I should have never ....

... visited the local high end audio store a couple of days ago.

So a couple of days ago, I decided to go down to the local high end audio store to listen to the Proac Response D2 speakers on tube equipment. The folks at this store are very friendly and were willing to go out of their way to accommodate my request. They hooked up the Proacs to some VTL tube separates (sorry I can't remember the exact model numbers, but I believe the VTL preamp and amp were around $9000 combined), and let me listen to the music of my choice - Diana Krall/Live in Paris, Melody Gardot/Currency of Man, Alan Pasqua/The Antisocial Club, etc.

I had high hopes for the Proacs, and for the most part they did not disappoint. The bass was really satisfying, and the details were there for sure. But for some reason I felt that they were more forward sounding than what I had imagined based on reviews. Diana Krall was not sitting in between the other musicians, but she was a good 3 to 4 feet in front of them. I could always tell that the speakers were there, i.e. no wall or disappearing act. I could feel some harshness in the music.

On a whim, I asked them if I could listen to the Sonus Faber Olympica 1 stand mounts that the shop also carries. First of all, I've never seen a more beautiful piece of furniture. They have to be the most gorgeous speakers I've ever seen in my life. The salesman cautioned me that they were almost twice the price of the Proacs. At this point, I'm thinking that the money is probably going more toward aesthetics than sound. I wasn't really expecting a huge difference between the Proacs and the SF Olympicas. But, boy was I wrong!

Unlike many of you, I have only limited experience with high end gear, and almost zero experience with tube equipment. But what I heard that day was a revelation. The Olympicas had the most amazing details, imaging and sound stage. The midrange was pure liquid. And most importantly, they completely disappeared behind the wall of music. Diana Krall was sitting right between the other musicians, a little to the right of the guitarist though. The base was so good that I don't think one would ever need an additional sub. It was that satisfying.

I realize that a lot of that has to do with high end/pricey tube sound and the demo room acoustic setup. But I have not been able to get those few moments out of my head. I was planning on setting up a smaller rig in my study (which is around 10x15 feet), and now I think SF Olympica 1 would be a great choice. The only problem is that it's waaaay over my budget. I was thinking around $3500 total (speakers + integrated + cables), but the Olympicas are over $7500 if you include the gorgeous stands. Of course, I can save money by going the used route but it'll still be way over my original budget.

So my question to all of you -- is there anything else that might compete favorably with the Olympicas in terms of sound (most important) and looks (not the top priority but still a consideration). Whatever I get cannot be big and boxy (Harbeth) though.

Secondly, is there any reasonably priced tube integrated amps that would still provide enough oomph while not sacrificing the stuff that makes tubes so musical and engaging?