which would be your top 10?

Kinetic

guys, what would be your top 10 in speakers?

-No price limit
-Only 2 way component speakers
-No more than 1 speaker per brand

mine is this, but im not an expert:

1.- Rainbow Reference $12,000 aprox

2.- Morel Supremo $2,300 aprox

3.- Hertz Mille MLK2 $2,400 aprox

4.- Focal Utopia Be $5,000 aprox

5.- CDT Gold Series $1,500

6.- Polk Audio SR $1,000 aprox

7.- Boston Acoustics Reference $1,200 aprox

8.- MB Quart competition Component $1,150 aprox

9.- Zapco Competition Component System $1,000 aprox

10.- Dyn Audio Esotec $900 aprox

arun1963

hi, been a while since you were here. Welcome back .

If your post had been on any other forum, you would have had 3 pages of arguments by now, with no clear answers. While a top ten list is fun to do, but it really means nothing for several reasons.

1. It's impossible to objectively compare speakers unless, they are run off the same equipment, same install, same vehicle and most important tuned by the same person. Then too its not 100% objective. Different speakers may sound better or worse based on vehicle and install location.

2. Prices are irrelevant to large extent.

3. IMHO the sr's need to be way higher than #6

4. Just curious if you have heard all the 10 speakers or in some cases you're going by what you've read? I'm surprised you don't have scans and dls on that list. Not that I've heard either but at least there is proof for both.

The sq competition results would be a good benchmark though. At least you've got install and tuning at comparable levels.

jay27

If using sq comp results as a benchmark, wouldn't Hybrid Audio be #1?

Also, the Esotar2 line is the high end Dyn series so I imagine it should replace the Esotec?

Kinetic

arun1963 wrote: »

hi, been a while since you were here. Welcome back .

If your post had been on any other forum, you would have had 3 pages of arguments by now, with no clear answers. While a top ten list is fun to do, but it really means nothing for several reasons.

1. It's impossible to objectively compare speakers unless, they are run off the same equipment, same install, same vehicle and most important tuned by the same person. Then too its not 100% objective. Different speakers may sound better or worse based on vehicle and install location.

2. Prices are irrelevant to large extent.

3. IMHO the sr's need to be way higher than #6

4. Just curious if you have heard all the 10 speakers or in some cases you're going by what you've read? I'm surprised you don't have scans and dls on that list. Not that I've heard either but at least there is proof for both.

The sq competition results would be a good benchmark though. At least you've got install and tuning at comparable levels.

It was just for fun, and this is the only forum with my post

I do it just to find more speaker brands, that could be very good, and maybe most of us dont know anything about.

thanks for the welcome back.

and in my list, where would you put the SRs?

Kinetic

jay27 wrote: »

If using sq comp results as a benchmark, wouldn't Hybrid Audio be #1?

Also, the Esotar2 line is the high end Dyn series so I imagine it should replace the Esotec?

Woow I didnt know about the Hybrid Audio, and its nice to know new brands...

about the Dyn, yes I suppossed the Esotar2 Would be instead of the Esotec, again I wasnt aware of them

jay27

Kinetic wrote: »

Woow I didnt know about the Hybrid Audio, and its nice to know new brands...

about the Dyn, yes I suppossed the Esotar2 Would be instead of the Esotec, again I wasnt aware of them

Hybrid Audio makes nice stuff. Of course, you'll always have varying opinions on equipment, but it think they make quality speakers. Another thing to note is that the support from Hybrid might be second to none. The owner/engineer is very helpful when you have a question. He frequently responds on forums (notably, buwaldahybrids). I'm not sure if there is another company where you can get direct advice from the guy who owns and builds the speaker line, but I may be wrong about that...

arun1963

jay27 wrote: »

If using sq comp results as a benchmark, wouldn't Hybrid Audio be #1?

Also, the Esotar2 line is the high end Dyn series so I imagine it should replace the Esotec?

thought I'd get some flak.

To compare the quality of speakers, the competitions have to be judged on sound and sound alone. Even that isn't a 100% validation for the speakers, because its a validation of your entire tuning and equipment. Not mentioning install cause if a $4K install and diy job are neck and neck, then the diy has maxed out install benefits and hence this is out of the reckoning.

How many leagues (Meca, Iasca, Essma etc), how many events qualify? Now look at the top two finishers in all those events. What equipment are they running and how many points separate them? You'll find that most are running big brand names, yet there are some that are running lesser names and doing well. Thats how close equipment is irrespective of price and therefore irrelevant. Focus on the tuning

Nothing against hats, haven't even heard them. Have just heard of them. They swamp the Iasca events, mostly where you're rated for more than just sound quality. Hence it doesn't strictly fit the above criteria. Just my take. I could be wrong.

MacLeod

Hybrids has struggled in MECA which is sound only. There have been some Hybrid world champions in MECA though like Dave Brooks, Andy Jones and Dave Edwards so they have had some success but they havent dominated like they have in ISACA where install, presentation and RTA go a looooong way.

Another reason for their competition success is the owner, Scott Buwalda, and their team members. All are die hard competitors that work on their systems constantly. Their work ethic alone is plenty explanation for their winning. I have a lot of respect for Team Hybrids based solely on them as competitors alone.

HAT speakers are pretty solid. I always thought they sounded a little flat but while they wouldnt be my first choice to use, I would use them for competition.

SQ competitions are still a very good way to see what speakers are good and which arent, in MECA especially. Granted the tuner is being judged as much as the gear he's using, but Ive never heard a winning system using crappy speakers. You stick a set of Pyle 6x9's in your ride and I dont care how good a tuner you are, you aint gonna win.

Installer4life

jay27 wrote: »

Hybrid Audio makes nice stuff. Of course, you'll always have varying opinions on equipment, but it think they make quality speakers. Another thing to note is that the support from Hybrid might be second to none. The owner/engineer is very helpful when you have a question. He frequently responds on forums (notably, buwaldahybrids). I'm not sure if there is another company where you can get direct advice from the guy who owns and builds the speaker line, but I may be wrong about that...

May not get speaker advise but Stephen Mantz, owner of ZED Audio, will answer your questions if you purchase any of his car audio amplifiers. As a matter of fact if you call ZED he may be the one answering the phone...

arun1963

MacLeod wrote: »

Granted the tuner is being judged as much as the gear he's using, but Ive never heard a winning system using crappy speakers. You stick a set of Pyle 6x9's in your ride and I dont care how good a tuner you are, you aint gonna win.

Never said the pyles would win . At your level, positions 1-3 are often separated by 0.1-5points. That's not a whole lot. So what do these points cover? tuning and equipment. Personal experience has taught that, 'secure' placement with sound install is not that big a deal and even a somewhat ghetto install can sound good. For average Joe's like us, once equipment is above a certain level, the amount of dsp you have is the largest part of good sound.

DSkip wrote: »

What if you stick 5 sets of them in your car?
I was a little disappointed to see Sony hadn't made the cut.

A guy at work wanted to A/B his new xplod setup (fronts/ rears / sub and amps) against mine. The xplod's blew my system out of the water for volume.

Installer4life wrote: »

May not get speaker advise but Stephen Mantz, owner of ZED Audio, will answer your questions if you purchase any of his car audio amplifiers. As a matter of fact if you call ZED he may be the one answering the phone...

Dude, you're pouring gas on the fire. Amps sound better?

PoweredByDodge

bump...

PoweredByDodge

RCA

Jensen

Bose

Rockwood

Pyle

Legacy

Crunch

Bazooka

Orion (new, not old)

PPI (see Orion)

Polk (see Orion) ... yes that's a shot DEI

Kraco

Audiovox

SoundSplinter

Three guys in a van down by the river playing music on rusty hubcaps...

............................... and if you didn't "get it", then I can't help you.

arun1963

You missed the Sony Explods

Vital

PoweredByDodge wrote: »

RCA

Jensen

Bose

Rockwood

Pyle

Legacy

Crunch

Bazooka

Orion (new, not old)

PPI (see Orion)

Polk (see Orion) ... yes that's a shot DEI

Kraco

Audiovox

SoundSplinter

Three guys in a van down by the river playing music on rusty hubcaps...

............................... and if you didn't "get it", then I can't help you.

HAHAHAhahahaaaaa!!!!!
I actually pictured that in my head when i read it, had the whole, full "HD" experience of 3 guys.... hahahaaa

catch22atplay

Ya, i had to laugh at the list as well.

A/D/S makes my list for top 10 (old, not new). 15+ years ago i heard a system with ads speakers etc. I'm still trying to find that sound again. I just haven't heard anything better yet. I'm hoping these Polks i got get me close that awesome sound i heard then.

Granted i haven't actually listened to many quality systems. I never go by showroom demos. I can only judge off of what my friends have used over the years as i've listened to their systems. A couple are professional installers. The professional installer's systems i thought sounded like crap. So maybe it's just my ears. But i doubt it.

arun1963

catch22atplay wrote: »

A couple are professional installers. The professional installer's systems i thought sounded like crap. So maybe it's just my ears. But i doubt it.

Install and tuning are two separate things. It's entirely possible to be better at one and suck at the other. Your ears were probably right.