Eidolon, Amati Homage, or Watt?

Good post Mike.
On the subject of bringing speakers home for audition, there are very few dealers in my area that will allow this with large speakers anymore. And for those that do, you need to appear very serious, i.e. you will buy other speakers from them if not the first pair. Times have changed. If you are careful to audition with equipment you know (or bring your own), and music you know, you can usually get a good sense of what the speaker will do in your space. This is one reason to travel to a dealership that carries your electronics (and be prepared to buy from them if you take a significant amount of their time.) Also, you can do a lot with your own space if you treat it well acoustically - and thus minimize the differences from the showroom. And at this price range, you can make a point of hearing the speakers you are serious about in several dealerships - different rooms, different equipment.

WOW! As a first time poster, I especially can't thank everyone enough for your sincere and insightful advice. It all goes to highlight an important point I often forget; there is no best or perfect speaker (gear) necessarily, but rather what is most appropriate in any given system and context for each individual. I am grateful for the sharing of all of your thoughts and experiences, as it provides a sound framework from which,hopefully, I can discover my own sonic bliss.If I haven't done so already-(Bin)

Thanks again,
Ted

I must congratulate all the respondants, and especially Mike above, for a well-focused review.

It's been a while since I have listened to the Avalons, but I found little fault with them other than a polite representation of the lowest two octaves. Spectral and similar high-current amps are recommended to bring out their best, which should not disuade you as long as you have plans to change (not really upgrade) your electronics -as long as you do that you will not look back.

The only speaker I have heard anyone trading up to from Avalons were Rockports (the Antares, at $40K). If the latter is in your price range, and you need contact info for Andy Payor in Maine, let me know. This is a "final" step for many happy audiophiles who want to step off the continual upgrade path, and something I hope to pursue in the future. Andy is a true pioneer and one of the genuinely authentic artists we have in audio.

I have dreamed about Wilson's work for many moons, and the latest iteration of the Watt/Puppy 7 should be auditioned since David is probably coming into his prime in adding the magical characteristic of "naturalness" that [listeners whom I respect stated] the Sophias have in spades. I have not listened to the W/P 7 (I will at the HiFi show at the Hilton next month), but by initial accounts this appears to be an entirely different animal than the W/P 6. As for pricing, the W/P 7 will list for $24K (up from $20K), but the Sophias will remain at the $12-13K range.

Alas, I have not heard the Alons nor the Amatis.

I would also suggest listening to the Talon Khorus X ($16K) at a trustworthy dealer. I own the little brother of the Khorus, the Raven ($7K), and find the lack of any emphasis of the audio spectrum refreshing. The micro/macrodynamics are stunning, and bass reproduction (even at low volumes) amazing. Jazz and vocals sound real, and there is no compression even at high volumes so that you can approximate the levels of live performances without any consciousness of strain or fatigue (in my wife's words, "it doesn't sound loud, it sounds like music").

The current Khorus (X) is an entirely different creature than the one which initially garnered great reviews - the enclosures are much more solid, the finishes are beautiful (high W.A.F.), and it remains easy to drive (yes, tubes are not only allowed but sound great; I am saving for the Tenor amps). The only Achilles heel to this design is the patience to allow for proper break-in (now performed at least in part at the factory). I attribute this to the pair of custom 10" combo midrange/woofer cones which are positioned back-to-back (only the front cone is visible). These assemblies are massive but in combination with the crossover network allow pistonic motion at speeds and midrange quality equalling the best electrostats (I still own an old pair of Martin-Logan CLSes).

Any audition you make MUST be based on well broken-in speakers otherwise you will not hear the potential of this (or any other) design. Give the Talon designer Tierry Budge or Mike Farnsworth (their prez) a call at (801) 619-9000; I have found both of them to be honest and informative.

I wish you the best of luck in your plans. I am envious of your room; any system you choose will have the space to breathe which will allow you to hear them at their best.

Arooj
NYC

Qualsound, I find that the Eidolons are easier to drive than the comments in this thread suggest. I've listened to Eidolons in my dealer's listening room using both Rowland 100 watt solid state amps and BAT tube amps with excellent results. At home, I drive my Eidolons with Atma-Sphere MA2 OTL amps (220w) and don't feel any lack of power to fully drive these wonderful speakers.

I suspect you will find that your C-J 8's will be a good match to the Eidolons given their triode configuration. Wonderful amplifiers!

Agreed,systems should compliment the room.I know this to be true as I had my exact system in a much smaller room and it was disappointing. It replaced a more modest but still very pleasing system and yet failed to even match it in terms of simple musical enjoyment. Also at that time ,I had a 7' grand piano that sounded gorgeous at the dealer,but awful in its new cramped space. Well, in their new home with room to breathe, both system and piano sing.

A word on set up. I follow Dunlavy's advice to have a greater distance between the speakers than from the listening position to the speakers. This typically mandates positioning on the long wall which he also suggests. I don't know if this technique works with other types of speakers, but it works extreemly well with Dunlavy(the magic is lost any other way). I have not heard the W/P6 set up in that way or any other speaker for that matter. I am curious as to the results of such a set up.

I'm looking foward to the Hi-Fi show next month to check out the fine gear suggested here in this thread. Once again, I thank you all for your support.

Ted
NYC