Wilson Audio, Talon, Rockport and B&W

I really would skip the 7s and look to Maxx2s. I prefer them to the Firebirds a few friends have fwiw, and also with my limited experience with the Rockports at CES this year.

Mbadscl,

In there respective systems.

The Watt Puppy 7 I was not impressed with at all it was dull, lifeless and muddy.

The new B&W 800D driven by the MF KW500 was a dream to listen to. My only complaint was the bass was a little over powering.

The SonusFaber Stradivarius were also a dream to listen to. Again my only complaint was the bass was a little muddy.

Ok now for the important stuff. As I stated in their respective systems and rooms. At this price point thouroughly audition each speaker even if means packing up your gear and taking it to the dealer. You will then eliminate everything but your room.

Michael

I've auditioned the Firebirds and WP7s at length, and the B&Ws for a briefer period. All are excellent speakers and your preference will definitely come down to taste. All three are solid companies, with Wilson and B&W having even longer histories, important points to consider with any purchase. I ended up purchasing the JM Lab Nova Utopias which I found created a more lifelike listening experience for me. That said, all of the speakers you list will require careful matching of components and that choice can easily make or break the magic or lack of it you hear. I recall first hearing the Nova Utopias with BAT gear (very fine stuff, no doubt) but to my ears this combo created signifcant discontinuity of the berryllium tweeter and the rest of the drivers. I quickly dismissed the speakers only to hear them several months later with Burmester gear and being floored by the seamless convincing picture. As stated by the others here, listen to each as optimally set up as possible. I would recommend adding to your list, however, JM Labs Nova Utopias, Verity Audio Sarastros, the Von Schweikert VR7se, and potentially the Dali Megalines.

Good luck and enjoy. Half the fun is the search.

Sam

Thanks to all the responses~

The reasons I ask for opinion from some of you great guys are because for speakers at these price range, it makes matching hard and brings very different results with different gears used... I would like to know how people think and feel if experienced with the different speakers before I could go audition one. That way I know what I am hearing is what "others" are talking about. ( or sometimes not, as matching differently) It will help greatly as a guidline before acturally experience one. So what you "think" really do matter to me. :)

So far, I have audtion the Rockport and B&W briefly in different occations and with different gears. ( Rockport with tube and B&W with SS amp) They tend to go different way but truely very enjoyable. Rockport sound very smooth, detailed and in the warm side. ( might be the tube) B&W sounds more realy/accurate in tone color. Great bass, fast, with less colored in my opinion.
I will try to audtion more and spend more time to know what they "really" am capiable to do. In the mean time, wellcome all the thoughts on what "you" think freely and don't worry about what others might experienced different. After all, this habbit is all about personal preferance.

regards

No one mentioned Eggleston Works Andra II's or Savoy's: they surely worth an audition. I would say that I never heard a better speaker than the Andra II in my house. Egglestons are surely less commercial and known than Wilsons and others mentioned but they sound awesome: dynamics, transparency without edginess, a beautiful midrange, tight but extended bass, a great sense of liveliness... Try to listen them, you will not be disappointed.