Advice on near-field speakers (eg, Raidho X-1)

Someone asked me why I was selling them, can't remember the user name but he/she deleted both posts. Didn't bother me. Stuff happens gotta roll with the punches. 

@yogiboy , I don't think my personal situation is especially unusual (or anyone's business). I was not expressing my personal anxiety so much as sympathizing with a fellow 'Goner who is forced to sell beloved speakers. 

We're all worried about the pandemic and its effects on the economy, jobs, education, and so on. The speakers I'm looking at are within my means, but the world is so unstable that it's hard for anyone to be too confident of what the future holds. I would imagine that most folks out here are in the same situation, asking themselves: is this the right moment to buy that new amp? Is this the right moment to invest in the stock market? How do I put my recreational needs (those speakers!) into the context of a world that is teetering on the brink?

Also, you refer to "those high priced speakers," but "high priced" is relative. I just read a Stereophile review of Harbeth P3esr and the reviewer called the price ($3500 at the time, I think) "chickenfeed." Well, to most of the world $3500 is a TON of money to spend on speakers; in the audiophile world, that may be considered a modest investment. 

In short, while I appreciate your concern about my personal finances, you needn't be. I'm just in the same boat as everyone else, trying to make sense of a fragile world.

A few thoughts - the Raidho X-1s are a brilliant speaker.  They deliver a huge soundstage and definitely are not bright.  Amp pairing is critical, as is placement.  I have owned these personally before I was in the business and have had them as a dealer.  

AMTs are not inherently aggressive and bright in terms of sound profile. They can be when implementation is poor.  When implementation is right, they offer amazing detail and can be wonderful.  Audiovector is a great example of this.  

In the end, that is a respectable list that offers a wide range of sound profiles.  I might swap a couple, but that is my bias.  Amp choice with all of them is critical with all of them for them to be at their best but that can't be shocking.  

Thanks for weighing in, Scott. I've heard only amazing things about the X-1s. The only drawback I've consistently read is that they're too small to produce deep bass and that they're mighty "fast" for a subwoofer.

I understand if you don't want to be specific about my list but I'm curious (for anyone reading) which of those speakers lean more toward the acoustic tone I'm after and which lean away. The Harbeths and Pulsars I know to be promising but I don't know the Magico and Focals at all. The Boenickes get great reviews but they're hard for me to audition even in the best of times. (Everything I've read about Magico suggests it's not the speaker for me, but the A1 does get positive reviews.) Of course it's one thing to read reviews, it's another thing to try to imagine how they sound.

the Raidho x-1s do not deliver deep bass. I was quite happy with them paired with my Sunfire Tru SuperJunior which is a 1500w 8” subwoofer. You need a good sub that had tons of power and has an iron grip on the driver. Raidho and JL will be obscenely good together.
These are all about soundstage and delivering a deep and immersive listening experience. They are good with acoustic, instrumental and strings. I listen to a lot of jazz.
Harbeth is amazing with strings. I have found people love Harbeth or are indifferent. If they are to your taste, don’t bother with the rest of your search. If you are indifferent, move on.
There is one retailer on the country for Boenicke and they don’t even have an on-line presence. I visited that retailer a lot before I started my company. I lived like 6 blocks away. It is a good speaker. Like Harbeth, you love them or...meh. It is more of a lifestyle choice. Same shop, different section, I was far more impressed by the Verity Finns. Completely different style of speaker. That being said, during that purchase cycle, I ended up with the Raidho’s.

the Sopra 1s are good sounding speakers. I have heard them driven by Naim gear and they were natural with a good image. I think they would do okay with your musical choice. I find Focals floor-standers more impressive and would lean toward the Kanta 2. That being said, they NEED warm amplification.
I am not a huge Kef fan. The Reference 1 is a heck of a speaker though. I love the 3 way design and aluminum baffle. A little bright for my taste. Should be a good choice with right amp as it delivers a big sound. AVM matches well with them.

I have never heard the Magico A1s. I spent about 40 minutes in the Magico/AVM room at NY Audio Show in 2018 listening to the A3s with AVM flagship gear. They played classical and jazz exclusively while I was there. It was very nice. Not my favorite speaker. I like a more immersive soundstage but very nice. Not sure if the A1 is as good as the A3. Magicos love power.  You can’t give them enough and they will open up and sound better the more power you give them.  

I have never heard the Spendor As, the Spendor D7.2s are lovely. Very natural sounding. Need refined, neutral amplification. I listened to these after listening to the Tune Tots and was pleased with the experience .
I have not heard the Boressen or the Dutch & Dutch.
I have taken a crack at a Pulsar like speaker from a design perspective. Getting the crossover right is hard and the Pulsars very much do get it right. Superb with classical and jazz. The high mass tweeter does well in an MDF cabinet and you get more detail than you would expect. It is a good speaker for your needs and like the Spendors, needs neutral amplification.
Other notes, front port does not mean that it can necessarily be placed near a wall. The bass won’t get muddy but you may have soundstage issues. The Raidho’s like a little room from the back wall despite being front ported.
Rear port can work better than you would expect, particularly if the port is long. My Pulsar like speaker is good with 18” of space behind it. I believe the JAs are as good in terms of placement.