I’ll bite…
Last year, around this time, my wife asks just how much spend had occurred over the year, she was noticing the new cartridge (Etsuro Gold), the new phono stage (CS Port), and the new bespoke phono cable (LFD). Since we’re in our 60’s, she says that kind of outgo sure can’t be the norm in retirement. We discussed the speakers (Wilson Alexia v1) were getting long in the tooth, would probably be the next thing to upgrade while we’re both working. So, like the OP, what speakers would be candidates? I enjoyed my Alexia, so Alexia 2 were of course an option but those are due for an upgrade to v3. Alexx V were on the table, probably near the top of possible options. That puts a lot of speakers into the possibility mix with a caveat of what is available to listen to within reasonable range. I could see myself driving 3 or 4 hours max to hear some speakers, or hopping a flight but the silver tube isn’t a place I like to hang so again, a few hour flight probably max range. I’m in Portland so my range was essentially the west coast to mid-west.
Wilson, Magico, Evolution Acoustics, Diesis (because I had heard them in NYC before), Martin, YG, Kharma, AvantGarde… so many options if the budget is stretching up over $100k. And as others have mentioned, at this level all are probably excellent comes down to matters of taste and how they’ll fit into an existing system. My Audio Research REF160Ms were not yet a couple years old, so not eager to change amps with speakers.
So about February of this year I noticed Bob V., who owns Rhapsody Audio in NYC seems to be having a pretty strong pandemic. (I heard the Diesis at Rhapsody a year before.) With everyone cooped up at home, it seemed hi-end audio was benefiting and Rhapsody was opening “remote listening rooms” across the USA. This meant an opportunity to hear Alsyvox, Diesis, and Bayz at a single location. Excellent news — the Diesis were on my radar, the Alsyvox were getting best of show at RMAF and elsewhere, and the Bayz too — their looks crazy cool and reports made me think they’d be a lot of fun to audition.
So I mention to my wife about these “remote listening rooms” and she says “maybe you should do that!” WHAT? I assured her that it would probably cost a fortune. Long story short, I am now hosting a Rhapsody “remote listening room” here in Portland. “Rhapsody out West” I’m calling it, and anyone is welcome (with prior appointment) to visit and I can play Alsyvox Botticelli (with external crossovers), Bayz CounterPoint 2, or Diesis Roma, all with Pilium electronics (Alexander pre-amp, Achilles stereo power amp).
These are all strong competition near the OP’s original price point (or less), all are exceptional, and none are conventional “box” speakers. It all comes down to personal taste and system matching. All three very room friendly.
So yeah, a plug for “Rhapsody Audio” but mostly if you care to audition three world class speakers here on the left coast, brands you can’t easily hear elsewhere, look me up. Contact info is on the Rhapsody.Audio website, and there are other listening rooms in SoCal, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, and of course NYC.
