I've been reading this thread with interest, and here are my observations / thoughts so far, related to my own experiences.

I spent a long time trying to decide which speakers to buy for my home. My first problem was that I couldn't listen to everything I wanted to in one place. Eventually I had to visit 3 different dealers to audition everything that I wanted to hear. My thinking was that as I planned to invest a sizeable sum of money I wanted to be sure I'd made the right choice.

Early on in the process, I ruled out the DSP systems. I just didn't rate the sound of the 5ks, and 5500s are just too big for my listening area. So, I auditioned a massive range, including B&W Nautilus 804 & 803, Wilson Benesch Act, Verity Audio, Sonus Faber, Martin Logan & Dynaudio.

In each case, I took my own amplification along to the dealer to drive the speakers with. It's worth the effort, 'cause many speakers will sound radically different depending on the amplification.

This process took me around 6 weeks of auditions, but the end result was worth it.

Ultimately I'd say to anyone looking for speakers - take your time and listen to as many as you can. There's a lot of variation out there, and you should trust what your ears tell you!!

Cheers,

David

596, 551 (pre-amp), 557,
Martin Logan Clarity, Rega P25, Lehmann 'Black Cube'