Looking for my Final Pair!!

Budget?

JBL Everest

$12500 or less...JBL S4700’s are available to me for that upper limit.  Cornwall IV’s are obviously much less.  Tannoy’s would be &8k.

How big is your room?  What is your amplification?  MBL 126s are in that price range and if your room is not to big and you have a good 4 ohm stable amp....

you have the room size and if you can live with the slightly lower bass output over the Cornwall I'd suggest the laScala's in the Klipsch line. They are much more emotional and have a more "your there" sound then the Cornwall's. the bass has more impact and tone over the Cornwall just a little less deep the mids-highs have more detail, better dispersion, etc.  new or used (used with upgrades if older then the AL5). 

Another I've used with very good results and are thin towers are Living Voice out of the UK they make some very good slim towers that are some of the most musical speakers I've ever owned. also quite efficient at 94db. Highly recommended but not see in North America much. they make speakers priced from about $6k to a million bucks. 

Auditorium Range | Reflex MTM Loudspeakers | Living Voice

op

that is a good list

no one can tell you which among them will appeal to you, you must hear first hand in your room your gear

under the right conditions with the right gear i suspect all on your list will deliver those goosebumps 

enjoy the journey

Looking for my Final Pair!!

You know that's funny right? because audiophiles.
But seriously I've been running the Classic Audio Loudspeakers model T3 for the last 22 years and while I did get them updated, I've felt no desire to replace them. They are 98dB, 16 ohms and flat right to 20Hz. The first breakup is at about 35KHz so they are very smooth, also fast owing to the field coil drivers.

Dear @dave_b : My take is that you can have all what you posted with the speakers you own making a modification that will permit your room/system goes to another up levels of quality sound reproduction.

The 802-D3 are very good units but the woofers crossover frequency is at higher frequency than what is desired. It crossover 350hz and this makes that the IMD and THD distortion levels goes high and that affect severely to the mid/high frequency ranges.

What IMHO you should make is two add two true self powered subs ( the one you have is not really a subwoofer and makes more damage than help to your sound reproduction. ) where the 802-D3 instead the woofers crossover at 350hz will be crossing at around 80hz-90hz this means that now the main speakers will be liberated of those bass frequency range and believe it: your system will shines as never before with a mig/high ranges in all its spledor you can get and at the same time the really dificult bass range will be handled by dedicated and specific woofers designed for this frequency range and handled by dedicated and specific designed amplifiers crossing at 80hz-100hz.

With all those the THD and IMD distortions will goes really lower and the main amplifier will performs better than ever and with incremented headroom.

So you need those pair of true subs that normally comes with the software to been integrated in an " easy " way at the room/system. You need too an external active crossover that could be:

http://old.bryston.com/products/other/10B-SUB.html

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

I would seriously consider these:
https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisa975d-marten-design-django-l-speaker  Beautiful to look at, exceptional quality and a sublime listening experience.  Musicality, expression and toe tapping pace will put you in the Vanguard. Get your drink of choice ready.😊🎶🎷🎹🎺

Make sure you start with the right room and positioning for whatever speaker you get. Every speaker has a different presentation with limitations so finding one that you can live with. Find a tweeter that you like otherwise you will feel like that lady in The Shining most of the time with the percentage of music that isn't recorded to your liking. That's where I'd start. I've also have some luck doing something on this site. Spend 10 minutes messaging past owners of the speakers on your list- you will find out more about them than the guys that are loving them like their new crush.  

If your a fan of JBL and have the funds Everest. The more you pay the more you get.. I was pretty amazed at two pairs in the Oakland Hills.
I didn't even look at the model numbers. I just listened off and on for two weeks, while I worked there. The owner and I got to be pretty chummy..
Retired ball player, sure had good taste and GREAT hearing..

LOL Had an avocado tree in the middle of the deck growing through it.
He was so proud of that tree..

Regards

Along with Tannoy, a nice set of recent vintage Harbeth 40.1/40.2s, Spendor 100's/200's, or corresponding Grahams might suit your purposes very well. Sort of an anti-audiophile, pro-music approach.     

Leaning Spatial Audio X3’s...talked with Clayton for about an hour!  Great guy and very knowledgeable.  He gets what my frustrations are with high end audio.  60 days or so to try them makes it a no brainer:)  He is also going to have them custom painted for me with Audi Midnight  Black !!  Also spoke with Dan Wright (Modwright) about his experience with Spatial Audio and he had nothing but praise for their company and products.  

op

i have the m3 sapphires and they are immensely capable and very ’live’ sounding

x3’s should be even more so, with the self powered low end

clayton is terrific and his customer care, smart product design/concept and value delivered for customer $ spent are exemplary

Thanks for the confirmation about Clayton and his products 👌🏻

@dave_b, 
JBL M-2.

Those look cool -- I hope you enjoy them!

I’ve owned two on your list. The X3 is a great speaker but I let it go for the CW IV. 
Oz

Leaning Spatial Audio X3’s...talked with Clayton for about an hour!  Great guy and very knowledgeable.

@dave_b Clayton will treat you right.

Why OZZY62?

To my ears the Cornwall IV is more involving and sounds more like real music in the room. The X3s are great speakers and do so many things right, but the midrange just wasn’t convincing enough for me. YMMV.

But Clayton is a great guy and offers good products and great customer service. 
Oz

Sounds like your asking for Cornwall IV.

What’s your budget ? Look at Wilson Audio latest $18 k 
And exceptional , .if you have the space the great. Sound lab 
Electrostats., MBL 101-Great classic both of these speakers need 
lots of power . The Spatial Audio labs X3 best  value excellent sounding with powered subs included.

@roxy54 Who me?

I would give a listen to a vintage jbl, electro voice, altec lansing, or a klipsch made before 1981 and you will hear all of that presence that you want and more do not waste all those thousands on the new stuff.

Spatial Audio type speakers - use my 1.5 watt customer mono blocks!

Sound Lab Majestic 545  in that price range. They would be my endgame (645 actually) speakers but are out of my price range. Best sounding speaker I ever heard. Maybe someday.

Cornwall IV great at their price point too, as they are so engaging, and just fun.

dave_b,
Yes, you.

Well, both speakers come with a 60 day return policy so if I don’t care for the SA X3’s I will try the CW4’s!

If you can afford a bit more $$ you could get the Yamaha NS-5000 speakers, I have heard them and for Jazz and blues music they are hard to beat in their price range.

I know what I am going to suggest will Probably get some interesting responses, but here we go.  I would seriously look at the Canadian Made Paradigm Persona 3F or 5F or 7F. Price, $10,000 and up.  Not only a great sounding speaker, but very attractive as well.

$12.5k is a good amount, especially if you consider used as well.
I would not rush with the decision, and yes, electronics is no less important. It is tough if you cannot audition what you would like to consider. Not everyone is running to buy Spatial Audio or Klipsch or JBL speakers.
What would I choose ? Not sure, but I would definitely go with lightly used or demo and so I would be looking at approximately $20k speakers.

Most expensive pair of Magneplanars that you can afford, classic Klipsch corner horns, stacked Wharfedale Linton Heritage (that’s my system, 2X in each room at the front, 1X in each rear corner as surround sound speakers, and a Klipsch center channel speaker. Fronts are driven by DIY tube mono-blocks and rears by a second set of the DIY mini-blocks. All of the mini-blocks are driven by a set of DIY tube preamplifiers. 

Mono-blocks. Not “mini-blocks”. LOL!

"I don’t want to hear what the engineers hear after they mix a recording...I want to be in the studio when the tracks are being laid down!"

Client List | ATC Loudspeakers

Not sure the Cornwall IV will have enough detail for you coming from B&W. B&Ws are crazy detailed but kind of in a colored way of tipped up upper mids. The cornwalls are kind of nothing but the facts. The sound stage is also very different. 

My guess is on first listen you will not like the Cornwall IV. It will take some time to adjust to the different sound for sure so give them time if you try them. Local shop has both on the floor. 

The Tannoys I have heard are on the dark side of neutral and B&Ws are on the bright side. This might be too big of a change.


I see some people recommend the La scala. I find the La Scala very thin and lacking body. The Cornwall IV is much better to my ear. Heard both briefly in the same room same system.

Save up a few bucks & wait a little while. These are going to be fantastic at about $18,000. PS Audiohttps://www.stereo.net.au/forums/topic/113679-ps-audio-enters-speaker-business-unconfirmed/

Depends what your budget is. The Monitor audio gold 300 generation 5 are extremely good in all areas as are the Platinum 200's G2 and 300's G2.World class speakers.

Just to add one more thing, JBL have never been and never will be Audiophile class speakers.Mid Fi at best.

Your final pair?
What do you have now?
B’s or C’s?
Don’t over do it. D’s at a maximum. 

I am not familiar with all of those speakers. The Cornwall IV are very high sensitivity. Tannoys I believe are the same. But you should verify if you don’t already know. This is important bc you need to match your amp(s) with these speakers. I will say that if you want that holographic and wide soundstage with imaging and depth, a tube integrated or tube power amp(s) would be the way to go. I am a new convert to tubes. OMG. The above characteristics above are addicting! Sounds like what you want. Plus with even a low wattage tube amp you can drive those high sensitivity speakers with no effort. If you are solid state all the way the high sensitivity speakers will allow for use of a low watt ss amp like a First Watt class A amp. 

What is in the rest of your system? Speakers alone cannot give you what you are looking for. It’s all about the synergy.

+1 on the Magnepans if you have the room and the power. 

Dave_b,  My man there isn`t a  box speaker on earth 12k. or under that reproduces music realistically as though your siting in the Lincoln center in Washington, DC or as you put it at the Village Vanguard.  Just think if you were in a concert hall would the music sound like it was coming from a box?  For heaven sakes no,  I`ve paid 250.00 of my hard earn dollars to hear a great musical it best not sound like its coming from a box.  The acoustics at the Vanguard isn`t that good a live recording the box speaker sound worst.   Once you`ve listen to the magneplanar`s (aka) maggies set up properly you would never ever want to listen to a box speaker again Corwalls, Klips, Wilson Audio Alexia 25k, Martin Logan`s, Gauder Berlina Akustic RC 9`s 75K.  know matter  the cost.  The best box speaker I have ever heard was the Tannoy Golden Seal`s I wouldn`t give up $2.00. for the Golden Seal`s or any other box speaker. For 6-7k you can pick a pair of maggies the 20.1`s  that will just blow you away given you have the room and the right amplification. I`m absolutely blown away with my Maggie 3.6`s (2) Velodyne 12inch. subs the Pass XP30 Preamp and the Pass butt kicking XP 350 Power amp.  If your hearts desire is to be at  the Village Vanguard mentally but actually at home weighing  in on your easy spot listening to your favorite artist follow the advise I promise you you won`t regret it.  I am so in love with magnepans I plan to build an addition on to my home a  35X35X12 room and purchase a Pair of 20.7`s; now if the LORD really really bless me I see the 30.7`s 30k  I`m speaking it into existence as though it is so Hebrews 11:1-10  Stay blessed.

I’ve finally ended up with my forever speakers after many years of swapping. I still use a pair of sub-woofers with them though, just to get that solid foundation, Shahinian Obelisk II. I’m now very happy.

Hi
My suggestion would be Quad ESL2812 with a pair of REL 212/sx and Then match the rest of your setup to your taste.

I love the Ardens with a Luxman A class. I have never had a setup where I feel like I a missing nothing .....  I am in scotland though so got them for £5k - if USA you might get more for your   buck from Klipsch Cornwall IV and by all accounts a similar great performance ....

Go with the Tannoy! You won't regret it.