I had the Helicon 800 (Mk I) and went to the Euphonia MS-4, due to size/WAF issues. The extra money you pay for the Euphonia goes into the cabinet, and the reduced resonance (aka distortion) gives a tightness and focus to the sound and images. I do not find them clinical, just more accurate. The Helicon is a Benz wood body; the Euphonia is a ZYX. Both are eminently musical.
The Euphonia's preciseness may not be too noticeable, unless your system is very resolving. I am using Shunyata Orion biwire speaker cables and all Shunyata Antares interconnects. I've had great results driving them with a Belles 150A Reference, Herron M-150 mono blocks and am now using Genesis M60 monos (which are more powerful at 60 tube watts than either of the 150 watt solid state amps).
Though the drivers are the same between the Helicon Mk I and Euphonia series speakers, the crossover points are different because of the way the two cabinets affect the sound. Because of the cabinet size, the Helicon 800 and MS-5 are slightly more holographic with a deeper soundstage, IMO.
All that said, the Helicons and Euphonias are great values, and I second the comment on their musicality and easy-listenability. They're a great way to get into reference-level speakers without breaking the bank.
The Euphonia's preciseness may not be too noticeable, unless your system is very resolving. I am using Shunyata Orion biwire speaker cables and all Shunyata Antares interconnects. I've had great results driving them with a Belles 150A Reference, Herron M-150 mono blocks and am now using Genesis M60 monos (which are more powerful at 60 tube watts than either of the 150 watt solid state amps).
Though the drivers are the same between the Helicon Mk I and Euphonia series speakers, the crossover points are different because of the way the two cabinets affect the sound. Because of the cabinet size, the Helicon 800 and MS-5 are slightly more holographic with a deeper soundstage, IMO.
All that said, the Helicons and Euphonias are great values, and I second the comment on their musicality and easy-listenability. They're a great way to get into reference-level speakers without breaking the bank.