I'm somewhat out of sync with the popular trends in high-end systems; in fact I don't care much for the image conjured by the term "audiophile".
To the point, I find many of the speakers that are popular with the audiophile crowd to be subtle caricatures of accuracy, presenting what one might term a "Kodachrome" version of a recording. There's an extra emphasis that one doesn't experience with acoustic instruments and voice heard live and unamplified.
You may be thinking of the first two speakers as more "musical" simply because they are doing a better job at practical realism.
Just as looking through a magnifying glass can certainly show you details that you wouldn't otherwise notice on a painting (and that may be important for an art curator), that isn't necessarily the best way to enjoy the painting for what it is.
So, as others have also suggested, get as much listening time in as possible before you buy. This will let some of the initial "wow" factor subside. Looking through a magnifying glass can certainly be interesting, but isn't necessarily the way you want to walk around day after day.
To the point, I find many of the speakers that are popular with the audiophile crowd to be subtle caricatures of accuracy, presenting what one might term a "Kodachrome" version of a recording. There's an extra emphasis that one doesn't experience with acoustic instruments and voice heard live and unamplified.
You may be thinking of the first two speakers as more "musical" simply because they are doing a better job at practical realism.
Just as looking through a magnifying glass can certainly show you details that you wouldn't otherwise notice on a painting (and that may be important for an art curator), that isn't necessarily the best way to enjoy the painting for what it is.
So, as others have also suggested, get as much listening time in as possible before you buy. This will let some of the initial "wow" factor subside. Looking through a magnifying glass can certainly be interesting, but isn't necessarily the way you want to walk around day after day.