound you heard at Earl's system from your own highly regarded Linkwitz Orion++/powerful muti subs? 

I haven't done any measurements either. I must admit that I am probably the least technical guy of all the audiophiles I know. The latest round of posts from Dr. Geddes and other members in the diy Audio sound very intimidating to me. I remember Earl said somewhere that once when one has 4 or more subs, it really doesn't matter too much about their placements as long as they are not too close to each other and set their levels different. I have both downward firing little 10" passive subs behind my Soundlabs which are about 6' from the frontwall. One of them is raised 2'4" off the floor and 3' from the left sidewall. The other one is right on the floor and 3' from the right sidewall. The active forward-firing Servo 15 is raised 3' off the floor (measured to the center of the driver) and 7' from the frontwall on the right wall. The cheap little 10" active Polk is placed on the floor on the left wall about 7' from the backwall. Although I don't know if my subs are placed in their optimal spots, I'm very happy with the sound I am getting from my old and modest setup now. I have a feeling that I might go away feeling totally inadequate about the sound of my system after I've listened to Earl's system! In fact that would be a good thing because that means the Abbeys are *that* much better than what I think is satisfactory. Earl mentioned many times that the Abbeys get 90% of Summa's performance at less than 1/2 of cost. Now that is one super deal that all music lovers should consider!


----------



## dwr

jheyau, I listened to the sumas at Dr Geddes home and did not get a chance to hear the Abbeys. The Geddes speakers have every bit of clarity of the Orions but the Gedders speakers will play at way higher volumes than the Orions and sound much better doing it. The Orions excelled in soundstage as in an orchestra or big band recording you can feel the placement of each instrument that was their strong suit. But in a nutshell his system was far and away the best "home based" system I have ever heard. As for the measurements I'll give you an honest run for your money on the least technical audiophile thing, and yes the threads on the diy site are intimidating but Dr Geddes offered to show me how it is done which is the nice thing about living only 20 miles from him. As for my subs I am just like you I love the sound I am getting right now with the def tech speakers I have now, when I sold the Orions I kept the 2 Thor subs and have one of them firing upward in the left corner behind my left front speaker, the other Thor is built into a coat closet and fires across the room behind my listening position by about 6ft and is about 5ft off the floor level. I have 1 10" velodyne powered sub firing out into the room on the right side behind and inside the right front speaker. Those 3 subs are used for 2 channel listening and are controlled by a behringer 2496 and powered by a behringer EP 4000 in the room behind my listening room thus eliminating the concern of fan noise in that amp. The other 2 subs are connected to my processor and are used for lfe when listening/viewing 5.1. and when all 5 subs get going on some of the new blu-ray formats the sound is incredible (I cant wait to get the Abbeys in the mix) It all works nice with the cj pv-14l preamp that I just got as it has a great HT bypass on it allowing that to send the signal to the 3 subs while the surround processor sends the signal to the lfe subs. The lfe subs are another velodyne and a yamaha both 10" powered low cost subs. You can take it from me you should have no problem purchasing the Abbeys without a listen you WILL NOT be disappointed.


----------



## 31Orcas

Well, about ten years ago, when I was five, I remember looking under the desk of our Windows 98 computer and seeing a white box with something (an approximately 3" subwoofer driver), which I had no idea what it was. I noticed it also had a hole in it (the port). I asked my mom what it was, and I said that it was connected to the speakers, and she had no clue. Her best guess was an oversized adapter.

Today I know that it was the subwoofer in a 2.1 system. I don't know when we sold it, but it's long gone. My grandpa (R.I.P) had a surround sound system that comprised of a very old receiver, a record player, I don't think it had a subwoofer, but it had two front speakers and two back speakers (no center). They were all the same size, and they were around two feet tall, maybe 9 inches wide and about 7 inches deep. They were fake hardwood, with a black grill. The system suddenly stopped working one day and it was sold many years ago (about, maybe, seven years ago). I don't know the brand. I don't know what the drivers looked like, and I probably would have been able to fix it if I knew as much about speakers as I do today, back then. All I remember about what they sounded like is that they were loud (and when I was little, loud wasn't loud by any means... my hearing was very sensitive, although it's normal now).

Not until I was about 12 did I really get into speakers. On my 13th birthday (I got a Cyber Acoustics CA-3094 for my birthday (this system seems to have been wiped off the internet... the Cyber Acoustics website is also very glitchy). It has two 2.5" neodymium tweeters (VERY loud for 1 watt) and a 12 watt subwoofer (distorts at half volume, it can't keep up with the tweeters).

On the last day of February of '08 (29 days after my birthday), the local thrift store was closing to be replaced by an overpriced (though highly organized) thrift-store-plaza, with the speakers mostly behind the cash register. I got two Fisher tower speakers, each with a 9" subwoofer, a 4" tweeter, and a (possibly non-functioning) 2.5" super-tweeter. For $15, they also came with a JVC RX-307 reciever with 45 wpc, stable between 8 and 16 ohms. They were essentially the radio for the thrift store since 1980, when they were built, and have gone through two receivers (the JVC is the second one, I believe the first one fried). Their model is unknown, and their wattage is whatever it takes to get sound out of them. Very little is known about them, but the pair I have has history. There was also a third one, but it's surrounds were gone on the sub. But I was stoked when I first got them. I using them facing toward each other into a sort of bandpass configuration for use as a subwoofer. But when I get a surround receiver, I'll put them back to their original position as front speakers.

In spring of '09, I got two Advent subwoofers for free (you might remember one of them and it's twin from my pathetic "Pushes Air But No Sound" thread... they were free because they had badly deteriorated foam surrounds, still awaiting new ones), and a Yamaha bookshelf speaker and a JVC bookshelf speaker for $1 each. The JVC had a dent in the top (easily fixed with scotch tape), and the Yamaha was fine.

In August of '09, I bought two 12" VR3 subwoofers (I wish I knew their T/S parameters) for $20 a piece. I bought them to fill holes in a box for two 12's that my neighbor had lying in their front yard and gave it to me : ). I ported the box to somewhere between 28 Hz and 32 Hz.

So, that's basically the history of the speakers I've owned : ).


----------



## jheyau

JoeESP9, our journeys are indeed very similar! I started out with a Dynaco Stereo 35 tube poweramp and a PAS 3X preamp, AR turntable with Shure V-15 Type II. A stereo AR integrated amp later replaced the Dynacos. Next came the PS Aduio 200c poweramp and Superphone Dual Mono preamp. VPI HW-19 mk II with Grado Signature arm and Talisman Alchemist IIIs cartridge. Upgraded the little Superphone preamp to the Aduio Research SP-9. Met John Iverson and bought his famed Robertson EK-1 strained gauge cartridge/preamp and four of his Electron Kinetic 400 mono amps when I had the Apogees. Alas! All that were in my much younger days and I'm now much, much more conservative and had been thinking about hi-fi in a very different perspective for nearly 20 years now!


----------



## bambino

In about 1990 is when it all started for me. I always jammed a set of my step fathers sonics hooked to an old pioneer stereo that he brought home from vietnam. After that everything was home built from the parts express catalog. I'd say i built 5 different sets and sold each set as i went, funny thing about it is that i was young and thought you could just build a box and throw in the drivers and call it good back then, to me none of them sounded bad but i sure would like to hear them now as i haven't built a set since '96 or so other then sub boxes for cars. Bet they sounded aweful compared to what i have now and moved on to which was paradigm monitor 3's with a 10'' paradigm powerd sub that i'm still using to this day.

My setup now is paradigm monitor 11's front & rear 
paradigm cc390 center
ADP 590 side surrounds
and that old sub for now

I never have been able to pull myself away from paradigm and not sure why, allthough i've been tempted i just never have. I think when i put a system together for my wifes room i'll probly do something other then paradigm (i hope). It's almost like i'm addicted to them even though i know there is better out there. :dontknow:


----------



## JoeESP9

jheyau, my first piece of equipment was a Fisher KX-90 kit integrated amp and Benjamin Miracord TT to go with the AR4's. The Dynaco factory was three blocks from my house. I was going to college starting in 1970 working on my B.Sc. Electrical Engineering. I bought a lot of Dyna Kits and spent a lot of free time hanging out with their technical and engineering departments. I learned a lot from those guys. I stuck with Dyna gear until I bought my first high end preamp (ARC SP-3) in 1978.


----------



## jheyau

dwr, did you get your Abbey 12a yet? What color are they? I would like mine to be glossy dark blue if Earl doesn't charge extra on the option. I saw a pic of Patrick Bateman's Summas in this color in one of the forums and they look gorgeous! Earl mentioned that it would be much easier to paint the 12a's new cabinet material. I understand he is in China now. I myself is going there also and when I come back I'd try to set up a time to listen to Earl's system. It's going to be a 5 hour drive! When I told my friend about Dr. Geddes, he wants to go too, if he likes the sound of the Summas, he will order them but I can only afford the Abbeys. My room is not big enough for the Summas even if I do have the dough for them (8'x15'x22' with a big opening on the back connecting to the kitchen area of about the same size); he on the other hand has the dough and a huge purpose-built sound room (13'x20'x30')! Please keep us updated on your new Abbeys; again congratulations!


----------



## dwr

No I have not got the speakers yet, I will be asking for a progress update from Earl on Monday so I will let you know. Just be prepared to wait if you order the speakers and I'm sure you will after hearing them. It has been exactly 8 weeks now since my order went in so I am HOPING they will be done in the next week or so. Mine will be the satin black finish. And I just had correspondence with Earl as to the cost and where to purchase the material he uses on the cabinets and it is not cheap $300 per 4' x 8' sheet, but I have looked at this material and I will probably build my next subwoofer using it, I just finished a 18" maelstrom X sealed sub and although it sounds fantastic I am not happy with the finish at all. I will keep you updated and maybe get some pics up when I get the speakers.


----------



## jheyau

An 18" sub in addition to the five others you already have? Man, that's going to be AWESOME with the Abbeys! I am totally thumbs when it comes to building anything so I envy your ability. Earl told me the backlog now is into October, I'm glad to see business is picking up for him, but it also means we all have to be much more patient in getting our speakers.


----------



## dwr

The new sub isn't an addition, I will keep the number of subs at 5, but now after hearing the results of building the maelstrom I will be building 4 more subs to replace what I have now. I use 2 velodyne 10" powered subs right now for lfe. Those will be replaced by 2 sonotube sealed 12" dayton Titanic MKIII (keg subs) for the lfe. As for the two channel I will build a 15" sealed Dayton Titanic MKII to fire upward at about 52", and the 3rd sub will remain the same a 12" peerless xxls ported. I am putting 2400 watts to the maelstrom, and will put 950 to the Dayton 15" and 550 to the Peerless. The 2 keg subs will get 500 watts each. And jheyau when you and your buddy come out to listen to Earls system I would hope to have my Abbeys set up by then so if you guys are planning to stay the night or have the time, feel free to get ahold of me and come over and listen to the Abbeys in my room which sounds like from your description of yours is very close to the same mine is open to a breakfast nook kitchen to the left of my left speaker. I live about 20 minutes from Earl's place.


----------



## jheyau

dwr, thank you very much for the kind offer, I will definitely keep that in mind. That upward firing sub at 52" above floor is exactly what the good doctor prescribes:clap:


----------



## BrianAbington

as a kid I had a sony boom box

My dad gave me his old technics reciver and Infinity KS 2000's (I think thats what they were)
when he bought his 2ch marantz and paradigam monitor 7's...he has had that setup for close to 20 years now and only had to replace the tweeters because my sister blew them out.

The tech reciver freaked out and made a pop one day and blew the woofers out so far the surrounds tore.

I kept them as night stands untill I got married,WAF dictated they could not stay.

I use a pair of old Aiwa shelf system speakers with my current yamaha reciver. 

They sounded horrible with the shelf system when my sister had it, but they were pretty impressive powered by 100watts of yamaha power and a decent signal from my samsung DVD player.

I currently have a pair of Klipsch KG 4.2's

http://www.klipsch.com/na-en/products/kg-4-2-specifications/

I love them, I think they sound waaaay better than the old Aiwas, but I actually like them better than my dads monitor 7's. The horn on the left one keeps cutting out so I will be opening them up at some point over the next week to check the internal wiring. 

They are only 30" tall. I have been debating rebuilding them to make them taller, however I think I will just build a pair of subwoofers to use as stands to raise them up to a better listening position.

I want to get 3 of the 5.2's to use L/C/R and move the 4.2's to surrounds.


----------



## dwr

jheyau, I am picking up the Abbeys on Wednesday, man am I geeked. And as a bonus, these are the first pair that Dr Geddes built using the new poly material for the cabinets and he wanted to see how the gloss black finish would work out, so I got the gloss black which is normally a $400 add on for free. I will let you know Wednesday night how they sound in my room.


----------



## TypeA

Bose pair of 301 series 1 (I was 16 years old and with an included pioneer amp, paid $300 used)

DCM 3 way center channel and a pair of Jensen 3 ways. (I was 19 and paid about $500 for all new)

Bose Pair of 701's (I was 21 and paid $700 floor model with some signs of wear)

Bose pair of 301 series 4 (I was 25 and paid $150 used...still own, up for sale) 

Bose pair of 901 series 6 with stands (I was 25 and paid $450 used....still own, up for sale)

Bose VCS10 center channel (I was 26 and paid $100 used...still own, up for sale)

Bose pair of companion 2 media speakers (I was 32 and paid $100 new....still own)

Bose 5.1 Acoustimass 6 series 3 (I was 32 and paid 500 new....still own, up for sale)

Infinity pair of P362s (I was 37 and paid $354 new...on order 8/19/2010)

Infinity PC350 center channel (I was 37 and paid $199 new....on order 8/19/2010) 

HSU VTF-2 MK 3 Rosenut Subwoofer (I was 37 and paid $675.55 new...on order 8/19/2010)

Infinity pair of P162's (I was 37 and paid $170 new....on order 8/19/2010)

Unknown bookshelf pair for zone 2 (I was 37 and paid no more than $300 new...on order NLT 9/2/2010)


----------



## jheyau

dwr,

It has been more than a month now since you took delivery of the Abbeys, congratulations! Can you share with us here your impression on these highly sought-after speakers? Wow, glossy black, how COOL!! You'll need to polish them often and handle them with white gloves!


----------



## dwr

jheyau, yes I have had the speakers for just over a month now, and I will say right off the bat that I now have far and away the best sound I have ever had in my room. I have the Abbeys set up with three subs for 2 channel listening following Geddes multiple sub theory. Neighbors and friends that have come over and listened to the system are completely amazed at the sound, these are people with what I call consumer level systems (read Best Buy) every one of them has asked how do you get the sound so "real" sounding. So needless to say I am COMPLETELY satisfied with these speakers. The best part of the whole thing is the excellent value that these speakers are. My previous 2 pairs of speakers over the last 6 years have been a pair of Martin Logan Ascent i with descent sub, and a pair of Linkwitz Orion ++ speakers. The value is the Abbeys are, a few hundred dollars less than the Logan setup and about $2000 less than the Orion system, and this is including the cost of my subs, that makes them a fantastic value in my book. As for the sound, I have listened to all kinds of music thru them over the last month at both low dB listening and Led Zepp at 101dB at the listening chair and the Abbeys sound every bit as crisp and clean from low volume to high its like there is no distortion to these speakers at all. I have listened to both solid state and tube amplification with them, as my CJ tube pre is out being modified right now I have them hooked up to my Rotel solid state amp and prepro, they sound great with either but I much prefer the tubes for 2 channel listening. They work great in the H/T mode as well as the front L & R speakers for my 5.1 listening/viewing but at heart I am an old fart 2 channel guy so thats where my emphasis is.


----------



## arnoldc

Back in High School I started with DIY speakers with some cabinet where no math was associated in it, just a box with DAI-1CHI OEM speakers (they're OEM for Klipsch among others).

My first manufactured speakers, which I find decent is Bose 301 Continental Edition. Only a few appeared in my country of residence, and after 15 years or so, they still serve as the FL/FR speakers in my home theater setup.

I sort of "walked away" from home audio for a while and when I built my first "audiophile" system, I bought the Inifinity Kappa 200 bookshelves. Love these speakers, but I sold them to a good friend who is not willing, as of yet, to sell it back to me.

I bought another speaker, the JBL LX2002 and loved it for my HT setup, which temporarily replaced the Bose. When another friend saw it, he begged for it to complete his all-LX2002 setup. So they're with him now.

The LSA1 monitors from the LSA Group was next. I purchased it supposedly for my office setup, to be driven by a HK vintage receiver. The receiver broke down, and I lost interest in the office setup so it was sold, with regrets.

In my 2-channel setup, I'm currently being spoiled by my DIY speakers, with the cabinet based on Altec 604 plans, with Altec 406-8Y 10" woofers, Oxford mid-horns, and Fostex FT-17H super tweeters. They're being driven by a Naim Audio NAIT 5_i_.


----------



## dwr

Thats a great progression of real nice speakers there, I'll bet your DIYs sound great!!


----------



## arnoldc

dwr, thank you sir. They're great for my needs now as it offers the tone and tibre I prefer. I am going to upgrade my crossover, as I have some inductors coming from Germany. I hope to pull off a little bit more performance from that upgrade.


----------



## jheyau

dwr, "101dB at the listening chair and the Abbeys sound every bit as crisp and clean from low volume to high its like there is no distortion to these speakers at all", now THIS is the performance trait of a truly great loudspeaker! I'm sure you will be spending all your hi-fi time in rediscovering your music collection. Congratulations again and enjoy, my friend!! BTW, how far is your listening chair from the Abbeys?


----------



## dwr

I am 11 feet from the front plane of the speakers.....and yes I have been rediscovering my music collection for a month now one lp and cd at a time. And this system will be complete when I get my CJ preamp back from being modified, and I am having a phono preamp built this week, real nice 274B tube rectified unit that uses 12ax7s in the preamp section, and I am having Modwright do the tube mod on my Oppo bdp83se which modifies the 2 channel output of that unit to a tubed circuit using the modwright power supply. All 3 pieces should be back in the system the first week in Sept. I'll probably start rediscovering the music collection all over again then too!!


----------



## Coytee

When I was a young teenager, I remember telling my mother that I wanted to get a nice stereo. I didn't really know WHAT "nice" meant at the time, just that I wanted something that was visceral.

For that Christmas, I received a Yorx (IIRC) all in one, AM/FM, 8-track, turntable with two little 10" tall speakers (RCA inputs on the back) with 4" full range drivers.

When I was 18, I had my first job and started reading the sterel magazines. I read a glowing report on the Pioneer CTF 1000 cassette deck as well as the ElectroVoice Interface D speaker.

I went to my local dealer and heard the EV's. I bought them on the spot. I knew my mother would freak out so I took them to my girlfriends apartment and kept them there for several weeks.

Later that year, I heard my first pair of Klipsch, story (long) here 

http://www.hometheatershack.com/for...s/15195-official-klipsch-owners-thread-5.html

So now at the age of 19, I had a pair of ElectroVoice Interface D's and LaScalas. I took these to college with me and was the man when it came to cranking it up. I also played a number of frat parties, weddings and outdoor parties. I got paid for the frat parties.

I still have BOTH pair of these speakers although the EV's are currently stored in a closet with rotted woofers. I can't bring myself to sell/give them away nor as of yet, deal with fixing them.

Along this road, I also bought a pair of ESS speakers with the Heil AMT tweeter. I used these in my car...and they were stolen.

1994, I was getting into the HT deal and bought 3 Klipsch Academy's to mate up with my system. I didn't realize how inadequate the Academy would be for a center speaker between LaScalas and have since sold all three of them, obtaining another LaScala to use as a center.

Somewhere around 2006, I found a pair of walnut Klipschorns in Chicago. This was my dream to own and jumped on them. I drove the 12 hours (one way) to Chicago and brought them home. My wife freaked out when she saw how huge they were. I had enough foresight that PRIOR to her coming home and seeing them, I quickly put them in the corners where the corner would hide their actual size.

She got over them and while still detesting virtually any speaker over the size of those little 2" cubes that we all know about, she's learned to put up with them. I keep reminding her that I was a package deal.... I had these big speakers prior to knowing her.

Then, in 2007, I went to one of the Klipsch "Pilgrimages" and visited the plant in Hope. Something I had wanted to do decades earlier but thought it was rather strange that someone say, 25 years old would want to drive to a speaker factory a couple states away....how strange was that??

Little did I know but there had been MANY people who not only thought about this very thing but actually had the guts to act on it and actually make the trip. Most of these lucky guys had a chance to meet PWK and the stories range from meetings with him to visiting with him at his house and having lunch. 

So, it was at this Pilgrimage that I first heard the Jubilee speaker. PWK's final project and his attempt to create the Klipschorn II and take the Khorn back to a 2-way speaker. From the start of the Eagles Hotel California (HFO track) I was intrigued on what I was hearing this speaker play while in mono at their lab. Then, the drumkick came in and pressurized that room like nothing I had ever heard before. I knew in the instant of hearing that initial drumkick that I loved this speaker and THIS is what I was after since telling my mother decades prior that I wanted a nice stereo.

I drove home after this gathering, talked to the wife (who seems, didn't fully grasp the depth of what I was saying and she said "do what you want"). I instantly SHUT UP with her, put my Khorns up for sale...had them sold literally, within one hour of their listing and I ordered the Jubilee's.

I lusted to own KLipschorns since I first heard them when I was 18 years old. I was now 47, had the "speakers of my life" and heard the Jubilee. I have now had the Jubilee's for several years and do not miss my Khorns for 3 seconds. The Jubilee's have completely vanquished the standard that the Khorn set for me when I was young.


----------



## goonstopher

Wow, great story.

It really goes to show how different we all are. To my Klipsch sound like the most painful muddy and static-y speakers I have ever heard even compared to bose. 

I guess speakers really can be all about tastes.


----------



## johngalt47

Hmmm....

I think my first speakers were some that came with an integrated turntable/amp/speaker system I bought while in the USAF. It may have been a Panasonic system but I don't remember.

After that, in sort of chronological order:

Advents?
British Fidelity (stolen when my house was robbed in 1994)
Radio Shack Minimus 7
ADC?
Dynaudio Contour 1.1
Zaph ZD5 (John Bateman built the cabinets and I did the rest)
Subwoofer using a Dayton RSS315HF-8 with an O-Audio 500 watt amp(Nik Brewer built the cabinet)


----------



## kflory

Late to the thread, but non the less...

1974 - 3-way DIY with Radio Shack drivers with a 12" woofer
1976 - 3-way DIY with Phillps drivers with 2 12" woofers
1982 - Maratanz HD880 (traded with a friend for something)
1994 - Infinity Kappa 7.1ii (and still my mains)
1996 - Kef Q80 inherited from my Dad, used for my home office
1996 - Sonace rears (in ceiling, from the builder, never could figure out the model #)
2010 - Infinity ERS610s replaced the rears
2010 - Infinity PS212W subwoofer added


----------



## fookoo_2011

Onkyo HTIB 7.1 system < $400
Polk R50's
Infinity PC350 Center
Infinity Qb's
Infinity PS212 Sub
Infinity Cascade Nines
Infinity Cascade Three Center
Infinity P362's as rear most speakers
Infinity Cascade 15 sub 
More Infinity Cascade Nines
A second Infinity Cascade 15 sub


----------



## FlashJim

Bose 301 (Started my hatred of Bose)

Advent Baby III (Adored those little speakers)

JBL NSP1 (Still in use! The only plastic speakers I've ever liked)

Various DIY subs and speakers.

DIY is the only way to go.


----------



## Bruce

Interesting progression of peoples tastes and perspective.

I started my 1st serious foray into stereo while I was in the service in 1971, and bought a Marantz stereo receiver, a Teac open reel tape deck and a pair of AR3a speakers. Picked up a Phillips turntable for my records (still have all the records).

I bought a pair of EPI-110 to compare in 1980 and then set them up in another room, Also bought a HarmonKardon stereo receiver somewhere in here to run the AR3a.

In 1986 I bought a pair of used Advents, but sold them almost immediately as I didn't find them better than the AR3a.

It wasn't till around 1998 when I bought a 36" Toshiba CRT TV, that I wanted some additional speakers and a Yamaha 1000a surround processor/amplifier and some cambridge dipole surrounds and a polk center channel.

Then got a Parasound 1205a 5 channel amp, Parasound CD player and a Panasonic DD/DTS processor plus an M&K powered sub.

Finally in 1999 got my Dynaudio speakers (some used some new) and stopped listening to other speakers as I had found nirvana. Mostly got the 2.8 towers for my stereo music listening pleasure.

Dynaudio Contour 2.8 towers with a Contour center and Contour 1.1 surrounds.

Upgraded to a used Proceed AVPII as a processor in 2008 and couldn't be happier.


Has anybody used the Dynaudio ceiling speakers ?


----------



## leej

Around 1967, I purchased my first component stereo system. It was a pair of 3-way, Realistic Speakers and a Lafayette Combo Receiver/Cassette Tape deck, from Radio Shack. I made do with this for several years.
Around 1969, I added an Akai (Roberts) Reel-to-Reel deck. 
I finally replaced the system in 1977, or ’79 (not sure what year) with a Sansui 90/90 and a pair of Techniques 3-way, Linear-Phase speakers. They were monsters, with 15” woofers. I later handed down the Techniques to my brother, who is still using them.
Around 1995, I found a used pair of Infinity Kappa 7’s, with a bad crossover that I repaired, myself (replaced bad caps). I still love the way they sounded! 
A couple of years later, while looking at some of the very early Mitsubishi rear projection HDTV’s, I happened to hear some B&W Nautilus speakers. That’s all it took. I was in love and had to have some. I settled for a pair of bookshelf size, B&W CDM 1NT’s, to go with my Kappa’s and added a CDM CNT center, M&K V120 sub and a Denon AVR-3801 to drive them. I got the Mits. 65” Diamond, too (no tuner). I had to wait almost a year for the set-top HDTV Direct TV receiver, which wasn’t available from Direct TV – I had to purchase one. Times have changed for HDTV. HD Cable – Ha! No such thing.
A couple of years later, I replaced the Kappa’s with another pair of B&W CDM 1NT’s. 
In’08, I added a pair of B&W 703 towers and a Rotel RB-1080. The CDM CNT was replaced with a used B&W HTM2 center. 
A few months ago, I decided that the M&K sub wasn’t enough for my large room. After much research, and because I couldn’t afford the JL Fathom, I bought a pair of Rythmik F15’s. I needed a pair to balance the room. I love these musical subs and the difference that they made. My nephew is very pleased with the hand-me-down M&K. 
For now I’m good, but I’m thinking about upgrading electronics. I have an OPPO BDP-83, but I see that there is a newer model. I am looking at a new AVR - Thinking about the features on the Denon AVR-4311, but maybe separates. 
It’s a never-ending story.


----------



## mjcmt

Speaker evolution as far as I can remember. Nothing to fancy. Some I've owned simultaneously for multiple systems.

Double Larger Advents (owned in the day) _gone!
UK monitor (can't remember name) _gone!
DIY monitor (Peerless and Vifa drivers) _gone!
B&W 601 monitor _gone!
DIY monitor (SEAS drivers) _gone!
DIY floorstander (SEAS Excel drivers) _keeping!
Polk Audio RTA-11T (floorstander) _gone, sorry to say!

Plus:
Optimus PRO LX5 mini-monitor _gone!
JBL HTS610 monitors _gone!
Dual JBL 10" subs (can't remember model) _gone!
Mission model 70 mk2 monitor (rebuilt) _not gone yet!
Dynaco A25XL bookshelf (latest version, rebuilt) _keeping!
AR15 'Hi-Res Series' monitors _someday may be gone?
Klipsch RPW10 sub _not gone yet!
Radio Shack/Optimus/RCA Pro-X44AV (marketed under many names) _not gone yet!


----------



## chashint

The first 'stereo' i bought was a Panasonic all-in-one contraption, it was a AM/FM tuner and a turntable all built together and it came with a pair of what would now be considered large bookshelf speakers.
At the time I really thought I was styling with that thing.
My next speakers were Pioneer HPM-100s that I bought in 1979 (??)
Less than a year later I added a pair of Cerwin Vega speakers but I don't remember the model.
The CV's died maybe 15 years ago.
When I got a DVD player I added a pair of cheap KLH speakers to the HPM-100s so I could have surround sound and about 6 years ago I added a cheap KLH center channel.
A year ago I replaced the entire audio system and chose Klipsch RF-83, RC-62, and RS-42.
We have been very happy with this system and I hope it lasts a very long time.


----------



## Owen Bartley

I don't think I've posted in here yet...

My first speakers were Zenith Allegros that my dad picked up for me at a yard sale because he remembered them (or something very similar) from his youth. Those speakers lasted probably a good 10 years through high school and university, and even though I was about my stuff, they still took a beating. Over the years I removed their beat up glued-on grills and built a new removable set, did what I could to fix up the peeling bits of veneer, and built some matching stands to get them up off the ground.

After university I picked up a pair of Paradigm Mini Monitors and a CC-370 to use as the front stage. Several years later I added the Monitor 7s and moved the Mini Monitors to the back. Now after building a few subs and a rear surround, that's where I am.

Oh, and I haven't been able to part with the Allegros, they're just too close to my heart. I now have them wired as the B channel in our dining room. 

Note: These aren't mine, but the best pic I could find online.


----------



## dat56

I'm going to exclude any pair of speakers that were included with something else, and only include speakers that were used as my main 2-channel pair for at least while, with or without subwoofing. And now as I scratch my chin and squint, let's go back in time to...about 1974 or so:

Realistic Nova 7-B
Advent "New"
Bose 901 IV
ESS amt-1b
klipsch cornwall
Amrita Reference Standard
klipschorns
B&W 703
a/d/s/ HT-400LCR (w/ subs)
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab OML-2
Energy RC-50 (w/ subs)
Polk LSi-9 (w/ subs)
Klipsch La Scala II (w/ subs)
RBH MC-6CT (w/ subs)
Bose 901 VI


----------



## Sirbrine

I tend to do a lot of research and take my time before I make a major purchase so I keep my toys for a loing time and have only owned two sets of speakers.

Boston Acoustics T-830s
Salk SongTowers

When I was growing up my parents had a nice sounding Magnavox console with built in record player. It was huge.


----------



## anberg

Started with bose 501's in college. Moved to ADS floorstqanders and in a separate room Snell Q's (no bass, but otherwise best of that bunch)

I still remember over 15 years ago walking in to the "Listening room" in Westchester and hearing a single piano note and thinking "wow, that really sounds like a piano". Asked the salesman where it came from and he pointed to this little Thiel. Been hooked on them ever since. Have more than I care to divulge


----------



## Theresa

Fishers I got from my father.
Home builts with 10" acoustic suspension woofers.
Polk 6.5" monitors (don't remember the model)
JBL L? 6.5"
DIY 90 liter subs with Peerless 13"
Dynaudio 12" replaced Peerless drivers
DIY MTM using Vifa drivers, as in Dickasons Loudspeaker Design Cookbook
NHT 12" !259s replaced Dynaudio drivers in subs
DIY 6.5" Focals
Kit Eton Symphony 7s from Madisound actively crossed over
Kit ScanSpeak Rediscovery from Madisound (but in a smaller cabinet), actively crossed over 
DIY 3cf sub using Exodus Shiva X-2 and TC Sounds 15" Passive Radiator
DIY 4cf sub using Exodus Tempest X-2 and Exodus 18" Passive Radiator
Many others I cannot recall.


----------



## DaveStL

High school: the family's Zenith console (!)
College: RTR 8" bookshelf; in the Vega wagon, Radio Shack Minimus 7 on DIY brackets
Marriage: Advent 1
Since then: Large Advent, stacked New Large Advent, Magnepan MG-IIIa

Still have them all, but the RTR's need some love.

Dave


----------



## Fred Garvin

I've been through 3 major phases:

The More More More! stage: At its peak this consisted of two sets of floorstanders; some odd old Polks that were I believe a two way speaker with passive radiators, augmented by a set of Cerwin Vega 12" 3 ways, and a monstrous Carver folded horn subwoofer the size of the slab from "2001". This sounded about like you would expect, murky, muddled, loud without being powerful. Eventually a ray of light penetrated and I moved on to:

The Less is More stage: A set of Boston Acoustics T-830s. Man I loved those Bostons, I still have them, but they've grown tired after 15+ years.

Eventually I started experimenting with subs again (a Velodyne VRP-1000) and corrective EQ, leading to...

The Modern Era: Wharfedale 10.1s (and I still have the Velo). Highly rated, Kevlar drivers, biampable, slick curved wall enclosures... I wish I loved them. The high end is just a bit missing somehow and I was hoping for revelations in the midrange that I haven't found yet. I haven't given up on them yet, which is why I came here.


----------



## CHASLS2

I started out with Klipsch KG3.5's in 2001. Then sold them when i moved in 04 and went without until the fall of 09. Then i went with the Klipsch SF3's, then to the RF82's for a month, then got a set of the RF63's and now have the RF7's in cherry, the RC7 and RS7's. This is for a bedroom and the 7's rock the room.


----------



## tesseract

While not an all encompassing evolution from start to finish, this is what has been going on at my house for the last couple of weeks.

B&W 602S3, I've had these for about 2 years now. Great speaker, highly detailed with pinpoint imaging, forward sounding.

GR Research has a pair of N2X traveling the country for audition, I just had my turn with them. A really sweet, laid back speaker, you can listen for hours with no fatigue.

The WAF-1 is all that remains of the three, I sold the B&W's to my brother and sent the N2X on to forum member Mojave. The WAF-1's have been sitting in a box since February, they came as a package deal with my Chase 18.T Duo Series 2 subwoofers. No real interest in them, as the B&W's plus dual 18" subs were doing great for 2 channel duty. I was kind of concerned about having only these speakers to fall back on while I wait for the next pair.

Well, these little guys surprised me. I have never heard an inexpensive speaker sound so good, and of the three, the WAF-1 actually portrayed the deepest soundstage. They don't mind at all when you lay the power on them, and will do just fine until my next speakers arrive. It's too bad these are no longer in production.

I just set these up as shown for the pics. All listening was done with one pair optimally placed on stands and the others removed from the area.


----------



## Oktyabr

LOL! This thread sounded like it might be an interesting challenge to my memory so lets see.... in no particular order:

Martin Logan SL3
Snell E/III (x2, in both oak and black)
Snell A/IIi in Brazilian Fire Maple
Snell J/IV (bought, sold, bought them back they are so good!)
DIY Sachiko BLH with modded Fostex 206E
Yamaha NS690
ADS-L810
Cerwin Vega DX-9 (x2)
Cerwin Vega D9
Cerwin Vega "E" series (all of them)
Cerwin Vega "V" series (all of them)
Lots of smaller Cerwin Vega
Acoustic Research Teledyne AR9 (how I wish I still had these!)
Acoustic Research Teledyne AR9LS (good, but not as good as the original)
Acoustic Research Teledyne TSW910 (read one line above)
Polk SDA-1
Polk SDA-2 (all the SDA are special... you either love the sound or you don't)
Polk SDA SRS 3.1TL
Magnepan MG1
Magnepan MG2
Dahlquist DQ-20i (great speaker!)
Dahlquist DQ-30
Infinity Kappa 6.1v2
Infinity Kappa 8.1v2
Infinity WTLC
Infinity Primus 360 towers with full surround compliment
Vandersteen 2C (x2 smoking good speaker for the money!)
KLH Model 23
Large Advent
"New" Large Advent
Advent Prodigy
Advent Prodigy II towers
Pioneer CS99A
Pioneer CS88
Wharfedale Dovedale (only pair I have ever seen, in person or the internet)
Wharfedale E30
Too many Klipsch to mention.

A bunch more including a ton of cheaper Acoustic Research, Pioneer, Yamaha, Onkyo, Sony, etc... Some smaller Paradigm, lots of Boston including the remarkable Voyager, and too much Bose (and rare Bose clones!) to embarrass myself with here 

Oh, my currents are DIY full range towers featuring the affordable Audio Nirvana AN8 drivers in either the AN suggested 2.8MKII bass reflex cabs or my one-off 6'6" tall Metronome Mass Loaded Quadratic Quarter-Wave Tubes (say that three times fast!) Really not an "evolution" of sorts... I just get bored easily. Life is short and variety is the spice of life!


----------



## Twin_Rotor

Like Sonnie, I don't remember any model numbers. 

Kenwood 2 way 6" paper cones my dad bought in Honk Kong in 1967 during shore leave. They worked fine, sounded like 

~1980 JBL 3 way 12" with high and mid dB control. 4" paper mid and dome tweeter. 1" MDF cabinets. Loved em, had them for years. Ended up with a pair of 12" Kickers from 1993 when all the surround fell out of the JBL subs  Had those from '85 untill I got the JVCs below.

1992 single 4" Technics. Still have them; sound like .

1994 JVC 3 way 12" with 12" passive radiators. Loved those guys. Gave them away when I moved 1800 miles in a CRX. 

2000 JBL 4" sattellite 5.1 system with a dual 4" center single tweeter and a powered 8" sub. First 5.1 system and last untill a few months ago.

Long period with no speakers.... Well, some shelf system speakers not worth mentioning.

Two years ago I got my Paradigm CC-350. 
Was also given a pair of two way 6" KLH that don't sound too bad, but one tweeter is "dead" for some reason.

Year ago Bose 301 III

Month ago JBL SV-1600s

Still wating for my LCR-350s.

I've had more speakers in vehicals than anything..


----------



## chashint

chashint said:


> The first 'stereo' i bought was a Panasonic all-in-one contraption, it was a AM/FM tuner and a turntable all built together and it came with a pair of what would now be considered large bookshelf speakers.
> At the time I really thought I was styling with that thing.
> My next speakers were Pioneer HPM-100s that I bought in 1979 (??)
> Less than a year later I added a pair of Cerwin Vega speakers but I don't remember the model.
> The CV's died maybe 15 years ago.
> When I got a DVD player I added a pair of cheap KLH speakers to the HPM-100s so I could have surround sound and about 6 years ago I added a cheap KLH center channel.
> A year ago I replaced the entire audio system and chose Klipsch RF-83, RC-62, and RS-42.
> We have been very happy with this system and I hope it lasts a very long time.


Yeah I know I quoted myself :yikes:
But it's been a year so that makes it OK :bigsmile:

Still really enjoying the Klipsch speaker system.
In June of 2011 I added an Outlaw LFM1-EX subwoofer to the system and it is a great addition.
The system sans sub was very good, but the EX really adds another layer of sound.
Who knew there was so much going on below 30Hz ? :T


----------



## hdmiii

For me it started when I was in Jr. High. I walked into a local Klipsch dealer and they played Pink Floyd's "money" on a concert stack of horns. I was blown away! :yikes: I became their top unpaid salesman after that. I talked my divorced parents in to K-horns, Lascala's and Heresy's. I kept the Heresy's for many years after that. Later on I had:
Jbl L40's
Boston vr-30's
B&W cdm9nt's
Alternate Audio PS-40's
Axiom m3's
RBH T2's
RBH 661 SE's
RBH 661 SE/R's
Klipsch Lascala's
Klipsch Cornwall's
Maganepan SMGA's
Pioneer -41's
Chase Pro-10's


----------



## Bang4Buck

no evolution here, just a start:
for many years, an Onkyo 7.1 HT set, never woke up to the possibilities
now: Magnepan 1.7 with ML Motif Center and FX Surrounds, SVS PB 12 NSD


----------



## Seaxe

Where to begin? Over the years I have had many speakers. Such as Celestion, Maurdant Short, [email protected], Magneplaner,John Bower Active,Electrovoice and others. Now I run large standmount homebrew speakers using Scanspeak (8545k) drivers . Together with active xover to subwoofers, this is the best sounding speaker system I have owned.


----------



## JBrax

I don't remember model #'s but roughly in chronological order:
1. Technics
2. Cerwin Vega
3. Pioneer
4. JBL (very good speakers and had for years)
5. Klipsch Reference series (my favorite for HT)


----------



## phreak

Pioneer - 15 years, still in casual use
Quest
KLH
Fisher - center only
Paradigm v.4 Monitor 11 & CC390

Current System
Paradigm v.6 Monitor 11 & CC390
BIC Venturi V52 (4 surrounds)


----------



## sashley4

If only I could remember all of the speakers that have come and gone under my watch, I think my head would explode.
That's not to say that many of them were much to talk about. 

Some of them I have owned:
Fisher
EV
Bose
JBL
McIntosh
Advent
Lafayette
Klipsch
Energy
Sony
various others.

Currently running a set of Klipsch mains with a pair of JBL 2245 subs in an IB set-up for listening to music.
Most of the surround speakers I am running are Energy brand.


----------



## Bjski

I'll try and remember.
Utah
Rectilinear
BIC Venturi
Koss (There top of the line)
Polk SDA
Thiel 3.7
Infinity IRS Epsilon
Paradigm 9 (home theater)
Paradigm CC300
AR (back channels)
Legacy Focus SE (2 channel)
Definitive Technology ( home theater) 
Axiom 80MV3 
Earthquake MKV-15


----------



## NBPk402

A generic brand back in about, 1975-1976
BIC Venturi Formula 3, around 1976-1977
Altec Lansing model 9, around 1977-1978
Cerwin Vega A123, around 1978-1979
Cerwin Vega S1, around 1979-1980
Klipsch La Scala, around 1980-1982
Boston Acoustic A60, around 1982-1984
Celestion SL3, around 1984-1989
Martin Logan Sequel II, around 1989-1003
Paradigm Studio 80, around 2003- 2013
JBL 2360A with EV DH1A drivers, DIY QPie bass bins, Danley DTS-10s (2013-current)


----------



## snowmanick

I am not good with years, but this is the rough order. Some speakers/systems were overlapped in different systems at the same time, so I'm going off of date of purchase. Of what I remember:

Magnavox boombox
Magnavox 3-in-1 with detachable speakers
(both of the above were from when I was a kid, before 13 years old or so)

"Real" Speakers:
Allison DIY's (this is when I learned I shouldn't DIY  )
JBL 4312A
KEF Coda somethings (short time frame, I just remember they had great mids and very little bass)
JBL L100
Energy E:XL 15, 16, 26 and E:XL-C 
Energy A3+2, A2+2 and AC300 (which I bought in 1997 and just gave to my brother last month, great speakers.)
Hales Revelation 3 (I shouldn't have sold these)
AV123 RS250/RSC200/RSS300
AV123 RS450
era D5
PSB Imagine B
Def Tech Mythos STS/9 (quickly replaced with a Mythos 10)/Gem XL
Def Tech CS-8060HD (replaced the Mythos 9 with a ten, and then replaced the Ten with this)
Currently debating SVS Ultra set up or KEF R700 based system

Somewhere in that time I also had Infinity Reference Four's that I lost in a bet, Polk surrounds, something from Koss, something from Advent, and a few other speakers that I remember only by how they looked, which is never a good sign. 

Assorted desktop computer speakers
Logitech "stuff"
Audioengine A2
Audyssey Lower East Side

HT Subwoofers:
DIY dual voice coil Pioneer in a 5 ft^3 sealed enclosure
DIY Polk db based sub in a 3 ft^3 enclosure (maybe I didn't really learn not to try DIY as early as I thought...)
M&K S-150 THX
Dual Energy subs: ES-18XL and Microstar 12.1
Dual SVS PB12+ (12.3)
Dual AV123 MFW-15
Dual SVS PB13-Ultra
SVS SB12-Plus (bedroom system, still have the Ultra's in my HT)
Currently debating SVS SB13-Ultra for their smaller size and set up options 

Car audio (I don't remember any of the model numbers, but assorted component and subs):
Alpine
Polk
Rockford Fosgate
Rainbow
OZ Audio
JL Audio
and many others, but its been a long time. 

Other:
Junk that was installed in the ceilings in my house by the builder.
Grado, Senheiser and Beyerdynamic cans of assorted types. Still love my Grado SR-60i's for rock music! 

Man, I've been slacking off.


----------



## Bjski

Bjski said:


> I'll try and remember.
> Utah
> Rectilinear
> BIC Venturi
> Koss (There top of the line)
> Polk SDA
> Thiel 3.7
> Infinity IRS Epsilon
> Paradigm 9 (home theater)
> Paradigm CC300
> AR (back channels)
> Legacy Focus SE (2 channel)
> Definitive Technology ( home theater)
> Axiom 80MV3
> Earthquake MKV-15


I'm using the Axiom 80V3 with the Earthquake subwoofer for my home theater.
I have the Legacy Focus SE for my 2 channel music only. I'm thinking of adding a subwoofer such as the SVS ultra-13 or rythmick HP-15. Any ideas? Should I move this to the subwoofer page?


----------



## Architect7

Pioneer DSS-5 (jr. high, high school, college, still have them in my garage  ):









Goky Melody 2 bookshelves (high school/college/currently in the bedroom)

2011-2013: DIY with x6 Acoustic Elegance OB15s, SEAS Excel W22s, SEAS Excel W15s, RAAL 140-15D Dipole:










Current: RAW Acoustics Lambda towers with Aurum Cantus G2 ribbons and CSS WR125 mids, powered CSS XBL 8s:


----------



## alatham

1987-Klipsch KG4's
1988-Fuselier 3.8BS (I still have these and they still sound great)
1988-2007-The dark years
2008-Magnepan MMG's 
2009-Emotiva ERM 6.2's
2010
-Magnepan 2.7's
-Dayton Audio B652's w/ Dayton audio 8" sub (office setup)
2011-Zu Audio Omen's
2012-Emotiva Pro Airmotiv 4's (office setup)
2013-Hang on for this year. I have been filling in my speaker bucket list
-Magnepan Mini System
-Emotiva Pro Stealth 6's
-Tekton Lores
-Magnepan SMGa's
-Magnepan 1.6's (still have and need to do a delamination fix and sell or Magnestand them)
-Pioneer SP-BS21's (Current office setup)
-Tekton Mini Lore Monitors, Magnepan CC3, Magnepan MMGW (Current basement 5.1 setup)
-EMPTek E5bi's/Orb Audio/Polk Audio CS2 Series II Center/EMPTek ES1010i Sub (Current play room 5.1 setup)
-Magnepan MG12's w/Def Tech Supercube 6000 (Current 2 channel setup)

I feel like I left some out...I know hard to believe.


----------



## goatfarm

goatfarm said:


> 1967 - AR4x
> 1972 - The Advent Loudspeaker (still in use everyday in my vintage system)
> 1989 - Phase Technology 730es towers
> 1994 - Infinity Overture 3s (still in use in living room stereo)
> 2000 - Infinity Interlude IL60 towers (current)


Couldn't figure out how to edit this old post, but I still wanted to update. The Phase Techs were the worst speakers I ever owned. I know the brand has a following. The OLAs are playing as I type. Remarkable bass and superb female vocal rendition. Can't believe the O3s are 20 years old, and that the IL60s still anchor my HT. Looks like I'm too old to upgrade and too old to care. Glad I bought some good stuff back when.


----------



## Owen Bartley

Owen Bartley said:


> I don't think I've posted in here yet...
> 
> My first speakers were Zenith Allegros that my dad picked up for me at a yard sale because he remembered them (or something very similar) from his youth. Those speakers lasted probably a good 10 years through high school and university, and even though I was about my stuff, they still took a beating. Over the years I removed their beat up glued-on grills and built a new removable set, did what I could to fix up the peeling bits of veneer, and built some matching stands to get them up off the ground.
> 
> After university I picked up a pair of Paradigm Mini Monitors and a CC-370 to use as the front stage. Several years later I added the Monitor 7s and moved the Mini Monitors to the back. Now after building a few subs and a rear surround, that's where I am.
> 
> Oh, and I haven't been able to part with the Allegros, they're just too close to my heart. I now have them wired as the B channel in our dining room.
> 
> Note: These aren't mine, but the best pic I could find online.


I completely forgot about my first steps into audio tinkering, which involved a friend and I each adding multiple mismatched raw drivers to our boom boxes with detachable speakers. We pretty much just got a bunch of old speaker wire and daisy chained them all together around our rooms. The speakers were salvaged from old radios, tvs, or cars, and probably sounded awful, but we were thrilled with our enginuity.


----------



## Bjski

Bjski said:


> I'll try and remember. Utah Rectilinear BIC Venturi Koss (There top of the line) Polk SDA Thiel 3.7 Infinity IRS Epsilon Paradigm 9 (home theater) Paradigm CC300 AR (back channels) Legacy Focus SE (2 channel) Definitive Technology ( home theater) Axiom 80MV3 Earthquake MKV-15


Just received the new Axiom M80 High Power for my home theater. I have on order Legacy Aeris which won't be ready till March.


----------



## Bjski

Bjski said:


> Just received the new Axiom M80 High Power for my home theater. I have on order Legacy Aeris which won't be ready till March.


Also owned the JBL250 TI


----------



## zieglj01

Hard to put in precise order - however, brands that I have owned.
(+) equals more than one set. Now the short list >>

Bose +
DCM +
Cerwin Vega +
JBL +
Kenwood
Sony +
BIC +
RCA
Optimus/RadioShack +
EPI
Technics +
Advent
Klipsch +
PSB +
Signet
Design Acoustics +
Harman Kardon
Pioneer +
KLH +
Paradigm +
KEF
Event
Tannoy
Acoustic Research
Fostgate Audionics
Infinity +
Polk +
Platinum Audio
Atlantic Tech +
Definitive Tech +
Carver
Pinnacle
HTD +
AV123 Onix Luscious
Mirage +
Energy
Yamaha +
Focal
Martin Logan
Acoustic Energy
Monitor Audio
Cambridge Audio
Triad
NHT +
Snell
Boston +


----------



## alatham

zieglj01 said:


> Hard to put in precise order - however, brands that I have owned.
> (+) equals more than one set. Now the short list >>
> 
> Bose +
> DCM +
> Cerwin Vega +
> JBL +
> Kenwood
> Sony +
> BIC +
> RCA
> Optimus/RadioShack +
> EPI
> Technics +
> Advent
> Klipsch +
> PSB +
> Signet
> Design Acoustics +
> Harman Kardon
> Pioneer +
> KLH +
> Paradigm +
> KEF
> Event
> Tannoy
> Acoustic Research
> Fostgate Audionics
> Infinity +
> Polk +
> Platinum Audio
> Atlantic Tech +
> Definitive Tech +
> Carver
> Pinnacle
> HTD +
> AV123 Onix Luscious
> Mirage +
> Energy
> Yamaha +
> Focal
> Martin Logan
> Acoustic Energy
> Monitor Audio
> Cambridge Audio
> Triad
> NHT +
> Snell
> Boston +


All of these and no Magnepan??


----------



## zieglj01

alatham said:


> All of these and no Magnepan??


Not yet - however, have thought about it in the past.
Having a proper room and placement, has been one draw-back.


----------



## dougri

Nothing too exciting or exotic, but here goes…

Kenwood HTIB (cheap but not bad value at the time)
Cambridge Soundworks Ensemble ??? (can't recall which one)
Polk RT-5 (really liked these)
Polk RT-16 as LCR, LS-f/x as surrounds and RT-7 as surround backs.
Some DIY things that sounded nice enough but looked horrific
A Yammy DSP-3050 soundbar (decent soundbar, but a sound bar nonetheless)
Rythmik F15HP
DefTech UIW RCS II LCR, UIW RSS II Surrounds & Rears
2x SVS SB-2000 on the way


----------



## dougri

What would really be interesting is the personal speaker evolution paired on a timeline with something else people can relate to (e.g., vacations, cars, marriage, kids, age ld dude: )… although, if I did cars, I'd have to add a few predecessors to the speaker evolution (cheap headphones, boom box, toshiba all-in-one tuner/tape/record-player thingy). Of course, those were relatively in-line with my cars at the time (3rd hand 1976 Malibu Classic wagon, 3rd hand 1980 Plymouth Volare wagon w/ on-the-floor stick shift, 2nd hand 1980 Buick Regal Coupe with sagging door and headliner, bad radiator and rebuilt tranny, Dodge Colt with windows that resonated at ~72 mph and a melted-out back bumper)… come to think of it, that Toshiba was high-end compared to my cars!


----------



## MontanaAndy

Started with Sansui system brought back from Nam in '72. 
Some differing Pioneer and Kenwoods back in the day. 
Magnapans in the late seventies and early eighties, 
Bose 901 in the middle eighties. Then I moved into my current home, a 35 foot, 5/8 sphere geodesic dome. Very different sound envrionment
Martin Logans in in late eigities and very early nineties. Ended up letting them go because they were just too directional for proper placement in my space.
Began using some pro-audio gear to attempt to gain more sound dispersion and "fill" the dome's large volume of open space. Now I have some used some
Peavy cabs, and currently use Laney CT-15's and a pair of 15" Ross monitors, and a wonderful old pair of Voice of Music speakers from a 1950's era console unit. 
Now, its evolving again, and I'm beginning the process of building one pair for my modest theater system, consisting of a pair of 2 or 3-way short, thin floorstanders with
a sub, and a larger pair of cabs using at least 2 fifteens (Old jensen woofers, and possibly a full range eminence guitar speaker for mids, and whatever else I need to make'em good!


----------



## bweinel

Ok.. wow this is going back a few years.. :heehee:

early 70s - Altec Lansing 'Voice of the Theater' A7
had to give'em up... they were too big to haul off to school...
mid 70s - KLH Model 23
Radio Shack Optimus 3-way Bookshelf
pretty good for dorm rooms....
- Acoustic Research AR 3a
felt like I had hit the jackpot on a set of these...
Late 70s - Acoustic Research AR-90
bought'em brand new and still have'em... great sound for a vintage speaker!

Bill


----------



## dkfan9

My evolution doesn't stretch back as far as many here (born in 90), but it might be interesting for some:

Starting from early childhood, it was mostly clock radios and the like. I must have had some sort of tape player because I had a few Elton John and other tapes in the early mid 90s. Sometime around 98 I got my first CD player and some CDs, a Sony boombox that's probably still around somewhere. 

We had some fairly nice Boston Acoustics computer speakers from 97 or 98 on, with a sub that for its small stature produced some nice near field bass. The clarity from the bass on these things compelled me to listen to music on these sometimes instead of on my bookshelves that I'm about to introduce.

Sometime later, maybe around 2002 or so when my family moved, I got a real stereo system (the old living room system for my parents) with stand alone speakers. Not sure what brand the receiver or tape player were, but the CD player was a Technics. Speakers were Acoustic Research AR215PS. At some point, my dad mounted them on the wall in the corners of the room for me, which improved the sound dramatically vs. their previous location under my computer desk (the soundstage impressed me, though I wouldn't have known to call it that). Eventually, the receiver's power button and a few other buttons became essentially unusable, and my dad got me a Sony shelf system to replace the component system. However, I kept the AR speakers (I'm pretty sure he sold the new ones at the flea market). I still use this setup in my bedroom system (though I'm noticing boominess around what I'm guessing is the frequency the port kicks in and a lack of low end overall, so I'll probably upgrade receiver and add a sub soon).

Sometime during our teen years, my brother got a used Bose Wave Radio, which impressed all of us with its bass clarity and volume for such a small device. This device stuck with me, even if listening to it nowadays I'm more in tune to its flaws. During these years, I began listening to more music on headphones (just basic CD and headphone walkman esque systems). The enveloping sound of headphones would stick with me, too. 

During college, I didn't evolve much on speakers, though I ran into some friends with setups that impressed me. I used a set of PC speakers I picked up on vacation once from Radioshack, and headphones for more critical listening. The low end Sony standalone sets, and eventually when one of those sets went bad I upgraded slightly to some brand I can't even remember. At the time, I was very into Death's Individual Thought Patterns and Mingus's Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, and these headphones put me in bliss (or took me out of overwhelming anxiety) when I needed them to with their reproduction of great basslines.

After college, I got a pair of Sennheiser HD428s, which took everything I loved about the previous cheaper headphones and knocked it up a few levels, while being way more comfortable. Eventually, I began to grow tired of headphones' limits and wanted something closer to the feel of being at a live show. And that's how I arrived where I am today, with a Denon X2100W powering a pair of Klipsch R28Fs. The power of a live show in the mids and highs, bass surpassing every speaker I'd had extensive experience with, and better soundstage than my bookshelf system. And these things have me loving lead guitar like I'm 15 again. Oh, and now I've got a constant desire to watch action flicks with bombastic soundtracks.


----------



## bret191

, I might as well jump in on this. Back in the 70s I remember a set or two of KLHs I think one was a 23 and the others were 20s and still have that set "garage duty". Just replaced the mids in it also. Bose 901s I got at a yard sale for about 15$ that were all beat up. Really didn't even like them for that price either. A set of pioneers but don't remember the model but they where OK, Yamahas NS1638 and still have that set too. I built two set with SB Acoustic drivers last year, one was J.B.'s Mandolins and The Tributes. The Mandolins are in the living room and the Tributes are in the man cave.


----------



## TomFord

Good thread OP.

Wow. Haven't had a chance to read all of the posts, the ones I have were impressive. Had forgotten how much of a rookie I am. 

2014 - Pioneer AJ series for 5 channels didn't care for the sub. Went with the
NXG BAS 500 subwoofer
2014 - KEF R700, R600C, and the legendary LS50 

Kept the Pioneer bookshelves, as they were just too great of a deal to return. Same can be said for the towers, yet didn't have the additional space for additional towers. 

Extremely pleased with my system. Only thing I'm even remotely considering adding is the Oppo 105. It's the only way I can get the Sabre 9018 DAC integrated into my system in the multiple ways I want it


----------



## Philm63

1998 - Yamaha bookshelves (2 large and 2 small – cheapies – can’t even recall model numbers…) and a Klipsch KSW-150 Sub.

2005 – Infinity Primus 250 towers, Primus 150 bookshelves (surrounds) and a Primus C25 center – this was a major step up in SQ for me - and that old Klipsch subwoofer rounded out the package nicely. This was in a small apartment, mind you – the neighbors were NOT pleased…

2006 – Moved to a larger space (my present home) – upgraded the sub to an Infinity PS-12 thinking I needed more bass; silly me. Put the old Klipsch down in the basement with one of my old AVRs and some bookshelves from Radio Shack for a cheapie basement system. Hey, I have a pool table down there; gotta have decent tunes, no?

2012 – Infinity PS-12 sub stopped working – replaced with an Energy ESW-C10 sub. 

2014 – I started watching more movies at home and thought I needed more bass, so just for giggles, I pulled the old Klipsch subwoofer out of the basement, dragged it upstairs and added it to the living room with the Energy – hey, two subs! Got REW - moved the subs around a bunch, wound up co-locating them, and had decent bass. Finally. At least I thought so.

2015 – Chane A5rx-c towers, A2rx-c center, Definitive Technology Pro-Monitor 800 surrounds, and a PSA S3000i sub. This is where I am now, and by far the best sound I’ve ever had.


----------



## alatham

Philm63 said:


> 1998 - Yamaha bookshelves (2 large and 2 small – cheapies – can’t even recall model numbers…) and a Klipsch KSW-150 Sub.
> 
> 2005 – Infinity Primus 250 towers, Primus 150 bookshelves (surrounds) and a Primus C25 center – this was a major step up in SQ for me - and that old Klipsch subwoofer rounded out the package nicely. This was in a small apartment, mind you – the neighbors were NOT pleased…
> 
> 2006 – Moved to a larger space (my present home) – upgraded the sub to an Infinity PS-12 thinking I needed more bass; silly me. Put the old Klipsch down in the basement with one of my old AVRs and some bookshelves from Radio Shack for a cheapie basement system. Hey, I have a pool table down there; gotta have decent tunes, no?
> 
> 2012 – Infinity PS-12 sub stopped working – replaced with an Energy ESW-C10 sub.
> 
> 2014 – I started watching more movies at home and thought I needed more bass, so just for giggles, I pulled the old Klipsch subwoofer out of the basement, dragged it upstairs and added it to the living room with the Energy – hey, two subs! Got REW - moved the subs around a bunch, wound up co-locating them, and had decent bass. Finally. At least I thought so.
> 
> 2015 – Chane A5rx-c towers, A2rx-c center, Definitive Technology Pro-Monitor 800 surrounds, and a PSA S3000i sub. This is where I am now, and by far the best sound I’ve ever had.


Philm
I also have the Chane towers and center and love them too here in Suwanee.


----------



## Lumen

1969: Motorola Console AM/FM turntable with swing-out speakers 
_(Hand-me-down. My first hi-fi system. Fond memories of music played.)_

1972: Generic Kenwood "bookshelf" with wood over curtain grill 
_(Hand-me-down. Extremely fond memories of music played)_

1974: ESS Heil AMT-1 
_(My first new, very own, personally chosen speaker pair. Start of Audiophilia-Nervosa. Very good SQ.)_

1984: Acoustic Research AR-9 
_(Bought used, but only sounded different, not better. Expansion of Audiophilia-Nervosa)_

1989: KEF 105/3 Reference Series 
_(Demo pair. 1st foray into true high-end territory. Full-blown Audiophilia-Nervosa)_

2006: Revel Ultima Salon
_(New. I have arrived! Sounds like a musical instrument rather than a mechanical device playing music. Banished Audiophilia-Nervosa and now off the upgrade merry-go-round!)_

2014: Bowers and Wilkins CM9, CM2 Center, and PSB Image B5 with REL T-9 Sub
_(New. For HT system)_

2015: PSA XV15 sub
_(Used. For HT system)_


----------



## AronLabets

My sonic evolution has not been linear but cyclical with many interesting new developments that resulted in the development of the Luna Speaker System, which was marketed as Stereophile's first consumer speaker in 2005 and now the first of our systems.


----------



## Kal Rubinson

AronLabets said:


> My sonic evolution has not been linear but cyclical with many interesting new developments that resulted in the development of the Luna Speaker System, which was marketed as Stereophile's first consumer speaker in 2005 and now the first of our systems.


Do you have a link to this? What do you mean by "Stereophile's first consumer speaker in 2005?"


----------



## Anatolie

I am really not sure if i can remember all of them but at least i can remember majority of them
.Technics
- Polk
- Paradigm
- Tyler Acoustics 
-M Reynaud
- Daedalus


----------

