Devore or Audio Note or other sensitive speakers: wanting to listen in Denver

@firberger Thanks for your weigh-in. Very helpful. I suspect my Salk SS6M's are in the category with the ProAc et al. Need more power.

I'm using tubes for my pre and just upped their caps with both Mundorf and VCAP Odam.

Daedalus is very nice --- hard to audition and, of course, quite huge. 

Audio Note is seriously on my list. 

I have lots of treatments (including ATS) but want to not use them if I can!

@gsm
Thanks. Adding "Living Voice" to my "Possible Endgame Speaker" list. (I am pulling things from this thread into a word document.)

@jawest and @chinook9-- Thanks! That might be fun. I’ll circle back if possible and DM you. (One does that by clicking on the username here in the thread and choosing "message user")

@charles1dad
Makes sense -- pay more up front to that safety valve.
Regarding lesser known, that’s basically been my path so far: Quicksilver, MHDT, Salks.
I’m with you on sonic performance and value. The reason I’m aware of it is not because I want or intend to gear flip, but my ears and brain/mind are undergoing a lot of education as I delve further into the hobby. I want to factor in the chance that I may learn more with time. Still, my plan for this next set of speakers is to really try a lot before buying and then (at least hope to) hang in for the longer haul.

Zu and Tekton are just over the mountains in SLC.

I have heard the Devore O/93s driven by a Line Magnetic 845 amplifier. Loved the presentation. 

One speaker I would love to hear is the Daedalus Muse. Seems to be a great fit for my room and electronics though at this time not so much so for my wallet.  A beautiful floor sstanding speaker that is not too imposing for a smaller room.  Would have to figure out how to pay for them.

Prana Fidelity is a local Denver manufacturer. Not as sensitive as others mentioned  but quite good.  I love my Bhava’s and the new Dhara is even better. Happy to have you over for a listen.  I’m in Centennial. 
 

Steve York. 
 

agree that buying from smaller, newer, less established speaker makers can offer great performance and value, if also a downside if one wants to resell later

other downside is that small shops started by a single person or a small group can decide to go out of business without warning, or discontinue their products in a change of direction for the company

one needs to also assess how one gets service or parts (e,g. blown tweeter after amp hookup mishap, for instance) - many smaller makers use commercially available drivers etc etc, so that can help in some case

for me, with such companies, i will generally try new ones at full price only on a risk free trial basis (or close to it)... whereas there is never such worry if getting a pair of well kept second hand harbeths, maggies, spendors, proacs, vandy's, klipsches there are always ready and willing buyers

also, the risks may be at a tolerable level if dealing with a pair of $1200 standmounts... lil riskier if one goes for $12 grand pair of 100 lb floorstanders

it is definitely a benefit to have the customer be in a local vicinity of the speaker maker... ability to demo, return, fix, help set up in customer home (if the maker is inclined) - so sometimes the risks of dealing with a small maker are mitigated by proximity

other thing to understand is for a smaller, up and coming maker, in this time of internet boards and forums, what is the nature of the customer following and ’buzz’ around a brand, if it considered ’hot stuff’ in the present period (take denafrips and dacs or spatials in ob speakers), trading in and out can be fairly easy with minimal financial penalty