Best speaker brands for transient response

@doyle3433 thank you that is very generous of you to offer that!

I am worried about the no return policy -- I am not worried they won't sound amazing more I just worry they may overwhelm the room (12 ft from wall to listening position, low ceiling exposed beams treated with sound panels).

@larryi thank you for your recommendations -- i really like the Cubes but appear to be outside my target budget. Gorgeous products.

I have also considered the new Mofi sourcepoint 888 as Music Direct in Chicago owns Mofi and I can get an audition there. And that's in my budget. I'm going to Music Direct anyway for the JBLs so plan to listen to the 888s while I'm there.

The interesting thing about horn systems is that they sound particularly good at lower volume levels and tend to work well in small rooms--controlled dispersion of the mid and high frequencies help to lessen the impact of room acoustics.  Big horn systems in tiny rooms are common in Japan where rooms are small and listening levels have to be kept low to not disturb neighbors.  I don't see the 12-foot distance to the speaker as a big problem.  Still, I can understand the anxiety over not having the right to return the speakers if they are not to your liking (they have a sound I think almost everyone will like, but of course, you may be the exception).

From a measurements perspective, improved driver impulse response could be equated (to some degree, one component) to improved transients.

This translates to small drivers playing respective frequency band, and increased number of drivers to achieve sound power.

Drivers themselves can’t be too compliant (signal reversal, phase shift ) or too stiff (resonances, stored energy, waterfall). Many poor drivers i’ve tested that go into some "high end" speakers don’t cut it, it’s one thing or the other.

A poor crossover design will introduce big electrical phase shifts and so on (nullifying benefits accrued from the above mentioned).

It appears that some big horn speakers mentioned on this thread have defied all physics, engg design, material science, etc and achieved unmatchable transients, as per the sales crew. No, they did not, but, whatever helps to sell your stuff.

What you sell is apparently always the best at everything, no exceptions indeed! (They don’t just win some/lose some as the engineers would admit, but, they just excel at everything according to the sales crew....NOT)

The best transient response I've ever heard, are ion plasma tweeters. 

It's hard to beat drivers with zero mass.

Lansche and AvantGarde Acoustics both have very impressive transient response behavior. 

Next in line would probably be ribbons and electrostatic.

The interesting thing about horn systems is that they sound particularly good at lower volume levels and tend to work well in small rooms

Yes in my old house I used the Studio 590s practically as near field (4 ft away) and they worked great with these massive speakers the size of coffins. Horns do some special things.

For their relatively low price I could take the risk, but for the price points we're talking about I'm just worried I don't have enough of a room for them.