I was sooo close to buying a pair of Guarneries but I missed out on buying a used pair and a new pair locally plus REL sub just didn't seem like too much of a value to me.
Anyhow, I have never heard the Extremas but I have read comparisons and I have heard and love the Guarneries. As far as I know, the Extremas have a warmer tonal balance and weightier feel as many have described, but most would consider that a coloration (not that it isn't pleasing) and therefore the Guarneries are more neutral and necessarily more "accurate". The Extremas do play louder.
The Guarneries do image and soundstage better and floats an image as well as any speaker out there. They are also less fussy in terms of placement (unless you have extremely low ceilings), it should disappear with greater ease than the Extremas. The Guarneries by themselves will reproduce music that has an airy nibleness to it. It's quite unique. You can easily add warmth to the speakers by pairing the speakers with a warm tube amp or a subwoofer with a warm tonal balance such as the Rel subs. It will have a decided edge at low volumes and should be better at small-scale music such as lighter jazz music and female vocals.
For me, the fact that you can buy new and have the warranty (you can also try arranging with your dealer to have the Sumiko boys go over to your place to tweak with setup when they come around) is an added bonus that I do not undervalue.
I think it comes down to musical tastes more than anything.
Anyhow, I have never heard the Extremas but I have read comparisons and I have heard and love the Guarneries. As far as I know, the Extremas have a warmer tonal balance and weightier feel as many have described, but most would consider that a coloration (not that it isn't pleasing) and therefore the Guarneries are more neutral and necessarily more "accurate". The Extremas do play louder.
The Guarneries do image and soundstage better and floats an image as well as any speaker out there. They are also less fussy in terms of placement (unless you have extremely low ceilings), it should disappear with greater ease than the Extremas. The Guarneries by themselves will reproduce music that has an airy nibleness to it. It's quite unique. You can easily add warmth to the speakers by pairing the speakers with a warm tube amp or a subwoofer with a warm tonal balance such as the Rel subs. It will have a decided edge at low volumes and should be better at small-scale music such as lighter jazz music and female vocals.
For me, the fact that you can buy new and have the warranty (you can also try arranging with your dealer to have the Sumiko boys go over to your place to tweak with setup when they come around) is an added bonus that I do not undervalue.
I think it comes down to musical tastes more than anything.