Avalon Eidolen VS Porac D80 or B&W 802D

Based upon the three speakers on your list, I agree with Buff. (Note: I have not heard the Proac D80 though.)

The Avalon Eidolon is a really special speaker. It sounds great, and works well for any music, not just classical, (although, I will admit, that it does sound fantastic when listening to classical). It is very transparent, and tonally is very neutral. It is not quite full range, but pretty close, especially if driven with a fair amount of power (say 200+ wpc). (FYI, they are so transparent, that if your upstream electronics are not top notch, it will reveal that, and therefore may not sound as good as they can sound. This is not a criticism, just a statement; Most, (all?), highly refined speakers exhibit this characteristic.) Also, notice what Buff said about being properly placed. The Eidolons like lots of space around them, so be prepared to pull them well into the room, and kept well away from the side walls.

The B&W 802D is also a very good speaker, with a very highly refined treble response of course. However, it is even less full range as the Eidolon is, nor is it as transparent, at least IMHO. This is certainly a good (and close) second choice, if you can not find a pair of Eidolons at a good price.

My two cents worth.

Hello Paulo,

No question in my mind, if you can get the Eidolon!

At the used prices they are selling for I don't think anything can touch them.

Good luck in your search.

best,
Tom

I agree with the above posters on the relative merits of the speakers you mention, though each has its own distinctive voice that you might prefer over the others, so I can't say one is better than the others to anyone but me. How big is your room, though? The speakers you're talking about are close to full range, and need some room to breathe, especially the Avalons. If you have a listening room that's 10x12 feet, for example, you might be better served with smaller models from these manufacturers. I don't think lack of bass below 35-40Hz will be that big of a problem for you, given your listening preferences.

In the one system I heard them in the 802D was a bit thick in the midrange - colored IMO, though clear and uncolored on top

YMMV

Avalon is my choice.

Auditioned 802 with Classe gear which was good but I just prefer the Avalons with Electronic and Jazz music.