Shopping for speakers at $1500-$2000 is a chore.


I have been amazed at how many $1500-$2000 monitor speakers are out there. Just to name a few: the Wharfdale Jade 3's; KEF LS-50; KEF R-300; B&W CM-5S2 and CM-6S2; Focal Aria 906. and though NOT a monitor, Golden Ear Technology Model 7 small floorstander at $1500 a pair (which received raptured and orgasmic praise at CES 2013)

I have heard both KEF's , especially LS-50, but despite excellent sound staging and accuracy sound lean and at times lifeless The B&W were better, but the CM5S2 sounded lean and often edgy,However(the CM6S2 is very good to excellent, but also more expensive than the others)

The Wharfdale Jade 3 was the bane of one our members in a recent thread claiming they just did not sound right or what he expected.

However, the Choral Aria 906 monitor has often popped up in discussions, and as I mentioned to another member, they have received very good and solid reviews from generally reliable sources, However, the Focal 906, and the Golden Ear Technology model 7 are harder to find to audition.

So I would like to get some input from owners of either or possibly both speakers about which they preferred, and also the better sounding or most satisfying to listen to. I will greatly appreciate this feedback, as I seek out a dealer of either or both, but hopefully not in a city or state that requires air or train travel to reach.
sunnyjim
Why a minimonitor in the first place? Throwing the Triton 7 into the mix is like saying you can't decide between a Mazda Miata and a Lincoln Town Car.

What are you trying to achieve? What's your room size, listening distance, musical tastes, etc. etc.? If you define what your room and listening position require, what your musical tastes are, and what's most important in musical reproduction (e.g., dynamics, frequency extension, transparency, dispersion pattern, clarity, inner detail, etc.), that will go a long way toward narrowing the field of contenders.

Unless your room is small and/or your listening position is close to the speakers, and/or you plan to add in a well-matched subwoofer, choosing a minimonitor could result in years of aggravation and tweaking, because two things minimonitors generally don't have are realistic bass extension and dynamic range, essentials for musical satisfaction that become increasingly important the longer you go without them.

That said, one standmount speaker series I've heard that delivers balanced bass, reasonably transparent midrange, smooth extended treble, and room-friendly dispersion is the Triton Aon series, whether the Aon 2 or Aon 3, depending on room size. They're even under your budget.
YEs, many good choices in that range.

Goldenear Aon3 is the best I have heard recently that costs less than that and might compete well with more expensive alternatives. If saving any money matters maybe give those a listen. or maybe have some money left for a powered sub which almost always helps with smaller monitors in most modest size rooms or larger.

Of course the amp being used and listening habits is probably important to know to say what has best shot at sounding best in that range.
I've owned bookshelf speakers from Dynaudio Focus 140, KEF 201/2, Paradigm S2/S4, Usher Be718, and others I am not thinking of. Some used newer version TSMs for around $1,500 is about as close to state of the art you are going to get from 50hz up if tonal accuracy and natural sound is your goal. The KEF for example projected a huge sound into the room and was detailed as all get out. It was also pretty genre specific so I am not convinced these were true to life despite the glowing measurements. The Merlins play everything with aplomb but are not show offy.
In one of your previous threads, I recommended the Ascend Acoustics Sierra2 speakers as something you should consider. I don't know how close this is to you, but you can arrange for an audition at their facility in San Clemente.