Alternatives to Revel Studios?

Thanks for the replies, guys.

Rbirke: I've heard the Aerial 10Ts in a very high end, tweaked out system, and they sounded very good. However, my ears preferred the Studios. I'm also a fan of the Revel styling, though I do agree the Aerials look very nice. As for the hot treble, I ran my Studios with the front and rear tweeters each down one notch in an untreated room, and found the sound to be balanced. With the controls in their center positions, I'll agree the sound was a little bright.

Sgr: I've heard the Salons in a few systems, and fortunately for my wallet, I actually prefer the Studios. Though the Salons are not bad by any means, to my ear the Studio sounds a bit more natural.

Kurt_tank: I'll agree that the RM-9 wasn't quite enough for them, but I never got around to upgrading it. (FWIW, I was planning on going with Krell FPB amps and a BAT tube pre at the time). The Lamm M2.1s are rated at 200 watts into 8 ohms, though the Stereophile measurements showed them producing significantly more. I was looking at amps in the 300-400 watt range, but when I heard the Lamms I was sold. The Studios were incredibly enjoyable to me, so much so that my first instinct was not to even waste time auditioning anything else. Since I've got the opportunity though, I'm going to check out all my options.

Eidolons are a speaker that's intrigued me, but I have never heard them. I've heard from a few sources that their bass might not be what I'm looking for, but if the rest of the sound is a significant upgrade, I might be able to overlook that. I'm pretty much married to the Lamm amps for quite some time, so if the Eidolons need more power than they can provide, I'd probably pass on them. How are the Eidolons' dynamics and soundstage? Those are big selling points for me, and I love the soundstage the Studios throw. I found their dynamics to be great but not excellent, but I think the amps were the limiting factor in my system.

Itsalldark: I don't know much at all about Verity speakers, I'll have to look into them and see if I can hear them locally. How long have you had your Capitole? Have there been any problems, or anything else I should know before buying one? I really want to go with the Meitner CDSD/DCC2 but I think it just costs too much right now. The Capitole seems to be among the best digital I've heard, but more enjoyable and "listenable" than most. It also seems more forgiving of poor recordings.

Kurt_tank: Thanks for the input. It sounds like I'm going to have to track down the Eidolons to audition before I make my decision. I've heard the Marten Coltranes which use a diamond tweeter also (probably the same one) and the highs are great, but unfortnately it seems speakers using those tweeters are out of my price range for now. The tweeters alone would eat up most of my budget.

Yyz: Most people do consider the Salons to be a bit better. It may be the systems I've heard them in, but I've always either preferred the Studio or found them close enough that the Studio won for value. Of course, everyone's room and system is different.

Goatwuss: I'm sure the Diamonds are better, but I wonder how much of what you heard was the room and the associated equipment. My experience with Boulder places it in the top tier of electronics, period. That said, I prefer the Lamms to any solid state I've yet heard, and enjoy it as much as the best tubes. I've not head the Sophias. I have heard various versions of the WPs over the years, and recently heard the 7s. I did not enjoy them at all. I've heard great things about the Sophias though. If I have the chance to audition them, you can be sure I will.

Raquel: Your comparison is interesting. I've never heard anything from Vienna Acoustics before. I'm usually a fan of tighter bass, and efficiency shouldn't be a problem since I rarely listen at high volumes. However, bass slam is always fun. What kind of music do you primarily listen to, and what are the electronics in both systems?