Big speakers and lots of power. Magnapan 20.7 with a pair of Rel S/812 or S/510… I don’t think any Naim amps except Statements would drive them. Big Pass amps would sound awesome!
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Ovator S400 work well for me. I play a huge classical works frequently.
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For large scale orchestral music, I have found electrostatics to be the way forward. I have Martin Logan Summit X and have not heard anything that can compare to the natural sound with air and space within the sound stage that equates to realism. Furthermore the pin point accuracy of the soundstage is breathtaking with big orchestras, such as with Mahler 2.
In the past I tried ATC SCM50 ASL but could not enjoy the chestiness that cone speakers deliver.
Everyone has their own views about the “best” sound from loudspeakers and it always leads you back to the need to audition the various options. I bought my Martin Logans brand new when they were still in production and have not felt the slightest urge to upgrade. Whereas a Stiletto plinth for my LP12 is a temptation…
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We may be getting off-topic, but I like the Stiletto and Skorpion baseboard a lot.
Having said that, I swapped Kore for Keel and Lingo 4 for Radikal at the same time, and hearing other LP12s suggests strongly that those have less effect on pride of ownership (because no-one else notices) but more effect on fidelity. YMMV of course.
On your MLs, you raise an interesting point. Do they give those virtues (as old Quads did) at the expense of (a) a narrow ‘right’ listening position and (b) a discouragement to rock out at high volume with (say) Zeppelin, Hendrix, ZZ Top, the Stranglers or whichever noisy musicians really float your personal boogie- boat?
Shahinian Obelisks. We tried numerous others but my wife was immediately decided when hearing Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel at home on these. I’m happy too. Would be better if we could move them further from the wall but that’s as is. Currently listening to Jessye Norman‘s Isolde and sounding great. Changing from 300 to 350 did tighten the bass.
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Thanks @delft — I am not really familiar with most of these brands either.
I wondered though whether you would also mention Luxman, since they are often described as being good at soundstage and imaging, but then I also read some say they lack details. This though one might be able to address with a Chord Dac.
Classical symphonies (Mahler, Shostakovitch etc) & opera ( esp. Wagner) are my thing.
Kudos 808s are my choice.
Have had professional musicians/ producers listen to them (& full 500 system, with Statement pre) and they all have commented very, very favourably. One of them listening to DG Karajan/ Parsifal recording (that he also had), said » I can hear master tape splice ».
Soundstage magnificent.
Enjoy your search.
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Thanks Nick
The listening position with the MLs is wider than Quads due to the curved stator panel. The precision is astonishing and a very good source is not compromised by the detail.
In terms of loudness, I rarely have my volume control above 9 o’clock and usually around 8 o’clock. ZZ Top et al are not on my agenda for listening (although the Rolling Stones manage an occasional airing). However, for transients and wallop, there is plenty available in the orchestral genre. Try Saint Saens 3rd Symphony (on Reference Recordings) or Arvo Part’s Credo…
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Thanks. You make a good point and I do try not to generalise too far.
OTOH, sometimes I notice how captivating and intense some music can be sound to me over (say) a set of Quads without (for whatever reason) making any of me move, not so much as toe. And then I hear some chaps with bad hair, bad lifestyles and guitars over Neats, ATCs, Isobariks, bigger B&Ws or Tannoys or any Shahinians at all and I can’t keep still…
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I went through the same exercise and chose Esoteric electronics. I mainly listen to classical.
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Bowers and Wilkins 803d4. They disappear in the soundstage, and have weight and slam in the bass dept.
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My Keilidhs disappear into the soundstage at night when I switch the lights off. Although I did fall asleep last night listening and woke up at 4am in my cabin 
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Daan, In my experience a large room is as important as good speakers to listen to orchestral works. I have heard my Quad ESL’s in a really large room, listening to the end of Shostakovich fifth symphony by the Concertgebouw Orchestra and it sounded very realistic. A realism I am never able to achieve in my room of 4 by 8 meters.
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I had QUAD ESL63s for a number of years, but decided - after visiting their German importer Quad Musikwiedergabe in Gering in the Black Forest - to go back in time to stacked QUAD ESL57s, as shown in the photo above, so had them made for me on the original equipment that they bought from Huntingdon, when the UK operation was closed down.
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I suspect, these days, it’s a rather unusual word in spoken German — but what a pretty name for a hifi business!
Translates as “music reproduction”.
They can even make a modern reproduction of the Dieter Rams Bauhaus-style LE-1 Braun variant.
Whilst Generally I think the larger room the better for sound quality, I guess that in smaller rooms acoustic treatment to help a lot. Re ESLs specifically, being dipoles it is be best to have them much further from walls than box speakers, and a large room can certainly help with that.
Whilst Generally I think the larger the room the better for sound quality, I guess that in smaller rooms good acoustic treatment would help a lot. Re ESLs specifically, being dipoles it is best to have them much further from the rear than box speakers, and a very large room can certainly help with that.
That’s indeed the translation but it can’t capture the “feel” of the German word — not quite sure how I can explain this adequately.
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