speaker match with rogue audio


sometime this year i should have a budget for a speaker upgrade. my associated gear:
rogue 99 mag preamp
rogue 88 amp
metronome cd1 mk1
msb link dac iii
ps audio 600
paradigm monitor 7s
absolute power cords from gtt audio
alpha core mi2 sp cable, 8ft
alpha core tourmaline ics

the paradigms are a remnant of my first non mass market venture.
i will eventually upgrade the 88 to magnum status and a dac or cdp upgrade is definitley looming on the horizon.
can't decide what do do first: speakers, cdp/dac or amp.

i have listened to some osborns, titan monitors, eclipses and epitomes with the rogue gear. nice, especially the epitome mark iii's
some have said i should consider silverline, audio physic, and meadowlark.
i listen to all types of music and go through listening phases. recently i've been listening to a lot of acoustic and electric blues and rock, but will also listen to jazz for extended periods.
i know that tubes will be in my life for the rest of my days, but solid state will likely reappear when i can afford good gear (not any time soon sadly since tubes rule my life now).
can anyone recommend or offer their experience with a speaker upgrade? other manufacturers to consider and why, etc.
also, dac/cdp upgrade suggestions are welcome, though i can definitley live happily with my metronome for some time.

thanks in advance for those that post

happy hifi new year
fujindemon
I second the AP Virgo IIIs (latest version). The new Virgos are about $3K less than the Merlins and you get bass with out having to use any bam (can you say equalizer). I also have noticed that Rogue shows with Audio Physic
I had a rogue 88 amp plugged striaght into my cd player, was waiting to afford a Placette pre amp but nver could afford it,oh yeah my speakers are martin logan aeris, they sounded quite good and I think they would sound a lot better with the new magnum upgrade, now I wish I had kept my 88, sold it and bought a Audio refinement Complete amp because that is what I can afford now , well good luck, maggies are always good but big. Nick
Try the Meadowlark Shearwaters(Hot Rod version) with this combo. Wonderful mids, non-shrill highs, tight bass and a wonderful sound stage.
I own Nautilus 805s, and use a Rogue Tempest fed from a Rega Planet via Audioquest Python IC with a BMI Eel on the amp and Audioquest SA-40(silver) double runs on the speakers. I really really really love this setup. In my opinion, the 805 is a truly exceptional speaker, and I've had them for over 2 years. They are quite sensitive to placement and toe-in, but you can get great results just plunking them down, unbelievable results await those with lots of patience and time to mess around. Bass is their only real weakness, but come on, it's a 2 way bookshelf. I listen to lots of music, and the 805 is amazing. Imaging, soundstaging and true timbre are my most important factors, so you might feel differently. I would really like to try the Reynaud Trente, which is essentially the same speaker (external tweeter, 6 inch midbass) as the 805, but of course different cabinet and drivers and theories... Supposed to be excellent as well. Just a note on the Nautilus line, the 804s aren't nearly as coherent, but the 803 is soooo nice. Need a big room, though. I heard the Shearwater HR and while the mids have a really nice "organic" quality to them, I wasn't that impressed with soundstaging (especially compared to the Kestrels which absolutely disappear, but ultimately aren't as true to the music). Plus, they're time coherent, which means that you've got to be 7-8 feet away for them to sound right. I had a brief but torrid affair with a pair of Merlin TSM-SEs, which are a totally different animal than the B&W, but probably as good. They are optimized (in the bass) for a underdamped (tube) amp, so they actually produce more bass with a tube amp than with a ss amp. The sound is really natural (I wish my 805s could be fitted with some nice softdome tweeters), and overall, sound incredible, too. What's more, they are upgradeable (dontcha just love that? $$$). Ultimately, I found them to have more depth of soundstage, but less width, and imaging that was even more position/toe in sensitive than my 805. Plus, in my opinion, the standard finish looks HORRIBLE, however, the upgraded finishes are Porsche paint quality, really, really cool. Anyway, just my $0.02, good luck, and keep listening!!!