Your favorite musical non fatiguing speakers?


I've been auditioning speakers in the $5k to $8k range. I liked some of the Dynaudio, Sonus Faber, and even B&Ws in that range. Maybe it was the setup but in the back of my mind thought all of these could sound exciting but also fatiguing long term. And I'd hate to spend that kind of doe with that being the case.

I'm looking to use a solid state Cary amp and the tubed Cary SLP 05 pre for electronics FWIW.

From other threads I'm hearing Proacs Joseph Audio Aerials Harbeth and others may fit the bill. What are your favorite speakers for musicality and lack of listening fatigue? I'll be traveling to the next state to audition more next week.
larrybou
I know I'm wearing out my welcome but here's another big update. I became increasingly dissatisfied with the sound as things burned in rather than more as I'd expect. I suspected the speaker wire itself might have been damaged in the power surge.

After replacing my revered Purist Audio wire with cheaper Audioquest 33's there was no doubt about it. The PA's were significantly damaged.

The sound now was as close to live as I've ever heard in an audio system. That feeling that the vocalist was in the room with you even surpassed high end Maggies for me. Such coherence, lack of veil, soundstage, detail.

Listening to Dianne Krall actually felt like being 5 rows back in a jazz club. Miles Davis "Man with a Horn" ditto. I know this is beyond cliche for half the high end audio reviews ever printed - but I've never heard a speaker that achieved this to this extent.

If the goal is the sound of live music - the Parsifals are for you. In fact I'm seriously questioning the need to upgrade my existing equipment after hearing them with functioning speaker wire (even if cheap and not yet burned in).

The only two nit picks I have are:

1) To get absolutely genuinely live sound, the volume has to be appropriately loud. It's not terribly loud, but louder than say reading background music. Since I live in a townhouse this isn't always practical - especially night and mornings.

2) These definitely have a sweetspot. The sweetspot if fairly big (entire sofa) but stand up or to the side and things flatten out. Oddly the volume is higher in the sweetspot so turning up the volume helps with off axis listening.

Since I'm used to the home theater Cary Audio speakers which excelled at off axis listening, this takes some getting used to. But I'm pretty sure to get the kind of precision and realism the Parcifals are capable of a sweet spot would be mandatory.

The good news is that by taking out the faulty speaker wire - I'm understanding what the raves (and high sticker price) are all about. These are true reference speakers.
Hmm, I always thought she did a good with rhythm on piano (even though her crooning does get draggy at times).

Oh well the Parcifals didn't turn Little Richard into Keith Jarrett either.. Maybe I need a better amp.
Do you have the woofer cabinets firing forwards or backwards? If backwards, do you have enough clearance behind them (5-6 feet)?