[UltimaNoctis]

Don't hate me for asking. Head-fi is renowned forum for discussing hi-fi... amirite? I made a thread a few weeks/months back asking what the best setup in the world was if you had infinite money / was a billionaire but most people just said "lulz dont spend more than 5000!!!" = ruining the point of the thread and discussion at hand since there are PLENTY of speakers than cost tens of thousands of dollars, etc.
 
So these are some of the highest rated / awarded and most expensive speakers in the world. Top of the line from some of the best manufacturers in audio.
 
Again, I am not sure that these are the best nominations, but that's what the 'other' option is for... Ey ?
 
Also I might have got some of the prices wrong if not all them... Its not easy finding stores selling these speakers as they are so exclusive and rare. And some might be sold used or at reduced price... Whatever.
 
 
If you do not wish to answer the question posed, and wish to suggest that spending more than $2000 on a speaker is a waste of money you've come to the wrong place.
 
YES. I. FULLY. UNDERSTAND. SPENDING. THIS. MUCH. IS. A. WASTE.
 
 
Nissan GT-R will pretty much out perform any car and it costs £60,000. yet you can buy £1,000,000 Koenigeggs...
 
 
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Anyways, in my humble and uneducated opinion I would say the Snell THX Music & Cinema Reference Towers 
 
As used by George Lucas and Jerermy R. Kipnis and explained by Kipnis as to why its the ultimate choice in an 8.8 setup
 
Though of course I've never heard any of these speakers with my own ears except the Klipsch, B&W and KEF so that sort of does make my opinion invalid, but if I knew for a fact which were the best that would eliminate the sole purpose of this thread (;
 
 
 
 

 

[UltimaNoctis]

Incase people need imagination

Scenario: Your government has found out that one of your ancestors buried a large amount of diamonds that have an accumulative value of over $100 billion!! the money's been wired to your account.
 
Which speaker would you chose? I'm just saying I would with out a doubt order 13 of those Snell THX M&C Reference's!! At least for a cinema room and perhaps a pair of the  the B&W 800D for the living room ..

 

[ETAHL]

I'll buy some front row tickets and fly down there in my private jet for a live performance.

 
Quote:

Incase people need imagination

Scenario: Your government has found out that one of your ancestors buried a large amount of diamonds that have an accumulative value of over $100 billion!! the money's been wired to your account.

 

 

[UltimaNoctis]

Quote:

I'll buy some front row tickets and fly down there in my private jet for a live performance.

 
 

I'm sure those hollywood movies would be real kickarse if you watch them live!

 

[ETAHL]

So you are planning to use these ultra high-end speakers for a surround sound system? 

 
Quote:

I'm sure those hollywood movies would be real kickarse if you watch them live!

 

 

[cjfrbw]

Apogee Grand

 

[UltimaNoctis]

Quote:

So you are planning to use these ultra high-end speakers for a surround sound system? 

 


 

Well yeah kinda.. Snell THX 8.8 surround thats the Snell THX M&C Reference.
 
So the speakers would be used for movies, games & music equally. A general AV experience. Both alone (in pairs) and multi channel
 
 

 

[n3rdling]

Not a single electrostatic or planar speaker that I saw glancing through your list.  Nobody has heard most of this stuff so it'd be impossible to answer.  I've heard the B&Ws and they sound like crap...Quads are WAY better.  Most expensive doesn't mean best.

 

[pcf]

Is there anyone who has heard all of them? How can you vote for something you haven't heard?
Out of the list I have only listened to the Wilson Watts Puppy and the B&W so haven't got a clue what the others sound like. I used to run my 40years old Garrard 401 through some tube amps to a pair of ESL 57 and there was nothing wrong with the sound at all...

 

[Gatepc]

I've had the pleasure of listening too the Wilson Audio Sophia's and a few other speakers (granted my speaker listening is very limited) At any rate the Sophia's where simply the best sound I have ever heard in my entire life. You must check them out. Even the cheaper book shelf Wilson sounded amazingly good probably the 2nd best speaker i've heard haha. I really do enjoy the sound signature of the Wilson's. 

 

[Uncle Erik]

Did you create the list by price alone?

My vote is for the Linkwitz Orion3. Mine aren't done yet, but I have everything save for cabinets. Those will get done (hopefully) this year.

Still, they'll run me about $5,000. If you have any doubts about them, visit the Linkwitz Lab site. I haven't seen any speaker so thoroughly documented and tested. Linkwitz truly knows what he is doing. He set out to create the best possible speaker and turned it into a DIY build so it'll be as affordable as possible. This is the best that one of the preeminent audio engineers could do. No audio jewelry, no snakeoil, and it certainly doesn't bow to conventions.

Aside from that, I'm happy with the Quad ESL-63. It doesn't get the lowest octave, but those things can turn out square waves accurately and certainly sound like it. You can get used pairs in excellent condition for $2,000 or less. I doubt any of those five and six figure speakers would better a good pair of Quads.

As for $100M in discretionary cash, I'd keep the Quads and have some nice solid black walnut Orion3 cabinets professionally built for me. I'd use the rest of the money to gobble up a bunch of rental units. Figure I could pick up about 2,500 units and collect roughly $2M a month in rents. Then I'd travel the planet, attend any concert that interests me and drop around $500k a month into charity, scholarships, and angel investments in small companies. The universities I attended would get many more endowed chairs, too.

Yeah, I could spend $500k on speakers. But that could also get a company off the ground and create jobs. It would also put people through college without evil student loans.

And I'd still have a stereo as good as anything out there. Maybe not the bragging rights, but who cares? Would you rather tell people that you have $500k speakers or that you created 20 jobs last month?

 

[pcf]

One of the best speakers I have never heard was the Stellar from SerTech Lab in San Jose- http://www.sertechlabs.com/stellar/xii/index.html 
The speakers have amazing presence and authority. I think they are selling them for $6000 which is just a bit cheaper than my Proac D25 but sound much better. My Proac were beaten hands down. I was going to order a pair but unfortunately they don't ship them overseas and I am now in London.    If some shipping method can be worked out I would love to get a pair. Anyone who live near their shop should go to have a listen.

 

[Jalo]

For me, the Wilson Audio speakers are awesome.  I have heard most of B&W and owned the 800 Matrix,  But I still like the Wilson.  I think the best from the Wilson is their Watt/puppy line even though they are the lower end models.

 

[DeadEars]

Quote:

Not a single electrostatic or planar speaker that I saw glancing through your list.  Nobody has heard most of this stuff so it'd be impossible to answer.  I've heard the B&Ws and they sound like crap...Quads are WAY better.  Most expensive doesn't mean best.

Count me in when it comes to planars.  My ultimate speakers are still the big SoundLab electrostats.  I used to have Quads and currently have Maggies (and several sets of dynamic speakers too).  But you really need size to get great bass with planars, unless you can live with hybrids. 
 
In the slightly-more-realistic world, I still aspire to set of Sandersound 10b electrostats. 

 

[Pricklely Peete]

SoundLAB Majestic 945's or the latest MBL behemoths are my choice regardless of price tag...(stereo only).
 
Peete.