It's Magnepan 20.1's or B&W Nautilus 801's

My gut response for your musical tastes (mostly acoustic it seems) would be the Magnepans, but that doesn't mean the B&W's might not actually work better in your room, although you likely won't go far wrong either way. The B&W's could well have some livability advantages however, depending on your situation. Probably the biggest difference between the two will be be the way they interact with and project sound into the room, so in either case, if you are buying them new from the dealer, you be all means at this level should receive professional installation assistance and a home audition period of at least two weeks with return privileges. Enquiring minds want to know - what other contenders did you audition and reject, and did you consider, or at least listen to, the more expensive Signature 800's?

Roy -

First of all, I commend you on actually going out and listening, rather than just reading the latest "recommended components list". You're doing it exactly right!

Tafka Steve is spot on - ultimately, one listens with the heart, because that is where music speaks to us.

Let me toss out the idea that it may not be so much a matter of which speaker does the most things right, but rather which does the fewest things wrong. Little colorations that remind you you're not listening to the real thing are often what spoil the illusion.

Unfortunately, I can't predict whether the little glitches I'm especially sensitive to are the ones you are. I would take the Maggies because they have no boxy colorations, of which I seem to be rather intolerant.

I'd suggest you listen to the exact same piece of music on each speaker at the entire range of volume levels you expect to use at your home. Each of these speakers' tonal balance will change with volume level, so you want to make sure they sound good at the volume levels you expect to use. Also try this - turn the volume level up a bit higher than normal and walk into the next room. From the next room, you are checking the reverberant field response and the dynamic contrast. Note that from the next room, a live piano would still sound like a live piano. Realistic sound from the next room is an excellent predictor of long-term fatigue-free listening.

Best of luck in your quest!

Duke

For what ever it's worth I prefer the Maggies. If it's truly a toss up, perhaps what will work best in your room should decide. Ideally you could find a dealer that carries both.

Put me down as someone you don't like Diana Krall. Nice recording but no soul.

The B&W 801s will perform much better at lower listening levels and will sound better if you upgrade your amps with BAT tube gear to match your other outstanding BAT equipment, and run the system with balanced cables.

You'e got a great room, get the 801swell out into room and
you'll be blown away by the quality of the bass and the imaging.

Aloha.

Thank you all for a most illuminating series of posts. I found the first poster, Tafka_steve, gave particularly sage advice. It really is all about how our systems make us feel isn't it? While we get bogged down with specs and tests and others opinions, the best test of all is how they make us feel. Oh, sage advice ! (I have a book for you, Tafka_steve, that just hit the stores: "Strangers to Ourselves" that you would enjoy.)

The other advice was all good as well and I am not surprised by the number of posters favoring Magnepan. As to the other speakers I have listened too and eliminated:

JM Lab Utopias (too expensive, even used, but very, very rich sounding; mellowness without being mushy; highly detailed but not as good a sound stage width and depth as the Magnepans. a very nicely integrated base which was never overpowering but alweays tight and transparent. I could listen to these speakers forever. What warmth and clarity. They really moved me.

JM Labs Mezo Utopias (within my price range and excellent sounding speakers but once having listened to the Utopias, I could not chose them. I would constantly sit there and think, "If I could have just stretched a little further and got the Utopias !" The difference was quite evident in favor of the Utopias - again a richness of sound that I have seldom heard.

Martin Logan Prodigy: Lovely speaker, bright clear mids and highs, plenty of base but the base did not seem as well integrated as on the other speakers I listened to.

Magnepan 3.6 R: Lovely, lovely speaker as well. Fantastic soundstage and depth. Pinpoint imaging. Lacked punch in the base on some passages but very close to what I want. These speakers disappeared and I was simply "there" with the music. Addition of a subwoofer gave more base but sounded out of place and disconnected to the rest of the music.

Unfortunately I was not able to locate a set of Alon Circe,Sonus Faber Amati Homage, or Revel Ultima Salons.

Thanks again for all of your suggestions and advice.

Rooy3