Seems I started in a similar place as you. I also now have some tinnitus that can be triggered by certain harsh, edgy sounds. I had the B&W 802 Series 3 for a long time (they're now with my son) originally driven by Bryston 4B 250W/channel (mid-90's version). The combination was great in many ways, but wasn't as satisfying as I liked in the upper mid-range and higher. I heard the Pass Labs class A amps that were available at the time and purchased the Aleph 4, which is a single chassis 100W/channel amp and is something of a rarity. That combination was outstanding in many ways. It did a better job in those upper and mid-ranges, but didn't have quite the bass "slam" that some reviewers seem so enamored with. In fact, the bass sounded more natural to real life (acoustic and classical live performances are my basis for comparison). I lived with that combination for almost 20 years.
The only problem I had with the Pass class A amp was that it was a more efficient heat generator than my furnace, which was just fine for half of the year or more. In summer I was effectively paying to both heat and cool the house at the same time. So I set out on a quest to find a more modest "summer" system for those warm summer days.
In the course of auditioning components, I happened to audition a pair of used Linn Akurate bookshelf speakers that sounded really fine. I then made the mistake of auditioning a used floor standing 242 version too. They were the newer version at the time, but didn't have any of the various advanced cross-over or active power options. I ended up purchasing them instead when I was actually intending to replace the amp. They sounded wonderful with the Pass amp, the listening fatigue I sometimes got from even the Pass/802 combo went away. Linn doesn't seem to get much love in the U.S. or on this site and isn't as widely available here. Some reviewers described them as outstanding yet panned them for being "clinical," which I attribute to the reviewers penchant for loud music that is already processed through electronics even in live performance. Linn's website talks about "tunefulness," which I think is a pretty apt description. The speakers have a harmonious balance among the frequencies, especially the mid and upper frequencies, without sacrificing accurate bass.. Their musicality really becomes apparent with acoustic and classical music, and in longer listening sessions where fatigue is non-existent. In addition, they sound great at low and high volumes and in-between, which I have not found to be true in many higher-end speakers. It was the long listening sessions that clearly set them apart from the others.
But I was originally out to find a summer amp. I found a used Linn Akurate 4 channel amp at a reasonable price. I used all 4 channels to bi-amp the speakers. I found after a couple of switchovers between the Pass and Linn amps that I preferred the Linn amp/speaker setup, though not by a huge margin, so that has become and still is my primary listening system.
With all that said, though I'm not at all unhappy with my system, in the past year or so I've surveyed the speaker market to see if there were any marked improvements that would compel me to upgrade. I listened to a number of the speakers mentioned by other commenters. I found that I liked the Magico speakers best. I auditioned both the A and S series models in long sessions, beautiful sound, but over-priced in my estimation (though maybe not in comparison to many of the other current products out there). I found I still preferred the Linn 242's, though not by much of a margin.
In summary from my experience, I think some of the comments about the contribution of amplifiers are appropriate to a degree; cables not so much, though there are some clear mismatches that don't seem actually related to price. The only way to find whether the speakers will satisfy your requirements is to audition the speakers for extended periods with your music and your components at both high and low volumes and at your normal listening levels.
Though I'd previously purchased new, in my venture to find that summer system, I've had good luck with used components, both from here and from local dealers.
The only problem I had with the Pass class A amp was that it was a more efficient heat generator than my furnace, which was just fine for half of the year or more. In summer I was effectively paying to both heat and cool the house at the same time. So I set out on a quest to find a more modest "summer" system for those warm summer days.
In the course of auditioning components, I happened to audition a pair of used Linn Akurate bookshelf speakers that sounded really fine. I then made the mistake of auditioning a used floor standing 242 version too. They were the newer version at the time, but didn't have any of the various advanced cross-over or active power options. I ended up purchasing them instead when I was actually intending to replace the amp. They sounded wonderful with the Pass amp, the listening fatigue I sometimes got from even the Pass/802 combo went away. Linn doesn't seem to get much love in the U.S. or on this site and isn't as widely available here. Some reviewers described them as outstanding yet panned them for being "clinical," which I attribute to the reviewers penchant for loud music that is already processed through electronics even in live performance. Linn's website talks about "tunefulness," which I think is a pretty apt description. The speakers have a harmonious balance among the frequencies, especially the mid and upper frequencies, without sacrificing accurate bass.. Their musicality really becomes apparent with acoustic and classical music, and in longer listening sessions where fatigue is non-existent. In addition, they sound great at low and high volumes and in-between, which I have not found to be true in many higher-end speakers. It was the long listening sessions that clearly set them apart from the others.
But I was originally out to find a summer amp. I found a used Linn Akurate 4 channel amp at a reasonable price. I used all 4 channels to bi-amp the speakers. I found after a couple of switchovers between the Pass and Linn amps that I preferred the Linn amp/speaker setup, though not by a huge margin, so that has become and still is my primary listening system.
With all that said, though I'm not at all unhappy with my system, in the past year or so I've surveyed the speaker market to see if there were any marked improvements that would compel me to upgrade. I listened to a number of the speakers mentioned by other commenters. I found that I liked the Magico speakers best. I auditioned both the A and S series models in long sessions, beautiful sound, but over-priced in my estimation (though maybe not in comparison to many of the other current products out there). I found I still preferred the Linn 242's, though not by much of a margin.
In summary from my experience, I think some of the comments about the contribution of amplifiers are appropriate to a degree; cables not so much, though there are some clear mismatches that don't seem actually related to price. The only way to find whether the speakers will satisfy your requirements is to audition the speakers for extended periods with your music and your components at both high and low volumes and at your normal listening levels.
Though I'd previously purchased new, in my venture to find that summer system, I've had good luck with used components, both from here and from local dealers.
