I will comment. Was reluctant at first as I have a pair of Fontaine Signature SE for sale. Didn’t want to come across as an ad here.
My experience has been positive in my short time with them. They are very coherent, which coming from Thiels, is critical for me. They are detailed yet relaxing with a natural midrange. They soundstage well. They are transparent in that they definitely let me hear the differences between a BAT integrated and CJ separates. The CJ offered much better depth of soundstage and mated better with them imo. Bass is somewhat lacking, but to be fair, they’re not even close to being broken in. The Fontaine have the Dynaudio Esotar tweeter...not sure if the Emma does. My thoughts are that the Fontaine is a cross between a Merlin VSM and a Dynaudio. I’d keep them, but my girlfriend has MS so I’m eliminating my system from our living room.
You are correct in that Egglestonworks is not real popular here in the US anyways. They’re a tad more popular in Canada and quite popular in parts of Asia, Europe and S. Africa. Interesting as they’re made here in Memphis, TN.
They work well with both tubes and SS. I really like a tube preamp and ss amp with them. Cardas, AZ, JPS and Transparent Cables work well with them. They are expensive brand new so perhaps that is an obstacle to their popularity here. Seem like a much better value when purchased used. Their beautiful painted cabinetry certainly adds to their asking price.
Hope this helps a bit. I’d not hesitate to give them a try if you can. Not many dealers, so auditioning is very difficult. In my years of experience in this hobby, I’ve found myself liking many speakers and components that are not as “popular “. In fact, as I type this, I’m listening to my Triangle Signature Theta and they are one of the best I’ve ever heard with a tube integrated amp.....yes, better than Harbeth and Proac monitors. Oh, the horror....
Good luck in your pursuit and take care,
David
