Best Sounding Speakers According to Scientific Tests

[tc4all]

Many will love this type of test but I find it does less good then harm. First, my room and yours are not the same. Second, you have not or maybe have not tested dozens of brands I would or should be interested in. Third, your or even the group's hearing is probably not the same as mine. You have no idea where I may or may not have a drop out in my hearing spectrum. If I bought the same speakers but used different amps and cables my sound would be different. and on and on ...
All you will really establish with this is that for this group of speakers, with these cables and electronics, in this type of room with this type of construction and this furniture and this number of people of this size in the room, etc. XYZ speakers sound best. Seriously, this is a royal time killer that proves nothing.

There are, for argument sake, let us say 100 different speakers with a model over $30,000. (This would be the same for budget speakers but is more understandable like this.) That is a lot. No matter how we test, we can not decide which is best. Each was probably designed on a no holds barred idea to get what is, according to that manufacturer and the ears and instruments used to test it, the best possible sound ... period. If there was a "best one" everyone in that price market would buy it and the others would go under. That doesn't happen. 50 people will probably pick at least 20 different models they think are best. WE all hear differently and like different sounds. Some find bright wonderful and believe in it as more detail. Others like bass. Others want the sound to thrill them while others think it best when it lulls them into a sense of total relaxation. (By the way, Pink Floyd is so over processed that to use it to judge is a mistake, no matter how much you like the music.)

OK, so what good is a test like this. It is fun and fun reading, but for goodness sake, never, ever, read comparison test results like these and make even a cursory decision about what to buy, based on this. Go listen, borrow, take time and judge. Read about what is good, but not shoot-outs. Remember that listening to music for 5 or 6 hours is very different then listening for 1/2 hour. I say this specifically relating to the mention of Magies, but is equally relevent to others.

Buying speakers is a very personal process and to short change yourself by letting someone else do the, even cursory, cuts of the group for you is not a good idea. IN another but equally bad way, that is no better then reading advertisement hype and believing it.

One note about scientific tests. A man fills a glass with 1/2 Vodka and 1/2 water. He drinks it and gets drunk. Later he fills a glass with 1/2 Gin and 1/2 water, drinks it and gets drunk. The next day he fills a glass with 1/2 bourbon and 1/2 water, drinks it and gets drunk. His scientific conclusion is that the water is making him drunk. There is much more then meets the eye. Don't look for quick answers.

[mark-ira@neo.rr.com]

I would urge you to test one of the speakers from SoundLab. They manufacture a full-range electrostatic speaker that actually produces good bass!

Unlike Martin Logan speakers, these have no crossover, and use a single diaphram. They are the best speakers I have ever heard!

So I'd like to see what others thing of their sound.

[PalmHarbor]

I used to sell Martin Logan and they were ALWAYS my favorite and still are.
I just wish I could afford them.
Hey, they are American made and American designed too!
Amazing

[kingofgrills]

Originally Posted by tc4all

Many will love this type of test but I find it does less good then harm. First, my room and yours are not the same. Second, you have not or maybe have not tested dozens of brands I would or should be interested in. Third, your or even the group's hearing is probably not the same as mine. You have no idea where I may or may not have a drop out in my hearing spectrum. If I bought the same speakers but used different amps and cables my sound would be different. and on and on ...
All you will really establish with this is that for this group of speakers, with these cables and electronics, in this type of room with this type of construction and this furniture and this number of people of this size in the room, etc. XYZ speakers sound best. Seriously, this is a royal time killer that proves nothing.

There are, for argument sake, let us say 100 different speakers with a model over $30,000. (This would be the same for budget speakers but is more understandable like this.) That is a lot. No matter how we test, we can not decide which is best. Each was probably designed on a no holds barred idea to get what is, according to that manufacturer and the ears and instruments used to test it, the best possible sound ... period. If there was a "best one" everyone in that price market would buy it and the others would go under. That doesn't happen. 50 people will probably pick at least 20 different models they think are best. WE all hear differently and like different sounds. Some find bright wonderful and believe in it as more detail. Others like bass. Others want the sound to thrill them while others think it best when it lulls them into a sense of total relaxation. (By the way, Pink Floyd is so over processed that to use it to judge is a mistake, no matter how much you like the music.)

OK, so what good is a test like this. It is fun and fun reading, but for goodness sake, never, ever, read comparison test results like these and make even a cursory decision about what to buy, based on this. Go listen, borrow, take time and judge. Read about what is good, but not shoot-outs. Remember that listening to music for 5 or 6 hours is very different then listening for 1/2 hour. I say this specifically relating to the mention of Magies, but is equally relevent to others.

Buying speakers is a very personal process and to short change yourself by letting someone else do the, even cursory, cuts of the group for you is not a good idea. IN another but equally bad way, that is no better then reading advertisement hype and believing it.

One note about scientific tests. A man fills a glass with 1/2 Vodka and 1/2 water. He drinks it and gets drunk. Later he fills a glass with 1/2 Gin and 1/2 water, drinks it and gets drunk. The next day he fills a glass with 1/2 bourbon and 1/2 water, drinks it and gets drunk. His scientific conclusion is that the water is making him drunk. There is much more then meets the eye. Don't look for quick answers.

Wow, way to go on the defensive. Of course you should determine for yourself what your own preferences are, and that includes deciding what speakers you like. Nobody expects you to let a test determine your listening preferences. However, a double-blind test of this extent, with all major speaker brands tested in a controlled environment and with a controlled audience, is valuable information to gather. If there is an overwhelming preference for a particular speaker at difference price points, then it probably says something about the sound quality of that speaker that it was preferred by the majority of the control group. The tests aren't complete, but the results so far seem to show a bit of a preference for speakers with ribbon tweeters.

Of course, you can't take that as fact, and you should ask your doctor before trying them.

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by busyhands

This would be immensely valuable news, if it weren't for the fact that Mags won't work in a huge percentage of environments. I have neither the space nor the proper room configuration for them in my house, nor have I EVER had them, though I have been eyeing and appreciating Mags for 30 years.

So, what's number two (or number one on the list of "speakers that will work in pretty much any room")?

Well the Maggie MMGs have incredibly small footprints. I don't understand why they wouldn't work in a huge percentage of environments. Is your room shorter than the 4 feet they are tall? Perhaps you don't think you can put speakers out from the wall by 3 feet?

If you're looking for small speakers Anthony Gallo in the lower priced range, and Monitor Audio Platinum PL100s if you have a big budget.

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by anilnalkur

Disappointed to see that the on;y UK speaker you have in the list is KEF. There are several lovely British (eg B&W & Monitor Audio, Quad) & Canadian (Paradigm, Energy) speakers which should be part of your excellent attempt to rank key speakers, scientifically.

Cheers,
Anil

B&W, Monitor Audio, and Quad all have speakers in our tests. I didn't have time to login and pull up results and list all the manufacturers we've been testing. I just posted up some of them.