Road trip to demo $10,000 speakers

Well that’s a nice and exciting trip, but I know it is also usually sprinkled with some anxiety about making the right choice. The best advice I can give is use your ears, your heart and your soul first...that’s what music is all about. Dont let marketing and salesmen choose for you. The speakers are the most important choice since it’s the only component that will emit sound and probably the one with which you have or will have the more intimate connection.
That said, I dont want to play the salesman and would say listen to as many as you can, and look also carefully at the implementation and the room to compare. So many good speakers can be so badly implemented...
The ones I would add here are Sonus Faber, Tannoy, Piega, Proac, deVore, Harbeth for a few. I own several speakers over 10K and also over 30K, and the best speakers below 10K which I have personally heard, compared and ultimately purchased are the XTZ Divine Alpha. I put them at least on par with the BW800D3. Plays well in small rooms as well, with tuning possibilities, but not sure if and where you can demo them in US though...
Remember, the best speaker doesn't have the best highs, or lows, or mids, or definition, it has the best compromise of everything that makes listening always a pleasure.
Finally, should you find the ones that speak to you but you're just not sure because bass is lacking, well subwoofers can be added later for your near total and perfect pleasure, and it's not against the religion.
All the best! Hit the road Jack

Yes, the XTZ looks very intriguing, but not much of a US presence that I can find.  I can't find a US phone number on their US Store page to call and speak with someone.  Also, the Alpha is shown to be out of stock.  And the 30-Day Buy and Try option is not active in the USA.  Oh, well...

 

@ieales I interpreted your post to mean you recorded and mixed Al J...well that is astounding....I set about building my own digital and analog rack to push myself , learn but also know what the feeds sound like....keeps me from chasing my tail....Ruby is certainly great also....
I am a Vandersteen fanboy...since 1977 chasing time and phase and doing it scientifically.....but again I own and listen to other gear, including panels.....including the vaunted “ squids”as you call them!

Mike the OP - i think you will find your room sounds better than most...get some natural diffration in those book shelves, rugs, java tables, art, etc..most audiophile dedicated rooms are sterile beyond belief including the forest of reflective gear planted between speakers and a barrier to actually using the turntable...

i think you should add The Vandersteen Treo CT to your list, yes I do own them, so factor that in...
might I suggest you keep the DQ 10 also...persue a slow do it your self to learn rebuild program..start w caps and ridding yourself of the Piezo honker, go from there....every now and then sub them in to your system and learn to listen critically vs whatever it is you settle in on

my two cents..

have fun

    VAndersteen