Thank you and looking at options all of you recommended so far. Some have the potential to work and some don't as the constraints were lower powered equipment and a relatively small footprint...not to mention budget.
But used or new under $2000, even well under qualify as this could help other people as well.
I have tried Dali Oberon 1 and they were OK. These could have been a bit more dynamic, refined from what I remember.
Quad S2 - extremely resolving, lots of detail which did fine for movies but left me cold for music. To me it was clinical but left me disengaged from the music. I also found the soundstage very, very flat as in no depth. That was very surprising. That was probably the worst part of the experience but instruments also lacked the lifelike tone/timbre to me. I don't think I ever heard a Kevlar woofer I really liked.
Don't want Kef.
Also, it's possible for a softdome to give so much detail it can sound harsh, different than metal but still harsh.
I have looked at Aperion, Amphion, Totem, Polk among others but I don't want a large, too hard to drive speaker that overtaxes a small amp. A small amp should also be able to achieve moderate sound levels (for long term listening not damaging tot he ear loud) for hours without fatigue but rendering sufficient detail and as much a lifelike presentation for the price and size. So a balanced presentation from lows to highs.
For example, Monitor Audio Silver 1s I once had were great for human voice and piano as too tonality/timbre but were a bit too laid back and were not good for movies. For music it was better for classical, jazz, blues but not for Rock, electronic, etc. For more body I played it concurrently with Paradigm SE-1s for the midrange heft it needed. Together they were great, both small enough and stacked to not mess up the soundstage.
The Focals, while not quite having the natural decay the MAs had were better in most every other way even against the MA/Paradigm stack. There was a nice sweetness to the high frequencies with the stack. Talk about synergy.
My Triangles with a titanium speaker do great for a budget speaker but are not the same level as the Focals, hence asking for a smaller, audiophile example. I don't know if I would like the horn loaded triangles as much.
I have listened to Wharfedale 225s/11.2s (either too warm or too colorless, too directional, lacking micro details and texture).
Martin Logan Motion 15...very similar to Paradigm SE-1 except for voice. SE-1s sounded more studio while the 15s were more like being at an amplified venue (live). Not lifelike which neither were. Paradigms had lower sensitivity but could be driven to loud levels without breaking up. The 15s were only good at less than loud levels as they would breakup with too much power. For anyone whose interested in those. Neither had the detail and resolution of the MAs, and Focal gives you more.
For years I had Paradigm 7 se I picked up in 1988. They sounded smooth, detailed, lifelike but lacked a bit of mid range texture. Airy highs too with a very good bottom end. Good for the time but they were even bigger than my Focals but not as revealing/transparent.
So. looking for people's own experiences as well as recommendations. It's tough when you can't audition speakers.
There should be an Audiophile amusement park having all the speakers ever made for people to listen too.
