Happy Thoughts - Acoustic Zen Crescendo II and Luxman l-505uxii

I drank the Kool aid some years back and acquired some gently used AZ C 2’s.  Great reviews and, once received, the potential in these speakers was obvious.  Well, compared to my previous Vandersteen 3A Signatures anyway.  Focus, detail, accuracy, speed.  What they seemed to lack was drive, balance and pace.  Things of music, not accuracy.   They were just horrible all the way around with the Ayre V5-xe that was so good with the Vandersteens.  They had their moments with a Pass xa-25 and adding a REL s/5 SHO sub helped a lot.  An additional devil in the works was an insistent glare that, along with the previously mentioned deficiencies - you can imagine.   I blamed the room and set-up, both non negotiable items given the WAF.  Then I recently bandaged it with an equalizer.  That’s when I knew I had given up.  At least it stopped hurting my ears.  Then I thought, just get some non fatiguing monitors and a recommended amp.  Knowing what amp works well with a speaker is so huge.  You, see that’s a big problem with the AZ’s - There are only a couple of amps that people recommend heartily by brand name (Line Magnetic and the uber expensive SET used by AZ at the Audio shows, I forget the name) and no others. Only a vague reference to using tube amps with the AZ C 2’s because that’s what makes them shine.  Phooey.  I thought, one more try.  I’ve been keen on a Luxman.  I’m an old fart so the looks and features (VU meters, buttons!) are pure gold.  And the l-505uxii reviews!  Powerful, lightly rolled top end, smooth, balanced and a real rocker.  So I got one, used but recent.  I figured, worse case, I’ll sell the AZ’s and get speakers that Luxman people swear by.  Happily(!) no need.  On rock, pop and blues, I find it a magical combination.  Finally, classic rock sounding like it was meant to sound.  Every vocal, every instrument has the same force behind it, the same drive within the recording the same grip as the original back in the day.  No remix blues like “Where did the backing vocals go?”  “Didn’t there use to be a flute in there?”  “Why is the singer in the back?”  There’s body to drums and percussion.  Add inner detail to same.  Acoustic guitar has that purity and presence.  It images like a pro.  I hit the loudness button and, unlike any other loudness button I’ve ever heard (a few), it doesn’t boom.  Or screech.  It works.  And the sub?  No need.  It adds very little.  The glare is gone.  The in room energy is propulsive.  Synergy.  It’s finally mine.  This kind of turned into a review so I’ll end with “This combo Highly Recommended” !