Opinion of Avalon Speakers or Alternataives

Have only heard them in audio stores, connected, as expected, with the very best upstream gear, but I felt that the Avalon Eidolon was about the best speaker I ever heard. It gave the music life in a way that no other did.

Which models are you considering?

Hard to make an informed opinion at the shows. Avalon loudspeakers require an extended break-in, upwards of 700 hrs IMO. I would not expect any show to exhibit an Avalon product that is fully broken-in. Also consider the vagaries of the source components (e.g. are they broken-in) and the whole affair can be a real puzzle. Avalons have a sound like no-other and I would suggest that you read Martin Colloms review of the Eidolons in Feb's HFNRR.

After you're done with Avalons try Dyna 3.3. I assume that you've already enough power to drive either one of these.

I heard all of these at CES in January. The Kharma 3.2s were incredible, but they were playing with $130k in associated equipment. The Eidolon Diamonds were very close in sound quality, running off $10k in Ayre equipment (in fact, Michael Fremer mentions that room as one of his favorites in the new Stereophile).

I heard the regular Eidolons and the Opus in other rooms, but they had plasma TVs stuffed between them, and as a consequence had NO depth. The Alon Lotus Elite Signatures were quite good, but not in the same league as the Avaolon Diamonds and Kharams -- but hey, they cost 1/4 to 1/3 as much!