I have used these speakers for almost twenty years. My reference standard comes from live recordings using a stereo Neumann mic and my 1/2 track Crown tape deck. I was there making the recording...using that as my reference point I find the AIIIi speakers still able to reproduce the original performance. In the subsequent years I have changed turn tables, CD players (now Wadia 850), tuners (Marantz 10B and SAE MK VI) and pre amp/power amp combo...was audio research, now Spectral DMC 30 and DMA 150 ....the result is always better sound...more accuracy...but the Snells seems to permit the associative changes to come through clearly...which makes sense considering Peter (going back to his days at EPI) pioneered smooth time accurate powerbandwith...with low time distortion (accurate control of phase distortion) and low resonant cabinet construction with minimum refractive distortion....same things that Revel...Avalon do...thus these are wonderful speakers.
John
John