Actually, this is a sequel to "Time to Upgrade Speakers". Despite the cruel interruption wrought by Covid-19, I'm back in the hunt and still interested in knowledgeable guidance more than ever.
I've now critically listened (for hours on end) to: Monitor Audio Silver 500 & 300; Focal Aria 926 & 936; Triangle Esprit Australe EZ; Dynaudio Evoke 30; Vandersteen Model 1Ci; Aerial Acoustics 6T; Martin Logan Motion 60XTi; KEF R7; Spendor A7; Totem Hawk; Paradigm Prestige 85F & 95F. Next on my hitlist are the Revel Performa3 F206 and the GoldenEar Triton 2+. I'd love to hear the PSB Imagine T2 but can't find them anywhere close enough to do that. They must be selling like hotcakes because shops can't keep them in stock and they aren't ordering anymore. PSB must be getting ready to replace and/or update them. Damn! Day late & a dollar short!
Of course, doing all this critical listening in different shops, sound rooms, with different componentry, etc. makes it difficult to attempt to extrapolate what I'm after for my listening room and with MY componentry. And, of course, virtually all these speakers sound great with amplification that costs 3 and 4 times what I have! I wish salespeople would just stop that! Even with scheduled appointments, I guess some of them just can't help themselves.
I'm going to preface the following by saying that all the speakers I've auditioned, so far, have been and are very nice, indeed. I certainly do not want to denigrate any of these very fine transducers. For different ears, different listening rooms, different budgets, different componentry, etc. any of them might very well be the perfect fit for somebody. However, for my needs & purposes (we all have needs; don't we? Even nicer when we have a purpose) here's what my reconnaissance boils down to:
The Monitor Audio Silver impressed me but I heard them driven through amplification that costs 4 to 5 times and has twice the power of what I have (same CD player, though). Not a fair audition. Regardless, even with the 20 to 25 thousand bucks of muscle used for that audition, I still didn't get that WOW factor over what I already have.
The Triangle, also played through 3 to 4 thousand bucks of power in another unfair audition did WOW me but only for instrumental music. I was, surprisingly, curiously and immediately let down with vocals. Never had such an experience before, even with cheap speakers. Despite what the salesman said, and he heard it too, I'm convinced there was something wrong with those demos. Too bad! Probably would have bought them on the spot.
The Focal Aria 936, played through my amp, were wonderful but out of my budget range unless I can find demos or a great discount.
The Aerial Acoustics 6T, also played through my amp, were similarly wonderful but also out of my budget range. Push come to shove? I'd go with a pair of Aerial discounted demos despite the fact they played better with a tube amp.
Heard the Martin Logan Motion 60 XTi yesterday through a 60 watt NAD integrated (about half the power of my MAC MA5200). Those babies did some very nice things, indeed, and left me wondering what I could get out of them with my MAC. Regardless, it wasn't enough of an epiphany for me to take them home for a trial and dissuade me from curtailing my plans to audition the Revel F206 and GoldenEar Triton 2+.
So, at this point, I'm kinda hoping either the Revel or GoldenEar make me say: "Jumpin' Jehosaphat! That's it! My quest has ended! Here's my check!"
Any other ideas out there?