Time for some new speakers

Listen to Revel F 208 if you get a chance. Impressive in their price range and look very nice, relatively small footprint.

If your are considering Salk, very fine speakers with great WAF, then also consider Selah and Vapor audio. I have found out that the value of their speakers are very hard to beat. All three build very high quality speakers that are hard to beat versus going the conventional retail route. For disclosure I have some Selah speakers. Good Luck!

Weird coincidence that the Yamaha Soavo mentioned by Hifisoundguy is featured in the rotating B&H ad that appears sporadically above this page. They want $4k/pr tho, so maybe not the best vendor.

I have a pair of the Violins and am very impressed by them. I came from a pair of 802n and other than losing some bottom end, I think they compete really well. The Violins are 2 way and if you really listen you can tell there is just a hint of a hole or suck out in the midrange. That said, having heard the Cellos at AXPONA, they are a terrific speaker and one of the best I have heard. They are very musical, and I think thats about the best compliment I can offer.

The new Yamaha Soavo ns-f901's might just be one of the biggest bargains to ever come on the market....$4000 BUT much less than that at closeout.. very soon! vs The Big Boys

I don't know where you are located by your name suggests MN or MT. Anyway, see if you can find a Green Mountain Audio dealer nearby.
These are time-coherent speakers, music thru them sounds much more realistic than any other higher order x-over speaker. Green Mtn Audio speakers use 1st-order x-overs which ensures that the distortion thru them is minimal compared to higher order x-over speakers.
I don't have a problem with their looks but I'll mention that not everyone likes the looks of their floorstanders but I'll also say that their form follows function - the front baffles are narrow by design & only as much material on them as needed. Extra baffle material causes reflections off the front baffle that smears the sound & causes distortion.
The Rio stand mount speakers look pretty much like any other stand mount. The Eos stand-mount looks different from others again to optimize the sound from the tweeters.
general website:
http://www.greenmountainaudio.com
You can read a lot more about the design of their speakers on their website. Many other Audiogon members have benefitted from the technical details cited here:
http://greenmountainaudio.com/storage/speakers/rio/Rio-Design-Concept.pdf

Call the company phone number & talk to the owner/designer Roy Johnson. He's a really nice fellow & will spend time w/ you answering your questions both technical & non-technical.

I'd buy the KEFs, I've always admired their sound and build quality. And they tend to hold their value very well for many years.....

-RW-

Thanks everyone, have narrowed it down to KEF or Lawrence Audio......Decisions, Decisions......

No problem, Glacierbear. Good luck and happy listening.

I would suggest while you are doing demo on the Kef 205/2 if possible compare the Kef R900 I found them to be more to my liking than the 205/2 , more dynamic and seamless and better with all type of music in comparison. Just make sure all speakers are using proper electronics. 2 years later and I am still amazed by the quality of sound .

Not sure of your price range, but the Vivid speakers are both pleasing to look at and hear. I had a chance to hear the B1 model and they were very, very good. They are also very expensive at $15k. Vivid has smaller versions available at a lower price point.

Thanks for your input Dave. I will check them out.

Also, the JBLs are usually discounted quite a bit, so maybe something to consider too.

Also, consider the JBL Synthesis model S3900. I swear by JBL Synthesis. Not just because I own them (I own the bigger S4700s) but because I feel they're the best at their price points. Plus, the driver technology is second to none. Whether or not they're better than what's on your list is up to you. Speakers are a very personal thing.

Take a a look at the Fritz Rev 7, his speakers are awesome provided your room is big enough.