Jean Marie Reynaud-Trente, Offrande, Orfeo

Had JM Reynaud Offrende speakers for about six months. They provided a very focused clean sound. They required two sets of speaker cables to be at their best (a bi-wire design can set you back a good chunk of cash if want good cables). In my system they were a bit on the bright side. The footprint (rectangular base) was too small to set them up well. They were pretty top heavy, (A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW) They were very prone to recoil effect as a result. Increasing the area of the base and installing some good spikes seemed to help. They were sounding better and better right up to the day I boxed em' up to trade for a pair of Green Mountain Continuum 1.5i speakers. The Offrende speakers were really impressive at times, but it seemed like maybe the tweeter was hitting you before the rest of the speaker. With the Green Mountains (at least w/ the components I have) it seems a little more like you're listening to music.

I have the Evolution 3's - the floor stander version of the Trente's. They go down to 35hz, and look great.
They are slightly warm sounding, balanced (no evidence of driver hand-over), sweet, immediate, sassy and seductive. I wouldn't call them romantic, but they are far from cool or analytical.
They are easy to drive on my Cairn 4808A 30 watt Integrated (first 10 in class A) and vocals are wonderful on that combo.
I tried Plinius - too slow for me.
I tried Bel Canto Evo II - sterile and boring
I tried Bryston B100 - punchy and great bass control, good with instruments but mids are recessed.
Criticisms? A little thick in the bass, a little rolled off in the treble.
JMR has now updated most of his range, I am awaiting the new Evolution Signatures that are due out first quarter 2007. I believe the tweeter is more refined and extended, and the woofer somewhat tighter. That will be fine with me.
I suggest you contact Bob Neill at Amherst Audio. Very helpful, honest - not pushy.
http://www.amherstaudio.com

I live in New Zealand. The JMR's - I heard the Trente's as well as a mate bought them - are the best speakers I heard for my tastes - and I listened to everything available under $10,000.
I have recently heard the De Vore Fidelity Gibbon Super 8 - similar sound, a bit more refined, not so passionate.

Best of luck

I bought a pair of Orfeo's just before Christmas and use a tube-amp with them. My first impression after around 20 hours of listening to them. They sound incredible detailed and you can hear every instrument as it should. Bass performance is exactly as it should, with fantastic dynamics and low bass. Probable not techno-music bass speakers.

Con: As the tweetes are mounted on the top of the cabinet your spouse can not put plants on them :-)

I owned the Trentes for about a year and really like them, they are easy to drive - my 18 watt Audio Note amp easily drove them, well balanced with a nice sense of bass slam and best of all a very immediate and detailed sound, that is never harsh, with beautiful tone in spades...

the small downside is that they are not a true full range speaker as they only go to the mid 40s and they are missing the very top octave of 'air' and openness - but always still holographic in their retrieval of detail.

In comparison to my Audio Note kit 3 speakers I think the Trentes bring the instruments into the room and my kit 3 brings the entire venue into the room, which may be a result of the AN being more full range, but I sometimes miss the beautiful Trente midrange and immediacy.

the reason I sold mine is because they do like to be out in the middle of the room for best performance