AVS Discussions

Audio => Speakers => Topic started by: HomeTheaterGuy on June 10, 2026, 09:04:59 AM

Title: Most outrageous speaker system
Post by: HomeTheaterGuy on June 10, 2026, 09:04:59 AM
What's the most outrageous speaker system you've heard? Mine is probably the Infinity Reference Standard V. 

I heard a demo at a hifi show in the 70s, with the Soundstream digital recorder. They played "The Great Gates of Kiev" from Pictures at an Exhibition. The sound was incredible!
Title: Re: Most outrageous speaker system
Post by: David Vaughn on June 10, 2026, 09:51:37 AM
What's the most outrageous speaker system you've heard? Mine is probably the Infinity Reference Standard V.

I heard a demo at a hifi show in the 70s, with the Soundstream digital recorder. They played "The Great Gates of Kiev" from Pictures at an Exhibition. The sound was incredible!
I wonder what the WAF number is on those speakers? ;)
Title: Re: Most outrageous speaker system
Post by: bmoney on June 10, 2026, 01:02:24 PM
I wonder what the WAF number is on those speakers? ;)
non existant
Title: Re: Most outrageous speaker system
Post by: Barry on June 10, 2026, 06:40:48 PM
Several years ago my friend asked me to go into a stereo store with him so he can buy a CD player pour about $500. when we walked into his local store in Westchester New York. They had on display the Wilson Audio Musical Monoliths, 9WAMMs) which sold for about $150,000. 

I asked if I could listen to it and the owner said after we bought the CD player. we asked to hear the $500 Sony and he brought out the $11,000 Krell, which we obviously didn’t buy. as we were purchasing the Sony. He told us he wouldn’t let us listen to the speakers because we didn’t buy the Krell. So we just walked out.

We still refer to this incident as: The silence of the Wamms!
Title: Re: Most outrageous speaker system
Post by: SRW1000 on June 10, 2026, 08:15:47 PM
I wonder what the WAF number is on those speakers? ;)
If you can afford them, you probably don't have to worry about the second part.  You can keep whichever you like more.  ::)
Title: Re: Most outrageous speaker system
Post by: Paul Heroy on June 11, 2026, 12:05:09 AM
The most outrageous speaker system I've listened to is pretty recent actually. Last fall I was looking around at speakers to potentially replace my 12 year old Martin Logan electrostats. Great speakers and loved having them but I got the itch for something with a larger sweet spot than 2". ::)

One of the brands / designs that had been on my radar for years, but never heard because they are hard to find locally, is the German brand MBL which makes a unique omnipolar design. Their speakers are designed with metal "petals" they call lamellae, arranged in a 360 degree array. The top model, the 101 Extreme Mk II, goes for $430,000. But they have a stand mount at around $15K, which was in my price range. They only have a few US dealers and one is in New Orleans - Uptown Audio. I was in NO last fall for a visit and arranged to hear the little tykes one afternoon. They were in the same room as the 101 Extremes... so after 30 minutes with the MBL 126 stand mounts, I asked to check out the BIG brothers. Jayson Adair, the owner, was happy to show them off - and even offered a 50% moving discount. The 101s are a "system" of 2 x 6' columns (main speaker and a matching subwoofer) that weigh 584 and 500 lbs, respectively. Uh, that's for each channel - so 2170 something lbs.

But the most outrageous thing is that the right channel was busted! (Not totally - the tweeter was out of commission.) It was immediately obvious to me when I played my opening demo track, which is a live recording with a nice soundstage. I was back in NO in April and stopped in on the chance I could have a makeup demo, but they'd been sold a few weeks prior.


(https://i.imgur.com/OhdK9uY.png)

(https://i.imgur.com/6xJVVlw.png)
Title: Re: Most outrageous speaker system
Post by: bmoney on June 11, 2026, 06:18:51 AM
The most outrageous speaker system I've listened to is pretty recent actually. Last fall I was looking around at speakers to potentially replace my 12 year old Martin Logan electrostats. Great speakers and loved having them but I got the itch for something with a larger sweet spot than 2". ::)

One of the brands / designs that had been on my radar for years, but never heard because they are hard to find locally, is the German brand MBL which makes a unique omnipolar design. Their speakers are designed with metal "petals" they call lamellae, arranged in a 360 degree array. The top model, the 101 Extreme Mk II, goes for $430,000. But they have a stand mount at around $15K, which was in my price range. They only have a few US dealers and one is in New Orleans - Uptown Audio. I was in NO last fall for a visit and arranged to hear the little tykes one afternoon. They were in the same room as the 101 Extremes... so after 30 minutes with the MBL 126 stand mounts, I asked to check out the BIG brothers. Jayson Adair, the owner, was happy to show them off - and even offered a 50% moving discount. The 101s are a "system" of 2 x 6' columns (main speaker and a matching subwoofer) that weigh 584 and 500 lbs, respectively. Uh, that's for each channel - so 2170 something lbs.

But the most outrageous thing is that the right channel was busted! (Not totally - the tweeter was out of commission.) It was immediately obvious to me when I played my opening demo track, which is a live recording with a nice soundstage. I was back in NO in April and stopped in on the chance I could have a makeup demo, but they'd been sold a few weeks prior.


(https://i.imgur.com/OhdK9uY.png)

(https://i.imgur.com/6xJVVlw.png)
That’s def up there
Title: Re: Most outrageous speaker system
Post by: David Vaughn on June 11, 2026, 07:24:56 AM
The most outrageous speaker system I've listened to is pretty recent actually. Last fall I was looking around at speakers to potentially replace my 12 year old Martin Logan electrostats. Great speakers and loved having them but I got the itch for something with a larger sweet spot than 2". ::)

One of the brands / designs that had been on my radar for years, but never heard because they are hard to find locally, is the German brand MBL which makes a unique omnipolar design. Their speakers are designed with metal "petals" they call lamellae, arranged in a 360 degree array. The top model, the 101 Extreme Mk II, goes for $430,000. But they have a stand mount at around $15K, which was in my price range. They only have a few US dealers and one is in New Orleans - Uptown Audio. I was in NO last fall for a visit and arranged to hear the little tykes one afternoon. They were in the same room as the 101 Extremes... so after 30 minutes with the MBL 126 stand mounts, I asked to check out the BIG brothers. Jayson Adair, the owner, was happy to show them off - and even offered a 50% moving discount. The 101s are a "system" of 2 x 6' columns (main speaker and a matching subwoofer) that weigh 584 and 500 lbs, respectively. Uh, that's for each channel - so 2170 something lbs.

But the most outrageous thing is that the right channel was busted! (Not totally - the tweeter was out of commission.) It was immediately obvious to me when I played my opening demo track, which is a live recording with a nice soundstage. I was back in NO in April and stopped in on the chance I could have a makeup demo, but they'd been sold a few weeks prior.


(https://i.imgur.com/OhdK9uY.png)

(https://i.imgur.com/6xJVVlw.png)
Hmmm...buy a new house or buy new speakers. First world problems :D

Loved the story though!
Title: Re: Most outrageous speaker system
Post by: bmoney on June 11, 2026, 08:15:47 AM
Hmmm...buy a new house or buy new speakers. First world problems :D

Loved the story though!
meh, ashtray money
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