Qln, Joseph Audio, Audiovector, Marten, or Canton...?

Thanks for all the input so far. @avanti1960 I would love to hear your quibbles.

I've recently been looking for speakers with WAF very strong constraints.

My first selection included Spendor 9.2, Wharfedale Elysian 4, Audiovector R3 Arreté and Marten Oscar Trio.

I mainly listen to classical music. I listened to these speakers with Accuphase E-380 or E-650.

My clear selection was Marten. They are very neutral, the stage was stounding and they tend to disappear; I really forgot that I was analyzing equipment and went just into enjoying the music.

I listened to Marten Oscar Trio also with Canor Audio 1.20: astounding. The demo room of the retailer and the rest of the equipment was really, really good but I fell in love with the speakers and the amplifier.

Ilistened also the Oscar Duo but they did not like me like the Trio, at all.

I have heard QLN Prestige 3 (dealer in Austin) and currently own the Joseph Audio Perspective2 speakers. They are both amazing speakers in their own right. Keep in mind that Prestige 3 is a two-way floor stander, whereas JA P2 is definitely a full range speaker.

Since I heard the Prestige 3 at a dealer, feel free to take my impressions with a grain of salt. I really loved it ... it has a warmer, mid-range focused sound that I absolutely loved. The top end is somewhat subdued but not in a bad way. It is very smooth and refined sounding. And, oh, the bass on the speakers is amazing. If you have a sufficiently powerful amp you won’t need a sub despite the fact that it is a 2 way.

The Joseph Audio Perspective2, on the other hand, I feel has a more modern, clean, and balanced sound. It does not sound overly neutral (if that is a thing) or even remotely shouty by any means. Two outstanding traits: vocals (better than my Harbeth SHL5+ and M30.1), and percussion. Of all the speakers I’ve owned, I have never heard a speaker reproduce the sound of kickdrums, snares, and cymbals more realistically than the Perspective2. The soundstage and imaging is some of the best I’ve heard. They do require some breath room though (mine are almost 4.5 feet from the front wall and 2.5 feet from the side walls), otherwise bass can be a bit unruly.

To be honest, both are great speakers and I could have been happy living with either one. At this price point, you really need to audition before you buy. Good luck!

I heard the QLN at the NY audio show a year ago.

They were very nice, but seemed to be held back by either the system or cables.

They seemed to be similar to my Vandy Treo's when I had lesser equipment/cables.-Hence, my first comment.

B

I would also add Von Schweikert Endeavor E-3 to the list.  VS makes my favorite sounding speakers but I cannot afford them.  

As for quibbles I am not a fan of ceramic drivers unless they are in Von Schweikert speakers.  

Another one on the list is simply too laid back and rolled off for my tastes.  The other one uses smaller diameter woofers and I heard noticeable strain in the midrange when simultaneously playing deep bass notes in addition to a most un-natural sound overall.