The best imaging loudspeakers and soundstage champs

bob412

Active Member
I'm a huge fan of loudspeakers that image well and with a wide soundstage . What's the best imaging loudspeakers you've ever heard that you would recommend to someone looking for these qualities ?
 
Merlin Music Systems. Gave me an image taller than my Acoustat Spectra 22's, and as wide as the surround speakers. Simply amazing.
 
IMO&E the Van L Silhouette and Parts Express Audio Artistry line array are about as good as it gets. Lots of depth too, big bubble.
 
The Spica TC-50 was/is excellent in this category and was one of the first speakers that I ever heard that could "build" a believable soundstage. One of the best imagers I have ever heard is the Martin Logan CLS. The new Joseph Audio Pulsar throws a very impressive soundstage (driven by Jeff Rowland gear anyway), but its like $7500 a pair. The KEF LS-50 is also outstanding in the imaging an soundstage department at a fairly reasonable price. Personally, I have a pair of RBH 641SE speakers that are excellent in both the imaging and sound staging department (see stereophile review from 2002), but they are not quite in the same league as the ML CLS's or the Joseph's. There are many more strong imagers / soundstagers that I've heard in my system or at shows, but I can't remember all of them by name - getting too old I guess. I'm sure that there are many many many more examples, but those are some of the one's that come to mind when I think of imaging or sound staging or both.

Don't forget, the electronics have some influence on the imaging and sound staging also .. that particular aspect is heavily influenced by the quality of the amplifier(s) driving the speakers. I know there are those who will dispute that, but I've heard it soooo many times that its a reality to me. Maybe its more a matter of amp / speaker matching than amp quality? But different amps clearly image and soundstage differently on any given speaker. Its not always the most expensive amp either. I use the amp section of an old NAD 7140 receiver frequently - because that darn thing throws a bigger soundstage with more precise imaging than any other amp in my inventory.
 
I heard some NHTs that had great imaging. Can't tell you which model though. They were floor standing with a sub.
 
Magneplanars, Double DQ-10s and Time Windows all image very well. Difference for sure but they are the ones I use to watch the musicians play.
 
Joseph Audio Pulsars, Sonus Faber Guarneri (and a couple of their other smaller models), Aerial 10ts, Alon Acarian IVs, Usher BE-718s, B&W Silver Signatures, Silver 7s, Audio Physic Virgo v2, Thiels in general, esp the 2.2-3.7.

At a lower price point and that are more easily and widely available and that I've actually owned: Linn Tukans and Linn Keilideh and the B&W CDM1SEs. My NHT 2.5is image well though generally they don't throw the very best soundstage I've ever heard and only rarely exceed the width of the speakers though the have a fairly deep soundstage.

Many ribbon, electrostatic and planar magnetic speakers do very well in this regard. Apogees, Martin-Logan, Magnepan, etc... They have drawbacks, depending what other attributes you value.
 
Last edited:
This is like asking who was your favorite girlfriend...

Well in that case, my current favorite girlfriend's (Polk SDA SRS2's) have the soundstage & imaging thing down pat. I cheat on them every now and then, but I keep coming back for more.:drool:
 
KEF Uni-Q speakers have excellent imaging.

This. The Q100 were no slouch. The R300 are in a different league. Proper 3D hologram effect going on. IMO KEF have absolutely nailed speaker design in the last few years.

The first speakers and amp combo I heard that built a 3D image. Not just a sound stage but a proper here is an individual in front of you playing an instrument,existing in a weird person sized space were some TOTL Martin logans powered by McIntosh tube amps playing Dean Martins amore. One of the background instruments just existed in its own space in a manner I've never heard before or since. Real enough to almost touch. I Think a lot had to do with the very big room and the tubes and the source. .. and hell the speakers to lol. It blew me away. . That's my goal for a sound system. I think the kefs probably image better and they're close, but maybe they need a better room and tubes especially to repeat that effect. .. once you hear something like that. There's no going back. Imaging is everything.
 
Last edited:
JBL L250's, Altec 19's, Infinity QLS-1's, Magnepan MMG and MG-IIIa, Acoustat Spectra 22, ADS 1290 II, Vandersteen 2ci, Energy Veritas 2.2, Electro Voice Interface C II, Paradigm Studio 40...all of these have demonstrated excellent image and sound stage resolution in my (heavily) acoustically treated listening space. I think once you remove the room's ability to generate early reflections most mid to upper tier loudspeakers will demonstrate a high degree of proficiency wrt imaging and sound stage production. Dipoles, when set up properly, do tend to pull off sound stage depth a little better than monopolar designs and also are a bit more immune to boundary layer interaction. Line source designs tend to offer unparalleled scale....so any line source dipole design tends to land the trifecta....excellent image/sound stage resolution, dimensionality and scale. And I'm a sucker for it.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom