I suppose I am seeking accuracy and lack of self-noise that’s closer to the likes of Rockports or YGs, especially the self-noise factor. The weakest aspect of the Satori Helios is the flat-pack cabinets I built for them. They are not terrible in the noise department, but certainly less transparent than what the designer intended. I am a layman woodworker at most, so my option was to either contract some better cabs for the Helios drivers, shell out the money for used Rockports/YGs, or take a gamble on Pro gear. A couple of my audiophile friends swear by Pro Audio, but those individuals live in other states, so I cannot zip over and test their claims.
I understand why many prefer less academic speakers, however, my ears do consistently gravitate toward a flat frequency response and somewhat controlled directivity. I almost fooled myself otherwise with a pair of Børresens last year, but switched back to my Helios or BMR Towers, and the latter were the clear winners for my room and ears.
My primary concern is the bass dynamics and depth the Neumanns will manage relative to the Helios. I expect to give up some, but hopefully it’s not like going from floorstanders to smallish monitors.
I suppose I’m most interested to hear from those who’ve compared similar pro monitors to higher-end domestic hifi in the same room.