Montana EPS or Dunlavy 4A's?

The only speakers on your list that are time-aligned are the Dunlavy 4A's.

I think the Dunlavy is a tremendous speaker, but it can be a difficult one to setup in a typical room. It needs to be widely spaced (along the long wall). Setup this way it has a narrow sweet spot. The Vandersteen is also a great speaker. It's also somewhat easier than the Dunlavy to setup and get great real room results. A well setup system in a good room using $3,000 to $4,000 will frequently sound better than systems using any of the speakers you're considering. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the speakers you mention, but it will take dedication on your part to maximize their performance.

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The Montana EPS is the one. Among other reasons, the Montana uses ports and the Dunlavy does not. Porting (when done right) allows a much deeper bass. The Montana EPS uses the Revelator tweeter. I think it is the best tweeter on the planet. The Montana's are seemless and as transparant as electrostats with killer dynamics. Then there is the cabinetry....no comparasion. EPS is the way to go.

Both are great speakers but I thought the 4A's had a tighter bass and less Fatigueing . I bought the Dunlavy V's which have the deepest tightest bass I have Ever heard. Also you may want to check out VMPS speakers and the Osborne Epitome's.

I have listened to all the speakers you mentioned. I bought the Hales T 8's. To me they have a better midrange than the Dunlavys. I think the Vandersteins are a close second. Only you can decide what sounds best.

Contrary to HIWAVES post, Vandersteen models are all time- aligned. The Vandersteen 5 is the best speaker I have ever heard and therefore, I think, should be on the very short consideration list. The mids and highs were smooth beyond belief, extended, open and airy with true 3D soundstage. In the setup in which I heard them, the bass could have been deeper but I think that was a function of the amp (AYRE V1)and cables (Nordost) which I heard them with. I do not care for Dunlavy. The Montana EPS is not bad, a little underwhelming, and lacks deep bass response. In the system in which I heard them, they were too bright (Jadis CD player and preamp, Pass Labs Aleph 1.2 amp). However, the dealer was able to use some device in the rear of the speaker in order to access the crossover and significantly change the character of the speakers. I was told that not all Montana dealers have this device. The dealer was David Lewis of David Lewis Audio in Philadelphia. I don't think that the Montana is as transparent as an electrostatic, but Under is right about the cabinetry. It is some of the best that I have ever seen.

I recently did a careful comparison of most of the speakers in the 10-20K range. It came down to the Vandersteen 5 and th Dunlavy SC-V. I picked the Dunlavy's but I believe it to be a matter of taste and the music I listen to (large scale late romantic music). I was underwhelmed by the Montanas.