Where Do I Go from Here?

@jmeyers  
I have been to PS audio twice to hear the FR 30s. I was underwhelmed each time. Maybe it was the room. They are very detailed though. Too much for my tastes. The cabinet construction of the Rockports is vastly superior as well. My top three choices would be Rockport , Vimburg and Joseph Audio pearls. Let us know what you decided to go with. 

I understand your desire to upgrade, that is a big part of the fun of this hobby, but I am curious as to why you are so steadfast on not replacing any other components, only the speakers. Your system should be a synergy of the individual parts.

I’d rethink as to why you want to change up what amounts to the largest and most difficult component to home audition and physically install.

Your digital sources are top class, your analog source is decent but if you do listen to a lot of vinyl, a cartridge upgrade would be relatively inexpensive, easy, and very cost effective. I did own the Hana SL for a while. Lovely for the money but there are much better choices if you go up the food chain.

Finally, regarding your amplification. I personally have never been truly happy with my system unless I am using tubes for amplification and perhaps you might want to consider that. That dimensionality you are looking for, in my experience, can best be created with tubes. You could buy 2 monoblock tubes amps for the left and right for your music listening and keep one of the Macs for you center channel when you do Video.

Should you decide to go that route, you could buy used and if not to your liking, easy to resell and ship out.

Your speakers are considered to be very good. Changing them out might provide a different sonic perspective, but perhaps a sideways move with considerable inconvenience.

Good luck and hope I didn't open up a can of worms!

As a 77 year old my advice is to simplify, simplify, simplify. Your wife/heirs have no idea what you have and will trash your system.

You can still enjoy a simpler system.

Soix — thank you for your incisive observations. 

Steaksta — What a compelling recommendation. Thank you for taking the time to express your thoughts here. I shall track down where I can hear the K2s. 

Steaksta:

I just read reviews on the K2's-----pretty unanimous praise. The word "addictive" comes up often. That's what it's all about, isn't? I may have to check them out.

It’s not worth blowing your retirement savings! By all means, be happy and content with what you have, for it’s a lot better than most. Simply enjoy it!

Speaking with experience and ownership. You didn’t mention; I’d first run several dedicated 10awg , 20 amp AC lines. Use Furutech or Oyaide AC outlets. I like Oyaide R1 outlets. Then a Shunyata D6000S V.2 with the Typhon T2. power distribution. Then replace as many power cords with Shuyata Sigma or Alpha V.2 either NR or XC depending on the application. Then replace interconnects with Sigma’s V.2’s. Next replace the SVS subs with a Six Pack of REL S/812’s this is a vertical line array of three S/812’s on each side. At this point your system will sound so incredibly better there will be very little you’ll need to change. My advice would be to call Richard Rodgers at Shunyata and let him help you out some more. Tell him Erik sent you.

When I moved from the salon 1 to the salon 2 the first thing I noticed was I'm going to need more power, but what really caught me was the salon 2's ability to do fine detail in the treble. I think exactly what you say you want more of in your description. The good news is there's a lot of great speakers out there that will give you what you're looking for.

I've been listening to my first generation Revel Salons since 2000. I've attended numerous RMAF audio shows since and have made various upgrades to other equipment, but have not heard any speakers I like better. I'm 76 so I guess I will just continue to enjoy my Salons.

You seem to have great system and could just keep it and enjoy the music. If you want to change anyway one idea could be to get a Bacch SP or Bacch4Mac. Then you’ll get more dimensionality from just 2 speakers. I’ve heard it briefly and it was amazing. There are a number of reviews out there and you can listen to it at some shows.

If you still want to upgrade the speakers my favorites are Magico, Focal, MBL, YG, Borresen and Marten. Most of these have been mentioned, some haven’t.

Good luck!

I would not hesitate to strongly recommend Wilson Benesch speakers....totally high tech without the sterile sound...real organic music....

I should mention that 10 years I was a dealer for Wilson Benesch. It became very difficult for me to carry speakers that could not even come close to sound so clean, so transparent, so fast, but the midrange was to die fo...and they sound like real singers...male and female...j

I don't know how large your retirement savings are, but I would (personally) be hesitant to spend that kind of money unless it is chump change to you. I am approaching my 77th birthday and have a pretty decent retirement nest egg. To me, there are so many things that I would rather spend on than more or "better" hi-fi gear. I came to the realization that perfection will never be achieved, no matter how much I spend. I also realized that for me, the chase was the motivating factor.

At my age, I've decided that I am more than pleased with my current modest system. I have spent in total, probably a lot less than many on this forum spend on speaker cables. In the end, do as you please and what will make you happy. Just remember that happiness is fleeting so act accordingly.

I don’t think you are going to find something heads and tails better than you Salons unless your hearing is excellent. 

@grislybutter *fist>elbow>shoulder bumps*

Down with you on your general scope on your scene, Sarge.... ;) 👍😎

Don't have any entities or errors to leave it all to, and they'd not have a clue as to what to do with it anyway.....

Spouse and self have opted to take it all with us, after a fashion....

...pardon the 'greeting', but sounds great on 'phones...

Or, the Alternative....

Leave nothing but digital files...whatever That may entail.... ;)

Happy Sunday, J

I want to thank everyone for their thoughts. Over the past three months, I have been in a near-frenzy in upgrading elements of my audio system. Based in part on the advice others have graciously extended to me, I think that the best course of action for now is for me to listen over the next few months to the records and CDs I own (as well as to music I can stream) both for personal enjoyment and in order to  obtain a longer-term objective of which, if any, material deficiencies my audio system still manifests. The purchase of any new speakers, thus, are going to be deferred until 2025.

For starters, I'd check out the Vandersteen  Quatros https://www.vandersteen.com/products/quatro-wood-ct but if you're really bent on spending toward your $50K budget, check out the Vandersteen KENTO Carbon speakers (https://www.vandersteen.com/products/kento-carbon). I'm not in your budget league but really enjoy my Vandersteen Treo CTs.

Nicely curated system, jmeyers, grats!

Of similar age, I relate to audio restlessness, especially linked with great passion for our hobby.  For me, it does NOT indicate we are not fully enjoying our systems, rather, it's again time to move closer towards our goals.  I find this quite normal in a fully engaging hobby, and exciting!  As for finding your system's "deficiencies"...my creative wife Mary's mantra, "Perfection is God's."

I find, there is always something we can do to move forward.  Here's another vote for the BACCH crosstalk cancellation.  I've been using the u-BACCH Plug-In version for nearly a year and it simply "freshens" everything.  Can a purist quibble?  Always.  Early on, studio recordings of great familiarity can sound "different."  Over months, I've come to enjoy the newness and find it endlessly fun.  Extremely well produced music with minimal production and miking benefit most, in my experience.  Think 2L, ECM, Red House Records, DG,  Proprius, RR, and of course, SOME of the old RCA Living Stereos quickly come to mind.  The Mercurys can be exceptional!:

A Fine Art: The Mercury Living Presence Recordings | Stereophile.com

In The Absolute Sound's recent July/August review of the Dutch & Dutch 8c loudspeakers by Reviewer Andrew Quint, he says, "...To my ears, at least when it comes to 'extent of resolution,' in most rooms for most listeners, you're getting 80% of what c-BACCH is capable of delivering."  Quint owns the c-BACCH.  

BACCH™ Filters: Optimized Crosstalk Cancellation for 3D Audio over Two Loudpseakers | The 3D3A Lab at Princeton University

I've not heard the c-BACCH, however, the 80% just might be my preference.  Center-fill remains natural, holography, depth, width and height, intimacy become grand.  Most important, for me, tonality improves.  Onwards!

More Peace    Pin          (bold print for aging eyes)

OP...Great idea to keep your current system and enjoy what you have until 2025.

From my view, since you like your current speakers and seem to be happy with your other gear I would consider;

New turntable/arm/cartridge. If you listen to pop vinyl that has limited dynamic range, a new analog front end may not do much for your enjoyment. If your vinyl listening library involves classical, well recorded world music, jazz or other records with larger dynamic range, a new TT/Arm/Cartridge might really give your listening sessions a pleasure boost. It might also be easier to home demo 3-4 new analog front ends instead of large, heavy speakers.

I can't recommend the Avior II's highly enough.

I suggest looking at speakers that have a radically different presentation than your Revels that will also work with your current electronics. Since you have lots of amplifier power and subs maybe a set of Maggie 2.7x. Keep the Revels and swap when you get the itch fort a change.