Blade vs S5 vs Avior vs Hansen's Prince E's

Welcome to our world and our quandry. And no ... I do not think choosing a dealer is the answer either. For one, many great speakers are only sold manufacturer direct, such as Daedalus, Totem, Joseph Audio, etc.

In addition, even a "great" dealer will only sell, or perhaps better, "push" the gear for which he has a dealer franchise. At least in my area, I am not aware of any dealer who sells all three brands that you listed.

So where does that leave you??? ... With the rest of us nim-nuts.

News to me that Totem and Joseph Audio sell direct.

I've listened to the S5s and Aviors. My preference between the two is the S5s. I find the S5s more neutral and dynamic. They were in a different system, so it could have been the context of the system. I would look into Revel Studio 2s and/or Revel Salon 2s...both below 20K. There are no perfect speakers and there is always something better.