$40.000 speaker advise. Check out my list

Jkalman, I'm glad that you enjoy your Wilson's, but understand that others have different musical tastes/values. I would choose the Vandersteen 5A over the Wilsons anyday, but I understand that others will feel differently. I also understand that neither one of these speakers belong in this thread, as they are not considered contenders by the thread originator, Maxx1973. So there really isn't any need to stray down this path. Perhaps you can start a thread of your own about Wilson speakers.

Cheers,
John

Not sure if you forgot to clean your ears or perhaps you are used to a bright sound but many including Sterophile reviewers noted John's room (Vandersteen) was playing some of the best sounds at the show, I too was there and had a long talk with Richard, it was funny as he didnt really think the Carbon Fiber 5A he was playing were really worth the effort and increased price but he builds for the people.
Maybe Vandersteen is not everyones cup of tea but nobody can dismiss them as sounding like cheap studio monitors and expect to have any credibility.

Many producers of classical recordings use excellent playback equipment during monitoring (eg Telarc). Give me a violn, a cello, a piano recording and I will at least have a chance at judging the accuracy of a piece of stero equipment. You can forget any hopes of accuracy judgement with rock/pop recordings. I'm done highjacking this thread. Sorry for the digression.
Mark

Jkalman, Being able to mod a component of lesser value to perform better or as good then more expensive components is been widely known by many audiophiles who want more better sound for less. Look at all the forums and hype on modding a oppo 981 for less then a thousand and those who have done it say it's in the area of $4000 to $7000 cd players. Rick Shultz does amazing things to the oppo.

As far as pride in owning a Jaguar then a modded chevy has been the fall of man since the beginning. Mans obsession for material is strong. Not my prejudice just the way man is. Our nature is we want to out do the guy down the street. Material is a status item to this society called America.

Chadnliz,

They sound like cheap studio monitors "to me" in comparison to other speakers I heard at the show (including those Dynaudios). I'm sorry if that upsets you... You don't have to agree with me, that is fine. I'll live.

I'm not the one making absolute statements about the sound quality of speakers. You however are... To boot you are personally insulting my hearing now (*you forgot to clean your ears*), as if your perception or opinion of "what sounds good" is the "only" correct one. Grow up!

As per your original post:

And the Vandersteen 5A sounds better than both Wilson & BW.

All my statements have been phrased as personal, subjective opinions, not fact. I would say someone who states their opinions as subjective, and not as fact, has more credibility than someone who posts like his/her opinions are facts (as you did in the above quote). I compared them to cheap studio monitors, because they share a lot of the same sound characteristics as the Samson Resolv 80a monitors I own ($400 per pair). What do you care if I don't like how they sound? If you are so happy with them, then it shouldn't bother you if other people don't like them...