What Is The Most Expensive Speaker In The World?
There’s a speaker to fit all budgets, and economy models are improving by the day. Nonetheless, some audiophiles demand the absolute best, which comes at a cost. Sometimes that cost is high, at other times it’s incredibly high and might even seem out of reach, but the most expensive speakers are worth the investment if you really love music. All the speakers on this list feature cutting-edge components and are the products of years of diligent research.
Here’s a rundown of some of the most expensive speakers in the world.
#1 Hart Audio D&W Aural Pleasure
When a pair of speakers features a solid gold, 24-karat casing, you can probably guess that the price tag is going to be high. These luxurious speakers are gorgeous and their sleek, gold-studded design is just as much a status symbol as it is a piece of audio equipment. The Aural Pleasures are far more than just expensive ornaments, though. They include three drive units, so they’re capable of delivering an exquisitely balanced sound that’s clean, controlled and crystal clear. They’re one of the few speakers units in the world that’s actually capable of making the most out of high-resolution formats. Their super tweeter stretches bandwidth and unleashes sound like you’ve never heard it before, capturing even the tiniest details. Yes, these speakers are solid gold, but the real treasure is their fully realistic sound quality, which is without equal.
#2 Transmission Audio Ultimate
These speakers are massive and they have a unique futuristic design that appeals to lovers of new technology. They stand at over 2 meters, so they certainly make a statement, and there’s even more going on underneath the hood. The Audio Ultimates are packed to bursting with state-of-the-art technology. Four dipole subwoofers, two dipole woofers, four MF/HG ribbon panels and two HF Super ribbons pack a huge punch. You won’t detect a trace of distortion even at the highest volume, and detail reproduction is staggering. Individual units can blast out up to 500W, so it’s no wonder that these are often considered the sports cars of the speaker world.
#3 Kharma Grand Enigma
Kharma has a long history in the world of high-end audio, but their Grand Enigma speakers are their greatest (and most expensive) achievement to date. These speakers are actually the result of a customer’s challenge for Kharma to build the best speakers in the world. Price was no object, and thus the Grand Enigma was born. The speakers were put together in an underground atom bomb shelter that had been specially treated to improve acoustics. Although they aren’t for sale on the general market, they warrant their position on the list due to their value and the fun story behind their conception.
#4 Borresen 03
Seeming to fuse the best of classical design with a more modern finish, the Borresen 03s are stunning to look at, and, as you might expect, produce a quality of sound that's virtually unsurpassed. Much like the other speakers on the list, the 03s were born from the company's desire to innovate and, quite simply, build the best speaker in the world. The result is a speaker that delivers incredible scale and unbelievable dynamics. These speakers produce a level of detail that's akin to having your music performed live in your front room. It goes without saying that they’re free from distortion and deliver pristine highs and lows. They emphasize contrasts in a way that few other speakers can, offering a rich and vibrant reproduction of your music collection that sounds worlds away from virtually any other speakers on the planet.
#5 Tannoy Kensington Gold Reference Speaker
The classic Kensington Gold Reference is the cheapest speaker on the list, and it has a retro styling that many find appealing. The wood grain facade and subtly embossed logo give the speaker a refined look that’s carried into sound reproduction. The 250mm Gold Reference Dual Concentric driver is this speaker's headline component. It delivers unparalleled articulation, a gloriously spacious sound and incredible levels of detail. Kensington has used stiffer cone materials for enhanced dynamics, and refinements to the alloy cone make for fantastic high power handling. The new Alnico GR Dual ensures that the speakers pick up on even micro details, revealing elements of your music collection that you’ll never have heard before. Even the fine mahogany casing serves a purpose. It resonates beautifully and gives the speakers a warm, lifelike tone that’s difficult to describe but immediately recognizable.