Hi, I've had a lifetime's worth of speakers - more recently Sonus Faber, Quad, Canton, Magico (S1 2), Ktema, Monitor Audio Gold 300, etc. Fed up with them all in no time: the small Magico 'bite' and edginess, much the same for the MA 300s (no bass), while the Cantons 3Ks were simply boring and the Quads didn't like the humidity here. Of course, much of this has to do with system matching, but both myself and a now retired hifi dealer that I am great friends with have tried a huge array of gear. And not coincidentally, we have both ended up with speakers from far-off Lithuania: AudioSolutions - the Figaro Ls in my case. No, they're not American or British, and they're not made in China; but they really 'dance'. Great tonality, sweet mid range, tremendous bass and as good a soundstage as the rest of the system allows. No, they're not world-beaters, but they are great for everything from Tool to Tord Gustavsen and Alice Sara Ott, and don't cost two arms and three legs. Put that down to a combination of old-fashioned, but also traditional, paper cones and very complex (and very dense) cabinet design. They are heavy and need a bit of room to breathe, but are a rare find in a world of insane hifi prices. Next step up would be Magico S5s, but I'm damned if I'm going to pay more than three times what I paid for my Figaros for a fractional gain. For what it's worth.
