help on buying speakers

Look for a used pair of Coincident Victory's or Eclipse's. They are made for tubes - 10 ohm impedence and 93 to 96 db sensitivity.

Also check out used Silverline Sonatina's - also mid 90's sensitivity and high impedence.

Meadowlark products might appeal to you. I think you would like the Herons, but even used they are probably out of your price range. I wish I could be more helpful. Good luck.

I've owned both the vandersteen 3a and 5's as well as the audio physic virgos and avanti's. I demoed some tempo 3's once.

The two speaker sounds are quite a bit different. The virgo's are ultra-clean and quick whereas the vandersteen is slower but very powerful and natural sounding. If you are looking to stay in the vandersteen sound family, the only other speakers that I've heard with similar sonics are:

1. Spica TC-60's (probably not up to the task for you)
2. Von Schweikert vr4's (the only von s's I've heard)
3. Proac response 2.5's.
4. Shamrock eire. (not really like a vandersteen)

The proacs are notably efficient speakers with great bass.

The shamrock eire is a large monitor made using scanspeak drivers. Very natural and clean sounding but forgiving too. www.shamrockaudio.com

I have listened to Audio Physics for the first time last week on a Cary amp. I have all solid state equipment and it was the sweetest sounding for classical music I have heard yet. If set up properly and can listen on axis they have a wide and deep soundstage. The speakers I listened to were not even set up the way Audio Physic recommends on their web site, which not many people can do, and still sounded well. I listened to the Sparks which are on Audiogon for approx $1600. They won't knock your socks of on bass but otherwise very good. I also have a friend with tubes and he has the soliloquy which he loves. I have not listened to them yet. Happy hunting!