Speaker Suggestions/Opinions

I have Monitor Audio Gold 100 bookshelf speakers and absolutely love them, beautiful airy highs from the ribbon tweeters, great midrange and bass so deep and tight I removed my subwoofer from the system.  Keep  in mind that mine is in a smallish bedroom set-up, though well treated, too.  Sound is via a NAD M33, 200 wpc into 4 or 8 ohms.  The speakers are 4 ohm and the M33 can drive them to levels well over what anyone would sanely listen too.  I was so taken by the MA’s that I bought their silver line 100’s for my living room set-up, both right and left, as well as a center channel.  A bigger room might call for floorstanders.  They come up occasionally here and on US Audio Mart.

Suggest you audition planar speakers. Different sound, but can deliver what you say you want.

I would add a new KEF LS50 Meta to your list. I personally own them and love them for the all characteristics you are looking for. Easy to audition (e.g. Crutchfield 60 day return policy) and easy to resell. They are more neutral in balance than your totems, but I think would pair well with your warm McIntosh.

Another one that I can recommend from personal experience is the GoldenEar BRX. While I personally like the LS50 more and think it is a better overall speaker, the BRX has a beautiful, immediate, and addicting upper midrange/treble that some might fall in love with. The bass it produces is also different in energy and slam than the KEFs (passive radiators vs reflex).

Appreciate all the options mentioned.  I think of all the suggestions the Dynaudio special 40 may be the most appealing to me. Some of the speakers mentioned which I’m sure are potentially great I just won’t invest in do to the companies style of business. I truly hate when a company makes a line up where they simply increase the cabinet size and the woofer size or quantity as you go up the line. Generally they turn there whole line over every 3-5 years. I find it very difficult to believe these companies provide the most musically tuned speakers. The exception being when they actually take the time to develop a particular speaker such as the special 40 or the ls50.  It seems when they do this they often have smashing success. If they would only do it more.  Although I think the KEF is a great speaker it isn’t quite what I’m looking for. Maybe for lack of a better word a bit sterile to me. 
 I really wish Harbeth would attempt to make a “modern” speaker.  I would definitely be a buyer. The explanation that the screws were for on site repairs as studio monitors I find pretty amusing. I can only imagine how many Harbeths are actually in duty as mobile recording monitors. Too funny really.  Very ironic to me that the official “pipe and slipper speakers” need to have 20 exposed screws for on site repairs.  I suppose Harbeth tech support is some guy in mechanic outfit that shows up to your house with a giant tool truck. Anyways I’ll quit ranting.
 Ohm also is very intriguing to me but I’m not sure about the look. From what I’ve read I truly could love how they sound. Unfortunately my setup is in the living room and has to meet the wife’s as well as my taste.  I’ll have to check them out more and see if I can adjust to there different look.

Anyways thanks and keep them coming.