Opportunity to buy Demo Magico M2?

@bobbydd you are really making me want to re-test the A5’s at that other dealer. Will do that next weekend, after I test the Wilson Sasha DAW on Saturday (that dealer doesn’t have the Salon 2 on hand so that option is out). Again, I need to travel, it’s a lot of work with my amp!

Hopefully I get a better result with a new room, new placement and with these particular A5’s being fully broken in. I really want to like them but will ultimately see if I can get to a degree of musical engagement. Also less expensive than others on my list so that is appealing.

@bobbydd , what was your breakin experience like? Did you note any lack of bass at first? I will try with the speakers closer to the front wall next time, and play with positioning.

@nyev just curious if you ever heard/listened to the Acora loudspeakers? Heard them myself at Axpona and now they are on my wish list. 

For the benefit of this thread I have access to test Magicos, B&W, Sonus Faber, Audiovector, Wilson.  Willing to travel to listen to Rockport + Diablo 300 because so damn many people have been suggesting this combo, assuming 30’ clearance between front wall and rear of the Avior ii is acceptable.  Other than that I don’t really have options to test, so thanks for the other suggestions but it’s not going to be possible.

Your test set is plenty big. You check all those out, you are really likely to find a compelling set of speakers and extremely unlikely to miss something that would be earth shatteringly better. 
 

if for some reason you are unmoved by all of those… then you will have learned a lot and be ready to look at radically different designs. 
 

That is a great list.

@ghdprentice , I’m unfortunately down to the last couple of speakers on the list - I’ve tested B&W 801 D4’s, Sonus Faber Amati’s, Audiovector Arette R6’s, and Magico A5’s.

Of the bunch the Audiovector’s were the only ones that maybe I could live with but not be enthralled by. The Sonus Faber’s were excellent too (I know you have the Amati’s and can see why many enjoy these immensely), however I found them to be a bit mellow when it came to bass and rhythm drive. Lots of bass, but it seemed overly well behaved for my tastes. Probably comes down to choice of music. Salesman claimed that 100% of people who enjoy classical music go with Sonus Faber.

Also the room I tested the B&W’s and Sonus Faber’s in was so, so over treated that I have a hunch that the room was doing weird things to the tonal balance, and it’s very possible my audition of these speakers is not valid. But unfortunately there isn’t much I can do about that. Just walking into the room without music playing you can “sense” the dampening. Too much!

So that leaves the Wilson Sasha DAW, round 2 with a different set of A5’s at a different dealer, and that’s about it, assuming I write off the discounted Magico M2’s due to my larger room size.

Also plan to follow up on the Rockport Avior II travelling to Boston if I can get some sort of confirmation that 30” space behind the speakers may be adequate in my room, which is larger but doesn’t allow for the speakers to be way out from the walL.

As you said I learn a lot in this process. The main one being a better sense of respect for my current system and being relieved I have a general sound I very much enjoy at home.  I may not find anything I like at this point, we will see.

As a funny aside - while my wife has been VERY accommodating, I thought I’d better clear the aesthetics of the Wilson’s before wasting my time or the salesman’s time if their wonky looks were an absolute no-go for her.  She BARELY approved. Said they look like “robot trash-cans”.  But ultimately she said she discussed it with our daughter, and said if I audition them and “if you end up loving them more than me and your daughter, you can get them.  As long as we get to pick the colour!”

Can’t say I blame her, I think they look wonky my too but I’m all about the sound!