The best speaker you ever heard?

Calvin, I'm checking with him. See if I can get you some more details. Regarding bass...going by old memories here but I know for sure he used to crank some ZZ Top on that system and it certainly didn't sound anemic. Not trying to say it was like having a sub in the room, but still a pretty satisfying listening experience.

Thanks I'm going to probably go with a smaller speaker from the early sonus faber family.

Calvin - I was wrong on the SF model but this might actually be more relevant to your current direction.

The speakers he has are SF Electa Amator, NOT Guarneri (don't know where I got that name from).

ARC equipment is VT130 amp w/LS2 pre.

Regardless of name. It sounded great. Good look in your search.

I have listened extensively to the new Auditorium-23 Cinema Hommage speakers. They are absolutely stunning in every way. Musical presence, soundstaging, instrument textures, timbral accuracy, transparency, dynamics, resolution, weight - everything I could ever hope for in music reproduction, rendered in a way and to a degree that I have never before experienced. It might take weeks or even months, but I am going to find a way to own a pair!

I will go arc/sonus faber combination. I have ref3 if I go smaller I will get vsi60 arc integrated with sonus faber speaker.