@mahgister "ENDGAME means that we are so happy passing this threshold of MINIMAL acoustic satisfaction when acoustic problems are solved..."
I could not agree with you more! I worked my way through Magnepan 1.7 and 3.6 (when I did not understand current versus power) and Thiel 3.6 and CS5i (when I discovered room treatments and matching speaker size to available space).
It seems I value dynamics, soundstage, and nuance; and have made the move to more efficient speakers where I can try a variety of lower power ss and tube amps. I rotate Klipsch Forte iv's and Zu Soul Sixes every few months and it has been a positive experience dealing with different speakers and amps at the same time.
My listening space is not symmetrical and the Soul Sixes were relatively easy to place. They are equal distance from my listening seat. The Fortes, not so much.
Last night I started over with the Fortes and think I finally got a decent soundstage with them. The right speaker is 18 inches from the side wall and 24 inches from the front wall. The left speaker is 30 inches from the front wall with a large opening to its left side. Finally got good decay and some depth of field. So how can I improve the room to enhance the soundstage?
Are these speakers end game? I do not think so, but it is a long process and hard to figure out what an upgrade might be.
I do know that I will not go back to inefficient speakers with large amps. For my ears, more efficient speakers are the ticket because I hear more sound and less of the speaker and power amp.
Thanks for listening!