Best high end monitors?


I'm considering monitors for a 2 channel setup (to be paired with a couple subs - probably JL Audio Fathom 113's).

Looking for suggestions on brands/models to consider. I listen to all kinds of music, but mostly rock and jazz. I'm looking for large soundstage, detailed with with meat on the bones.

I don't have a set budget, but wouldn't go as high as Magico Minis or anything crazy.

Thanks in advance.
madfloyd
Pedrillo, we have had the S7 and the P7 in here. They are similar performance; the S7 is more of a box with a bass reflex port. The P7 is the same idea with a rear firing passive driver instead of the port and more of a pyramid form factor. It took about 4 times as long to break in. Either one is quite convincing down to 40Hz. The tweeter has a short break-in time, so most of the time breaking in the speaker is devoted to the woofer.

For years the monitor part of the market was always trying to come up with the next 'Watt killer'; a speaker that had performance equal or better than the Wilson Watt (and hopefully for less dollars). I don't know if that is a standard that anyone still uses, but this is definitely that speaker. It is smooth, ultra fast, extended but not bright, very detailed. The cabinet is very dead- its obvious that a lot of time was put into figuring these things out.

We had ZU Druids but they never got played again after the HEA speakers showed up. We've had a lot of speakers in here and we keep coming back to this one- it bests the best ESLs for revealing character that does not draw attention to itself; selflessly devoted to the music, you might say.

The tweeter is a dual unit that fires forward and rearward. Standing off to the side (180 degrees off axis) you get nearly the same highs as you do in front- the tweeter radiates in a dual cardioid pattern for those interested. Anyway they have a wise sweet spot, almost as wide as the distance that you have them apart. Standing off to one side you can easily make out the soundstage. Imaging is very precise, and easy to set up without fuss. I do not know of a speaker at any price that has a better tweeter system, although the new field coil tweeter in the Classic Audio Reproductions is in the same realm, but lacks the super wise dispersion. Most tweeters by comparison suck flat rocks in the bottom of some very stagnant pools. Once you hear it, its really hard to go back to puissant ordinary.
FWIW I had the Be-718s and GMA Callistos in my room together for a weekend some time ago. The Ushers have deeper bass and a bigger soundstage, but the Callistos had a "live", in the room feel and better coherence. I sent the Tiny Dancers back to the dealer on Monday.....

Shakey