Great speakers and subs that you've heard

[diamonddelts]

Just wanted to hear everyone's thoughts on some of the great speakers and subs you've had to pleasure of hearing over the years. They can be recent offerings or vintage.

[diamonddelts]

Klipsch RF 7II

Pros: Very dynamic for HT. Can hear all dialogue clearly during movies at any volume. Great with explosions, etc. Super efficient and can be driven to reference levels with a receiver however they truly shine with a modest powered external amp. Very pretty with their beautiful bronze colored woofers. I also had the Cherry wood veneer which was very pretty.

Cons: Can't take much power. Highs can be overbearing on some tracks and just plain harsh on others. However if you scale back the treble for music they can sound pretty good. Overpriced in comparison to pro speakers that can offer more quality spl for half the price. Fairly large footprint.

http://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-RF-7-II-Floorstanding-Speaker/dp/B00414WGO4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327239104&sr=8-1

[diamonddelts]

Deftech Trinity

Pros: Monster output from a fairly small unit. Forward in your face bass that I loved for movies. Handsome sub that offers high WAF.

Cons: Overpriced in comparison to ID subs that offer much greater output for a lower price. Bass not as tight as I would have liked for music. Aggressive bass that is a bit too forward for music in my opinion.

http://www.amazon.com/Definitive-Technology-Trinity-Signature-Subwoofer/dp/B001A6F17K/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1327239169&sr=1-3

[diamonddelts]

Cerwin Vega CVP 2153

Pros: Uber strong highs. Concert level dynamics. CRAZY loud midbass that could easily fill a gym. Superb for music if you like it loud and want continued clarity at uber loud levels. Brilliantly good for HT.

Cannon shots, Tank tracks, and bullets all come alive at any volume with these monsters. Very efficient so you can run them with just about anything. However they truly shine with a strong pro amp rated at 700 watts or higher. They can take a boatload of power and just sound better and better they more you feed them.

Cons: They are big. Don't dig as deep as I would like but that's typical of pro audio units made to be used as a top along with a sub. Highs can be a bit harsh on some tracks. Lack of a true midrange apparent at higher volume levels. Hideously ugly(but these could be hidden behind a false wall or curtains.)

I will be honest. These are the most dynamic and clear pro speakers I've heard for music in their price range. I LOVED them the first time I heard them. There is no way I would pay the high prices for reference speakers from Klipsch when pro speakers such as these easily eclipse their performance for both HT and music for a much lower price.

http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-CWV-CVP2153-LIST

[diamonddelts]

Cerwin Vega CLS 215

Pros: Soft dome tweeter gives a laid back, non-aggressive tone for music. Bass is very smooth, prominent, and tight at all volume levels yet not overbearing like it's older CV brethren. Speakers work well with HT as well. Highs are clear, midrange is very strong, and lowend has no overhang.

Cons: Very large footprint. Highs are not as sharp as other higher end speakers. Would like to hear more separation between highs and mids at higher volume levels. Soft dome tweeter limits their dynamics with movies. Highs can become overpowered by bass on some tracks. When this happens the bass has to be trimmed back at least 4db.

Speakers offer a very balanced, full sound that is a jack of all trades though master of none. If I had to nitpick I can find higher end speakers like my old Paradigms which have more concise highs. Other pro speakers have more midbass. And of course higher end powered subs can beat them on the lowend.

However I have not found any speakers that can achieve a B+ rating in all three departments(Highs, Midrange, and lowend) as well as these for anywhere close to under $1,500 a pair.

http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/cerwinvega_cls215.htm

http://www.soundstagenetwork.com/measurements/speakers/cerwin_vega_cls-215/

http://www.avguide.com/review/tested-cerwin-vega-cls-215-loudspeaker

[diamonddelts]

Paradigm Signature 8

Pros: Superb clarity. Highs are razor sharp. Midrange is detailed not overbearing. Brilliant separation between highs and mids at all volume levels with any type of music I listened to. Best sound quality I have ever heard for a music first system in their price range. Slim speaker. Gorgeous.

Cons: Not very dynamic for HT but that is not their real purpose. The only real con I can think of with these is price. But you know that before you go into any highend shop to hear speakers like these.

These speakers do exactly what they are supposed to do which is sound brillant for music. They are worth every dime in my opinion. My all time favorite speakers for music from one of my previous setups.

http://www.paradigm.com/products/products-by-category/floorstanding/signature/signature-series/signature-s8

[Dave]

I heard this speaker in Omaha at a high end audio shop and it really got started in high quality audio. I remember the salesperson played several Pink Floyd songs at incredibly loud but clean levels and it was truly a revelation! Of course, I couldn't afford them at the time but it was still very cool.

KEF Model 105/3 was the first Reference Series loudspeaker to incorporate Uni-Q technology. It was a four-way system, employing six drive units, with very high sensitivity, high output capability and outstanding power handling capacity.

Several design features of the 105/3 were directly derived from the acclaimed Model 104/2. Bass reproduction was handled by development of the 104/2’s coupled cavity system, and the separate midrange enclosure module was also retained and developed – this time to incorporate two dedicated lower midrange drive units and the new Uni-Q upper midrange/tweeter driver array.
Consistent with other the Reference Series loudspeakers, Model 105/3 included conjugate load matching to improve the amplifier-speaker interface and performance was enhanced with the use of the KUBE 200 active equaliser. In the case of Model 105/3 and the Reference Series systems that followed, the use of the matching KUBE was not essential, the loudspeakers were optimised to function in standard passive configuration.

The addition of Uni-Q coincident source technology allowed a major improvement in directivity control, in particular, the removal of the constrained vertical directivity of convention loudspeakers caused by the vertically separated midrange and high frequency drive units.

Specification: Model 105/3
System Type: Four-way, floor standing
Enclosure type: Coupled cavity
Size: 1104 x 280 x 405mm (43.5 x 11 x 16 inches)
Weight: 42kg (92.5 lb)
Nominal Impedance: 4ohms resistive (20Hz -20kHz)
Rated maximum power: 300W programme (into 4 ohms)
Frequency response: 49Hz to 20kHz +/-2.5dB at 2m on reference axis (-6dB at 20Hz when used with KUBE 200)
Sensitivity: 93dB at 1m on reference axis for a pink noise input of 2.83V (anechoic conditions)
Maximum output: 115dB on programme peaks under typical listening conditions
System: SP3111
Drive units: 2 x B200 bass unit (SP1256), 2 x B160 lower midrange units (SP1257), B160 upper midrange unit (SP1258), NT25 tweeter (SP1240)
Crossover: SP2155 and 2156