That's good to hear about the Wilsons. It seems like the brand name carries a lot of weight, but whenever I see threads on other speaker forums about top-tier speakers, I don't see the Wilsons cited that often.

Won't be able to make this LA meet, though I really want to make one of your meets someday. Was just down in LA a few weeks ago for a conference. Lol, didn't even think you could use the horn to project your own voice to see how it would project.

I've heard a few Dolby Atmos setups and they sounded really nice, though I don't think the movies I saw with them were particularly noteworthy. I could have sworn the IMAX film I saw at Universal Hollywood had an Atmos setup but I could be misremembering...

Thanks for the check on the LSA-1s. It's been some time since I've bought any audio equipment, and once I pass the one year mark without a purchase, a small part of me just wants to buy something

Any thoughts on the KEF 207/2? I found a place where I can demo them this weekend, since I can't find the 205/2s anywhere. The 207/2, even with a discount, is beyond my original budget but if they're amazing I might just go for it if it's a speaker I can be happy with for a long time.

That said, finding a local show does seem the best way to go as I'm leery about a 5-figure purchase in an area I don't know very much about. There aren't a lot of reviews on the 207/2 but the few ones out there are pretty positive. Apparently they aren't the last word in resolution, but are quite musical and have great midrange and bass?

The JBL M2 looks very interesting, kinda like a budget studio K2. Only thing is that you need to provide your own active crossover.

Take it away, ponytail -

Wish there were Daedalus speakers easily available for audition. Ran some FS searches for them and I can't find any for sale. I'm going to reach out to Daedalus and see if they might know of anyone to get in touch with in the Bay Area. Are the Ulysses TOTL, with the Athenas in the middle?

Also need to follow-up on Von Schweikert and Revel... any experience with the Revel Salon 2s? The used prices are doable and the user reviews on them are very positive.

This speaker search thing is pretty fun Very different from the world of headphones!

If there aren't any owners in your area who will let you drop by for an audition, Lou does welcome people to come to the factory and listen to whatever they want. Obviously that's a bit of a trip though. I've seen a few of the older DA-Rmas on Audiogon, but Daedalus speakers in general are quite rare on the used market. Folks must not want to get rid of them. 

On the website they are listed in descending order, with the Orpheus being the flagship. In your space I think you'll get the best results from either the Muse or the Athena. The big twin woofer models can definitely overwhelm smaller spaces, I've heard it happen at audio shows.

I would try to listen to the Revels if you can. They're not my personal favorites, but a lot of folks really dig them. In that price bracket, my money is on the Eggleston Andra III.

So, after re-assessing my situation, I realize I don't have a lot of time to really appreciate expensive speakers, so it'd probably be better to keep it between $2-5k.

I looked at Marv's recommendation of Von Schweikert and reviews seem very positive.

Any experience with the VR-4 JR MK II, or any other VSA models I should look at? VR-33 looks interesting.
Is there a specific house sound with VSA to be aware of?

What about the Zu Druid Mk5? So far it seems like the Zu Druid Mk5 and VR-33s are among the best in the $3-5k range (or a used Zu Message or Definition).

My experience with Von Schweikert is pretty limited, but from what I recall, they've been hit and miss when I've heard them at shows. How much that has to do with show conditions vs. the speakers, I don't know. I would definitely try to audition first though if you can.

Zu I am definitely NOT a fan of. The stick those big Eminence drivers in cabinets with NO damping at all, and they ring like bells. Total hype machine brand.

I do have a few suggestions though. On the used market, there's a pair of Gemme Audio Tanto V2s on Audiogon at $2K. I quite liked those from what I remember, they look like a humble 2-way floor stander, but like the Merlin VSM, looks can be deceiving. In the case of the Gemme they can get into the low 30Hz range through very clever cabinet design as opposed to Merlin's active EQ. I definitely would not discount them just because they aren't stuffed full of big woofers. They can definitely rock.

I would also highly recommend Philharmonic Audio. The Phil 3 is probably the $3500 speaker, although what I've heard from Odyssey at shows has been really impressive too. I would talk to Klaus and see what a Kismet Floorstander might cost you.