Absolute top tier DAC for standard res Redbook CD

Matt, No insult intended. You asked for all opinions and you got one more, admittedly contrarian.

Thanks for the background on your considerable effort and expense in the search. However, none of this expense accrues toward dealer satisfaction. I wouldn't underestimate the expense of the individual and collective efforts of the dealers. There is hidden cost in carrying inventory, wear and tear during shipping and set-up and tear-down, and the time value of money while the equipment is away. You are obviously a fickle purchaser-- so what else is new in high end audio? My criticism is directed more toward the supply-side: the generally desperate and sorry state of retail salesmanship involved in fronting so much equipment into a home setting in a brute force gamble. Some of this may owe to the retailer failing to properly qualify the sale and the LF room issues-- which appear to render a full-range solution problematic.

As brick and mortar retailing declines in scale and in breadth of product lines and inventory, the regional audio shows have emerged as the best opportunities to clarify and focus purchasing decisions. That's not to say that there is no place for home demos, but at an extreme this begins to read more like match.com serial dating. Infinite choice invites infinite regression.

Matt

I applaud your efforts in this search to find a world class speaker that works in your room and is emotionally engaging to you. After all thats all that really matters. I think your totally in line with your approach to this purchase and was insulted too with the other comment suggesting otherwise. I have done some of the same exhaustive due diligience to achieve my end goal.

With the room node issues you mention I believe the Vandy Sevens give you the room tuning ability that no other speaker on your list of for that matter few in the world give you. With the issues you have been mentioning with your room this can't be overlooked as a VERY important factor in your final decision. Having said that as you know there is nothing like have the Sevens in your room for the audition. I would ask John to bring them over to you house for an audition and let me do his magic and set them up properly with the setting adjustments. I assume you have spent as much time and attention to making your whole system component choices and cables etc. so you want to know how the Sevens will sound at home. In my case I liked the Sevens at John's shop but am blown away by the sound of them in my room. If most of the other speakers you are deciding between have been in your room you need to have the Sevens there too. I know John will bring them over I already spoke to him about it for you. With your system in your room and tuned to your room and to your tastes I will be shocked if you don't fall in love with them and won't be able to stop listening to them.

Jeff

07-18-15: Mattnshilp
Trenner Duke require bi-amping (4 mono blocks). Maybe the Isis but it's hard to find anywhere and I don't think it will give me the dynamics and low frequency extension I'm after.

I love horns and looks at many. My room is just too small for horns.....

The Dukes are monsters and too much speaker for r room. I "think" the Isis would provide plenty of bass and dynamics (from wha tI have read....)

Are you sure your room is too small for horns?

I wonder how long it will be before there are no dealers. But it will not just be audio dealers. Maybe Best Buys and Targets can survive as might a few car dealerships, but other than grocery and liquor stores, restaurants, and gas stations, mechanics, and pawn shops will be left.

I think that there is a real need for an e-magazine that has the space to set up multiple systems and to do listening tests, perhaps even double blind but not the usual "same/different " crap from psychology. Just listening tests on a bigger audience moving from one system to another or with and without a device.

With the removal of the carpet my room has been transformed. As long as the speaker is not rear ported I am getting amazing sound! And with my incoming Wing diffusers the room should sound even better.

Front and bottom ported speakers work wonderfully and provide deep, tight, multilayered base with no nodal activation or boom. I haven't tried a sealed speaker, but I can't imagine it wouldn't be even easier to place and sound great.