oh, Hi Riley -
yes, i rec'd your email with those alternative speaker choices, but the majority of them are being sold in the USA only, whereas i live in Toronto, Canada.
I want to purchase my speakers locally and do not wish to incur any shipping/ currency exchange expenses.
I'm not 100% certain, though, that you give the two aforementioned speakers enough credit; I would venture to say that they fit comfortably within your list's company. Then again, i have not heard all the speakers from you list, so perhaps there are some that are, in fact, head and shoulders above the speakers i've mentioned.
Further, I am limited w/ power (50wpc, albeit nice, high current), and i'm not certain I would have enough power to adequately drive some of the speakers you've mentioned.
Hens:
I'm shocked to hear you say the Epos sounded warm and thick. In my opinion, their midrange is anything but; I found them to be open,detailed and seductive in the midrange. Must be an amp/speaker matching issue.
Having said that, if memory serves me correctly, the MA's are more extended/more open... But I would like those with current experiences with both or either of these speakers to chime in.
Thanks again, guys.