Best Ever Audiophile Speakers, for REAL!

This list is comprised of ten emotional favorites, out of many hundreds of speakers I've experienced. So sure, many dozens of excellent speakers are left out.

1:50 KEF LS50 (and LS50 Meta) 2:40 ZU Druid Mk IV (and Zu Dirty Weekend and DW6) 4:15 Dynaudio Special 25 (with REL britannia) 5:30 Gallo Nucleus Reference 6:33 TAD ME1 (and TAD reference) 7:44 Wilson Watt 3 Puppy 2 8:27 Snell Type A II 9:17 Klipsch RP600m (and mk II) 9:49 Klipsch Forte IV and Klipsch Cornwall IV 10:15 Vandersteen 2C (and 2Ce Sig III) 11:23 Magnepan LRS+ (and original LRS) 12:30 Pure Audio Project Duet 15

Back in the very early seventy's, I was privledged to listen to a pair of Klipsch Klipschorns driven by a modest MacIntosh amplifier. The music being played was Tommy, the Rock Opera by the Who. I was totally and completely blown away. To my mind and to this day, they were and still are the ultimate speakers for Rock and Roll. I will never forget the that experience.

No audio reviewer beats Steve’s wonderful enthusiasm and passion 👍

Absolutely fantastic content ..love it Thanks Steve , the enthusiasm you had and still have for what you do is infectious Keep em coming 👍

Purchased the Klipsch RP600 a couple of years back because of your review. It has brought me and my family a ton of joy and has been the backdrop to many special memories. I have them paired with my vintage Harmon Kardon 730 by the way. Thanks Steve!!

I am 70 years old. I got into high end audio in my early 20s. I've own several speakers over the last 50 years. The speakers I fell in love with from the time they came out are the Dahlquist DQ 10. I bought a pair as soon as I could afford them. That was probably about 35 years ago and I still own those speakers. I just could never part with them. They are the only speakers I have owned that I can listen to all day without a hint of listening fatigue. I listen to those same speakers I bought all those years ago to this day.

Steve your audio reviews are greatly appreciated! Thank you! 👍

My grandfather has a pair of the Special 25's... Recently a driver went out on one of them and Dynaudio went all the way sorting it out for him. They, would you believe it, made a run of drivers just for him, with a few spare, and wouldn't take a penny as the 25 year warranty was still in force. Of course they gave him two drivers, one for each speaker, because the possibility of mismatched sound was out of the question. Great things, I'll inherit them one day, though I'd rather have my 100 year old grandfather.

great video Mr Guttenberg thank you so much

My favorite speakers were a pair of Altec Lansing 19's. I purchased them in 1979 and had a large room 20'x28'. I just grooved out on the music of the day. I remember Ry Cooder's Bop 'til You Drop like it was yesterday. The clarity and power of those were incredible. Unfortunately, I had to sell them when I moved into a small apartment during college years. They were indeed monstrous in size and perhaps my memory is fuzzy, but I cannot recall ever being so impressed with sound.

great nostalgia, great recap!!! Thanks Steve!!

Hi Steve, Great Video! Definitely enjoyed hearing an all time best list from your perspective. It is one of my favorite audiophiliac videos!

TY for the photo of yourself when you were a young sapling. I have followed you for decades, your writing, etc. Nice to see some groovy old photos.

Because of your review Steve, I own and love the Klipsch RP 600M. With a 10" sub it provides everything i need in all genres of music. For my ears it's perfect

Thanks Steve! - Cheers!

I still have memories of the great speakers that brought me into this hobby. I worked in a stereo store as technician in the 60s and the speakers that blew me away were the JBL System 8 (AKA S8). If you know the L300, the S8 used similar components (JBL drivers 136A, LE85, 077) but in a larger cabinet (four feet wide) that used both the 15" woofer and a passive radiator, the PR15. The concept of a subwoofer hadn't been invented yet, and the bottom end on this guy was simply awesome compared to anything else at the time. The mid-range and tweeter are both horn designs and they sounded super and wonderfully transparent. I played every kind of music on these speakers and they responded beautifully to everything. The store was a McIntosh dealer, so I listened to these with the equally awesome MC275 amplifier. Of course I could never afford these speakers, or the amplifier either, but they still remain a fond memory!

Fav speakers until next week, omg it never ends!

I loved when you said the word transparent. I went to a friend’s house twice and listen to his dads flat tall thin speakers. The sensation I felt was exactly that. Transparent. He played Dream On loud, it was also the first time I heard that song. I felt like I’ve entered another dimension. It was magical.

I have followed and appreciated your humor, insights and contributions for decades. Thanks Steve! I straddle the studio, mastering, media labs and audio den/salon environments, as well as high end live indoor and outdoor performance environments. From my weird cross-over experience, a couple gems you may not gave listened to: Kii Three, DragonFire, The LRS+ with Hegel 95 or above, as well as Martin Logans are sheer joy.