Best new/demo/used value for $7.5K range

Ok, I am the person you want to hear from if you're seriously thinking of the Revel Studio!

I upgraded to the Studios earlier this year and have been very happy with them. (I paid $8,000, but they were brand new, still in the box). I also used a Levinson No. 27 with them, but only briefly. The No. 27 worked fine, but the sound was just not as dynamic as I wanted. I then upgraded to an used Levinson No. 23 ($2,000 - very similar sound, but with double the power (200W/ch instead of 100).
(If you have the money, and like the Levinson sound, go up to the 23.5, which is about $2,500 used.)
I really like the sound now. In fact, I consider it a real step up from my previous speaker (Martin Logan Sequel II).
The soundstaging is great and the dynamics are incredible. Bass is very tight, and plentiful, but it does not go as deep as the Salon. (But my room would not handle that much bass in any case, and the Salon really needs 300-400 W/ch btw.)
The HF is incredible, but I can see where someone might think it is too much. (Good thing the front and rear tweeters have volume controls! Although, I don't turn the HF down, as I am using a Koetsu cartridge that rolls the HF down a bit, and the plentiful HF from the Studio makes it a perfect match!)
You should audition them if you can find a local dealer who has them. (I found that to be a problem, as most dealers had the Salons, but not the Studio. I had to drive about 75 miles to listen to them.)

For your infomation, my system includes: an ARC LS-2 preamp, Arc PH-3 phono preamp, Sony 9000ES SACD/CD player, Basis 1400 TT, RB300 arm. I use MIT 770 CVT biwired speaker cable and a mixture of I.C.'s (MIT 330, Kimber Hero, Straightwire Rhapsody II XLR, etc..)

Regarding other speakers, I endorse the Sonus Fabers as well. The Avalons are good, especially the Eidolons, but not the Opus, and they seem to like lots and lots of power, more than your No. 27 has. The Wilson Sophias are also nice. I am not a big B&W 802 fan either.

Good Luck in your search.

Thanks for the feedback so far. The more to consider the merrier!

I went and listened to a pair of 802Ns (demo) for 5K today and was a little under impressed. They were hooked up to Bryston gear- I am not sure that is a good combo. The t's and S's on some vocal sources I brought in sounded a bit harsh. What was funny was that the rest of the vocal range in a Fairfield Four piece was recessed sounding - not as coherent as with the Sophias. BTW, I am not stating this as fact, just my own very humble observation.

Someone here recommended the Mahler's. I had almost forgot about those speakers. I found a deal on some demo Mahler's for $7k that I really liked. I like these speakers for the same reason I like the sophias. They are musical and involving without being clinical. My NHT 2.9s have worn me out in this regard. Is 7K$ a good price for demo's with warranty???

A few people asked about my room and musical taste. I am actually in the process of buying a new home, but most of the homes I am looking at have high ceilings with living rooms of about 20*25 (some are even a bit larger). I have some vinyl, but 99.9% of my music tends to be redbook cd (3000 cds) with a handful of SACD's (30). The most imporant thing to me is the vocal range - I used to perform as a singer so can hear when something is off. I do listen to everything from acapella stuff, large symphonic pieces, intimate blues recordings, bluegrass, rock and etc... Truth be told, I just love music in general (more so than the gear).

Thanks for any feedback you have to offer. I appreciate all of it.

I have owned some of the speakers you listed above in one incarnation or another (802N, Watt/Puppy 5.1), I have also listened to Revel and JM Labs in length many times. My vote goes to Dynaudio Confidence 5 which I have owned more than one pair in the past. This is one speaker that doesn't get too much attention in the press, but endorsed by audiophile around the world. C5 has that special "rightness" not found on many full range speaker, but it does take some power to open up and can't play as loud as competitors. Dynaudio will never make another speaker like the C5, so you should buy your C5 (or even better, Consequence) now they are in collectors' hands.

With the room size at 20x25 and high ceiling, Dynaudio Confidence 5 will need a much larger amp than Levinson 27. Something like Levinson 333 or 336 would be closer. Maybe two monoblocks would be even better.

The problem is that even with the monster amp, bass extension is still around 30-40Hz.

VMPS RM/x or fully Loaded RM40