(2009) Stereo Loudspeakers Over $10,000
Loudspeakers reviewed on the SoundStage! Network in 2009 in the context of a stereo system. All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted and are accurate at the time of the review.
The entries are shown alphabetically by company name.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2009 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2009) Stereo Loudspeakers Over $10,000
Price: $28,000 per pair
Website: www.audience-av.com
Vade said: Although the LSA8+8 couldn’t reproduce the bottommost octave of the audioband (20-40Hz) in my room, they reproduced everything -- and I mean everything -- above that better than I’ve heard it done by almost any other speaker at any price.
The gist: In this case, a lot of drivers equals lots of performance.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2009 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2009) Stereo Loudspeakers Over $10,000
Price: $22,500 per pair
Website: www.audioacoustics.co.uk
Albert said: They won’t re-create the domination of a symphony in full voice or a rock band in full scream. What they will do is convincingly and passionately re-create the inner world of music as a coherent statement of the musicians’ intentions and performance.
The gist: Within their limits, very convincing.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2009 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2009) Stereo Loudspeakers Over $10,000
Price: $41,700 per pair
Website: www.consensusaudio.com
Albert said: The outstanding achievement of CAE is that, in the Conspiracy, they have found a way to get the engineering and the music right.
The gist: The consensus? A conspiracy of quality.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2009 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2009) Stereo Loudspeakers Over $10,000
Price: $65,000 per pair
Website: www.crystalcable.com
Jason said: But I can imagine a music lover who values great sound, who has more money than God, watching his wife go gaga over the Arabesques as she visualizes these two massive Swarovski crystals perched in the middle of her living room making wonderful music.
The gist: A genuine jewel of a loudspeaker.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2009 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2009) Stereo Loudspeakers Over $10,000
Price: $11,750 per pair
Website:www.gemmeaudio.com
Ken said: It will provide a complete and highly communicative sound in which audiophile pyrotechnics take a back seat to musical involvement. It is also beautiful to look at.
The gist: A gem from Gemme.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2009 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2009) Stereo Loudspeakers Over $10,000
Price: $14,000 per pair
Website: www.lafleuraudio.ca
Jason said: The Lafleuraudio X1 is a great loudspeaker that can deliver large amounts of musical satisfaction. However, it’s still a two-way monitor that retails for $14,000/pair.
The gist: A good speaker, but at this price it needs to be exceptional.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2009 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2009) Stereo Loudspeakers Over $10,000
Price: $18,000 per pair
Website: www.magico.net
Doug said: It may carry a five-digit price tag, but the V2 is more than a mere status trophy -- it’s a true audiophile-grade performer with an overall sound quality that makes it the best passive loudspeaker I’ve ever reviewed.
The gist: Magico’s entry level is no entry-level speaker.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2009 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2009) Stereo Loudspeakers Over $10,000
Price: $13,995 per pair
Website: www.martinlogan.com
Howard said: The Summit X is the latest step in MartinLogan’s ongoing quest for electrostatic perfection. They’ve improved on the technology’s stunning strengths -- transparency, speed, immediacy, midrange presence, soundstaging -- while minimizing its shortcomings, particularly in the integration of the outputs of the woofers and upper-range panels.
The gist: X marks the sweet spot.