Opportunity to buy Demo Magico M2?

I don’t think the M5 is lacking in bass but rather tuned a little cool. Placement could be critical. Having said that, they also have amazing imaging on and off axis along with glass smooth frequency response through most of the vocal and treble ranges. A little chesty to my ears.

B&W as an alternative... Meh. I just don’t like their treble harshness and no one can convince me otherwise. Monitor Audio Platinum are better directions, or Revel or Wilson IMHO.

Many love B&W, of course, and many love Magico, what I cannot imagine is loving the Magico mid-treble balance and thinking B&W might be another good direction.  These speakers don't even talk the same language IMHO and never will.

Thanks all for the valuable insight as always. To be very clear, I’m not much of a fan of B&W either! I am however a fan of the D2 generation of B&W.

I just read an old thread comparing the 802 D2 to the 802 D3, and the consensus in that thread by multiple posters is exactly in line with my experience with my 802 D2’s and comparing against the D3 line.

That thread also validates what the salesman who set up my 801 D4 audition told me: that the D2 generation is richer and fatter and more bottom up. It seems this is my go-to sound and everything else doesn’t sound right to me including all newer generations of B&W.

I’m sure more options would be available for me if I had room for two subwoofers, but I do not. It amazes me that my preferences in that bottom-up tonal balance is not the norm, at least from what I hear from most speakers!

@erik_squires I don’t doubt that you’ve heard harsh treble with B&W but I can’t say I hear it as being any brighter than the other top tier speakers I’ve auditioned in the past few weeks. Even the leaner sounding D3 and D4 models don’t have bright treble to my ears. Maybe my ears are rolling off the highs as I get older, so it’s not an issue :)

I should also add - I didn’t even like my 803 D2’s with ANY of the multiple separates that I demo’d at home (McIntosh, Bryston, Moon / Simaudio, others).  It wasn’t until I tried the magic combo with the Gryphon Diablo 300 that I was liking what I heard!

Damn, I’m just realizing how ultra-specific my tastes are.  I literally don’t know of another amp-speaker combo that sounds even acceptable to me.  

No wonder it’s taken 25 or so years for me to arrive at a sound I truly am at peace with!  Hopefully the 802 D2 will be a “tweak” of an improvement in detail and soundstage without disrupting my tonal preferences.  From everything I’ve read comparing the 802 D2 to the 802 D3 (which I’ve heard), I am pretty confident this is the best choice.

@nyev 

Please let us know if you were able to audition the Rockports and what you thought of them. 
Regards

Ron 

@ronboco, Sadly I don’t think I will be travelling to hear the Rockports anytime soon.  However, they are on my bucket list to listen to.  I love Boston and when the time comes I will stop by Goodwin’s to audition the Avior ii’s with the Diablo 300.

It all comes down to tonal balance really.  Yes, I want performance in soundstage, imaging, transparency, air, dynamics, engagement, but my tonal preferences comes way ahead in priority.  If the balance isn’t right for me, then all of these other attributes don’t matter.

What I’m going to get in the 802 D2’s, I expect from reading other’s comparisons, is that balance I adore with an improvement in all those other areas over my current speakers, even if more recent models do those “other” things better (they do).  I’m happy with my decision.

I might reallocate some savings to upgrading my Audioquest Diamond USB cables, which recently I’ve become less enamoured with, when I’ve found that certain generic USB cords sound better in my system…