OP, I would love to hear your thought's on Wilsons, Magico's, B&W, Vandersteen and a few other speakers in your price ranges. That's the only way that you will ever figure out what you want. I've seen many folks go audition some speakers they originally didn't think they'd like and change their minds. As many know I get to listen to a ton of gear both in my house or at some of the shops. I have never been to any shows, but I would like to one of these days.
I ended up with Vandersteen's and have become a huge fan, because I haven't fallen in love with any of the others from Wilson to Focal to Magico to B&W to Paradigm to ..... I have loved Tidal, but can't afford them. I actually liked the newest Proacs, but not compared to comparably priced Vandersteen's. I liked the Rockports that I heard, but I forgot which model. They were out of my league and I'm not sure they were as good as the Steen's for me, but they were really nice.
The thing is there are speakers for everyone. We all hear differently. It also depends on who you listen with and how much you listen to them. You have to trust your own ears and now what any of us say.
I have noticed that many folks stay true to one brand and others keep chasing nirvana. I notice many who do the chasing are always posting about how great their gear is. If it is, then why are they constantly switching out? When you read their posts, they aren't happy and keep chasing their tails. I know when I've made changes, it's after many satisfied years or recently from the Vandersteen Treo to the Quatro as that was my plan as I saved the money to upgrade into that league. I still auditioned everything I could and felt very comfortable in my purchase. As I continue to hear other gear, I'm still very very satisfied with what I have.
Many are like I am in that they do as much homework as possible and don't listen to what dealers or manufacturer's tell us during our listening sessions. Keep us posted and let's hope the thread get's back on track.
