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Not Enough Options for Auditioning Speakers

am in the market for a great two channel music system. They will be set up in a dedicated listening room that is 12'x17'x9'. The room is carpeted but not treated.

My budget is around $15k-$20k for speakers, wires, amp+preamp (or integrated).

I prefer towers as I like the full range and have had bad luck with integrating a sub. I started my search with B&W 805's and Sonus Faber Olympica I's (which are still on my short list)

My problem is that most of the dealers in my area do not carry very many brands, so it is hard to compare. I cannot even find one that carries the KEF reference.

I am leaning right now to the Sonus Faber Olympica III's but also really like the B&W 803 D3. I wish I could hear them side by side. The dealer with the SF's is great and has let me do home testing with several speakers and he is recommending the Olympica's.

I read a lot online about auditioning several different speakers but cannot find any place in central Florida that has most of the lines they are suggesting. I know if I pick the SF Olympica's I will be very happy, but I have not even heard the III's! I am just a little frustrated that the consistent advice is to listen to a lot of others, but I can't.

Am I the only one with this problem?

Thanks!
-Mobius
mobiusmu

Showing 1 response by ejr1953

ejr1953
895 posts
 
I feel your pain, it took me about a year, driving all over the place, to find a pair of speakers that hit "the sweet spot".

One thing about the postings here, and the reviews you'll read is that they are all "opinions", and each and every one of us hears differently, has different tastes and so I'd say, the only opinion that matters is yours!

I would recommend you listen to the speakers for a reasonable amount of time.  In my opinion, spending some "quality time" with an individual speaker makes a lot of sense, as in my search, a speaker that "knocked my socks off" at my first listening turned out to have a slight "edginess" which made me unable to enjoy them for very long at a sitting.

Good luck!
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