What speaker/ monitor gave you the most "I never heard that before" moments?

[Pearljam5000]

It's one my favorite things about good speakers
( and an audiophile cliché lol ).
But what speakers/ monitors let you discover the most new things in your music?

 

[phoenixdogfan]

For me it was the Avalon Eidolons. They were probably the single best speaker I ever heard, though the original large Apogees will give them a run for their money.

 

[Steve Dallas]

B&W 685 S2. Because it was hyping frequencies it shouldn't be. Elac UB5 would be a close second for the same reason.

 

[Pdxwayne]

Paradigm Persona B with Paradigm Seismic 110 sub, with a good DAC.

This was pretty muddy before with my family room setup:

But with the Paradigm setup, I can hear so much more details. The double bass lines distinct from the kick drum and I actually feel the double bass vibrations and kicks.

 

[pozz]

My ADAM S2Vs.

an audiophile cliché

(It's one of my favourite clichés. )

 

[Steve Dallas]

I think this phenomenon, such that it exists, is wrongly attributed to speakers in many cases. When I have had 'Aha!' moments, they have been in situations where the source was very clean, the amplifier was very clean, the noise floor in the room was very low, the room was smartly treated, the content was dynamic, and the speakers were... a little above average. Low distortion, high dynamic range, low noise floor, and competent speakers seems to be the formula on the positive side of this coin.

On the negative side, as I mentioned before, hearing things I have never heard before often means the speakers are doing something they should not. I consider it a red flag that makes me want to explore why. I usually find the answer in the PIR / LW or distortion measurements.

 

[thewas]

This moment unfortunately also happens often with loudspeakers with not smooth/linear frequency response or radiation pattern which make everything sound different than used to and also hearing some more details at some regions that are exaggerated at the expense of others.

 

[Lorenzo74]

Kii three

 

[Zvu]

Original JBL 4355
Kii3

 

[sloth_kwj]

ATC 300 with Wiess Dac502 in treated room.
B&W 800D3 with Mcintosh 1.25kw Chord Dac
Lipinski L707A with Waversa WAMP2.5 mk2(FDA)

Both three speaker show OUTSTANDING performance.. I understand why those brand became ‘reference’ in stuios.

 

[Juhazi]

In chronological order

Gradient 1.3

DIY Synergy horns plus 18" TH subs (not these)

Martion Bullfrog active

 

[Frank Dernie]

I would say it is quite some years since I had speakers over which I heard detail I had not noticed beforeand, as @thewas_ pointed out it can well happen on otherwise poor speakers because they exaggerate a particular frequency range. I am old and lucky, I had pretty good speakers from this perspective 30 years ago.
Nowadays my essential requirements are first, timbral accuracy, second non-boomy bass, third enough loudness capability without distortion to hit orchestral peaks properly at 4 to 6 metres and fourth narrow enough directivity to reduce euphonic listening room acoustics additions.
This last is really so my own recordings sound more accurate - adding my room to others can be quite nice.

 

[TimVG]

Was pleasantly surprised by Geithain 801K (at concert levels) some years ago. Room was large and well damped, listening distance about 3,5m. It probably doesn't measure as well as some of the stuff that passes here, but it sounded good enough that day.

Edit: the general trend with the brand is on average they cost about twice as much as I'd be willing to pay.

 

[PierreV]

Giya as in "where does the music come from?"... The disappearing speaker.

D&D as in "how can a small speaker go so low"... To paraphrase subjective reviews and a well known 20th century author "all speakers punch above their weight, but some punch more than others"

 

[Orfanik]

For me : A pair of Magnat Quantum Signature I've heard in Europe… Simply amazing !

 

[thewas]

Was pleasantly surprised by Geithain 801K (at concert levels) some years ago. Room was large and well damped, listening distance about 3,5m. It probably doesn't measure as well as some of the stuff that passes here, but it sounded good enough that day.

Edit: the general trend with the brand is on average they cost about twice as much as I'd be willing to pay.

Yes, Geithain knows how tune their loudspeakers to sound great very well despite or maybe even because of their measurement flaws, a friend of mine recently replaced his great Neumann KH 420 with a pair of Geithain K921 and he enjoys the latter more.

 

[anmpr1]

I've never encountered a decent loudspeaker that let me hear stuff in the mix that was 'hidden' by another decent loudspeaker. It's a matter of concentrating, and getting used to the different loudspeaker. Except for possibly bass, which is missing on smaller loudspeakers.

On the other hand, I've heard loudspeakers that sounded remarkably different than others of similar shape/size, or different in an absolute sense. An example of the first was hearing the JBL L100 among a dozen or so other 'bookshelf' (mostly acoustic suspension type) loudspeakers. The L100 stood out. In the second category I recall the tall Harold Beveridge electrostatic (panels loaded into Harold's line source acoustic lens). I'd never experienced a loudspeaker that sounded like it did.

But none of them made me hear things in the mix that weren't there with other loudspeakers.

 

[Alexanderc]

Most of the “critical listening” I did as a young man was on an old Sony CD/tape player boom box. One day about 5 years ago I stopped into the local HiFi dealer on a whim and they sat me in front of a pair of Goldenear Triton Ones hooked up to McIntosh separates with a TEAC SACD player and let me listen to a few CDs. It was the first time I ever heard speakers produce a soundstage or imaging. I was hooked after that.

Since then I’ve been back to listen to those same speakers several times and thought, “they sound fine.” Now that I know what’s possible the experience will never be the same.

 

[tomtoo]

Klipsch Eckhorns on a powerfull amp when i was a boy. Have to admit never gave me something such a impression again. No PA, no expensive high-end speaker. It was just that step difference that you experienced against your 10W 4“ broadband speakers. It was like god himself stepped down and said “You see boy, thats fun!".Since then i like speakers and amps and..you know. Amazing moment!

 

[pierre]

Recently:

PSI A25 + subs in a nicely treated large room: amazing
JBL M2 in a dolby certified room
Genelec 8361 in my living room