I know you didn't ask for opinions about other speakers and at the risk of offering one you may want to check out the Daedalus DA-1's. I haven't heard the GMA design you refer to but I have heard the Quatro on several occasions/locations for lengthy sessions. To my ear the DA-1's easily outperform the Quatro and for considerably less money. They look better too as they are crafted out of your choice of real hardwood (no MDF)--walnut, oak or cherry. The Quatro is a good speaker but not a great one. It has some resemblence to the sound of the 5A but is not nearly the performer of that great speaker system. The Quatro has a slightly warmer, euphonic presentation compared to the DA-1, which is more truthful to the recording without in any way being analytical. The Quatro also throws a wider soundstage with somewhat greater precision than the DA-1, which trumps the Quatro in off-axis response, providing a really wide listening window. In all other respects the DA-1 is superior--faster, more dynamic, able to play louder without strain, tonally accurate, musical, the bass is far more natural even when the Quatro is optimally tuned to the room. At 96db the DA-1 is more sensitive and open to different types of amplification--though the designer really likes high current solid state designs best. If live music is the reference point my two year search for a quality floorstander tells me that the DA-1's cannot be beat below $12K. I've only heard a few really high ticket speakers that rival or surpass them--the Vandy 5A being one of them. Sorry if this represents an intrusive response to your question but whenever I see people grappling with a speaker decision in this price range I feel compelled to tell them about the DA-1's. Give Lou a call if you are curious--he is a great guy who believes in what he does without the arrogance that sometimes attaches itself to people in this industry.
