In the 2003 remake of the heist movie The Italian Job, the characters talk about what they will buy if they manage to pull it off. Two of the characters’ fantasies: Handsome Rob (played by Jason Statham) wants an Aston-Martin Vanquish and Lyle (Seth Green) already has the perfect sound system in mind:
Lyle: I’m getting a NAD T770 digital decoder with 70-watt amps and Burr-Brown DACs
Lyle: It’s a big stereo. Speakers so loud, they blow women’s clothes off!
Finding the ideal speakers, in real life, depends a lot on your individual sound preference, space and budget. For instance I try to find the maximum quality for the price I can afford. Plus, I live in an apartment flat, so my neighbors wouldn’t appreciate me trying to blow the roof off. So I am not exactly loyal to any particular brand.
Inspired by Lyle’s fondness for the ultimate sound system, below is a list of 5 powerful speakers money can buy.
KEF iQ50 Compact Floor Standing Speakers
Prices start from $299.99 for this bass-reflex speakers from Britain. They’re affordable, offer quality sound and you won’t have a fit while trying to find the right place for them.
Peavey SP4 PA Speaker
With a 2000-Watts program and a 4000 Watts peak; Peavey’s SP4 PA is available at the not-so- cheap price of $899.95.
Bose Speakers
Bose enables you to choose from a wild range of products from computer speakers to home theater systems, from outdoor speakers to live systems and stereo speakers. Their stereo speakers include bookshelf, in-ceiling, floor-standing speaker models and more. The prices start from $158.95 (for bookshelf speaker system) and goes up to $1,398.95 (floor-standing speaker system). Prices from Bose’s US website.
JBLSynthesis
The prices start at $11,000. They are great for home theaters too. The company website gives you the option to select your country so that you can get a list of locations that you can go shop for their products.
There are many models and the website lists the components of each product as well.
Krell Speakers
Krell has been producing speakers since 2000 and their speakers are famous for their powerful amplifiers and dynamic sound flow. Krell’s speakers are Modulari Duo Reference Speakers (capable of reproducing any & every note on an 88-key grand piano at a cost $65,000). Modulari Primo Reference Speakers and Master Reference Subwoofers can reach 120dB at 20Hz and cost $15,700. The Modulari Primo costs about $20,000 a pair
If you’re able to pull of that perfect heist like the cast of The Italian Job, you should be able to afford both the Aston-Martin Vanquish and that perfect sound system. Otherwise, budgets usually prevail and price becomes a factor. Sound off and let us know your sound system.
I think the only feasible speakers for any home user will be the first ones!
The second to last ones will not sound good, as the tweeter is not aligned with the mid frequency driver (the one with the 2 cube speakers within the cabinet).
It’s extremely difficult to get 3 speakers working in phase with each other, and most certainly when they are angled from each other!
The second one is a bit expensive!
If I’d want stage sound I’ll probably go for another set!
I personally really like the Samson Auro D412 speakers, they are LOUD, light, and cost only $300!
They’re talking about the Martin Logan Monolith IIIs.
That’s what they show in the movie.
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JBL knows how to get a tweeter in phase. I’m 100% sure they know way more than you do.
Speaking of the “Italian Job” remake, I remember watching this movie while my wife and her friends were in the adjacent room chatting it up. Typically, I am not the type who is taken aback by extraneous loud noises, but the moment when the explosion occurs (when the guys are trying to get the safe), the sound blasted out of the right surround (Paradigm) speakers, and I jumped off the couch about 4 feet! I also have two sub-woofers (Polk Audio) that must have added that much more wallop to the whole affair.
Needless to say, my wife thought I had blown the wall out or something. I’ve never been caught that much off guard from a movie in all my life, and the fact that the source of the sound was off to one particular side made it that much more dramatic and unexpected.
My front speakers are an older pair of M790 Mirage floor standing speakers. The louder you play ’em, the better they sound. It’s fascinating watching the woofers glide in and out when I play 2Hz tones through them (2Hz, not 20Hz).
I have my doubts that speakers in the $10,000 + category are that much better than speakers in the $2,000 – $5,000 category. For the most part, even some live concerts often don’t sound all that good in person. It can vary dramatically based on the sound reinforcement equipment the band has and the acoustics of the building they’re playing in. If someone thinks they need to spend 50 grand on a set of speakers and can justify that purchase, so be it. All I know is that my wife would find the sharpest blade in the kitchen and go after me with it! 🙂
The human condition is such that we often crave for things that are beyond what we can afford (hence the popularity of credit cards). All I know is that I’m more than happy with the sound equipment I own, and don’t plan on making too many upgrades in the foreseeable future.