Most recent speaker you audited in room and returned? Why did you return it?

Although I didn't return them, I was very disappointed in my KEF LS-50s, in my living room, both with and without a subwoofer. I even put them through a thorough break-in to make sure that wasn't an issue. They just just sounded small and lost. Then I realized they were indeed a nearfield monitor, and the critical distance in my room worked out at about 3 feet, my listening distance almost 3X that. So I packed them up and replaced them with a pair of Monitor Audio Silver 300 7Gs. I really wanted a set of Maggie 1.7s, but they are totally unfeasible in my room. I absolutely love the MA 300s. They have the dynamics of a JBL and the character of a well executed British speaker. As for the KEFs, I thought about selling them, then decided to build a nearfield system in my office Consisting of them, a Bluesound Node driving one of Adcom's Nelson Pass designed MOSFET GFA-5200s. In here, they sound great. 

@panzrwagn , +1,  the ls50 could indeed be ideal for near field office/desktop audio (no worries about where separate drivers summed or not).

Revel M16. They sounded good but I think they rolled off too steeply on top for my room. In any case, I like what I now have built with compression drivers, waveguides, and 10" mid-woofers on open baffles. One thing that I've noticed is that I almost always prefer higher efficiency speakers. I might say horns too, but my current setup is horns on top and bottom, but open baffle on the midbass, with absorption on the wall behind. I theorized that the open baffle with rear absorption might be a way to get some pattern control in that range in a more compact and easy to build package.  Whatever the case, the 10" woofers are rated around 94dB, are on active crossovers, and seem to be keeping up and integrating very well with the bass and tweeter horns. 

@noromance Ahh, Gale 301s. I so lusted after those in the early 80s! So freaking gorgeous. But they were way out of my limited finances at the time. 

Von Schweikert VR 33 speakers.  I purchased them based on reviews and reviewer Greg Weaver totally gushed over them.  Was going to order a new pair but someone on the Gon was selling his pair, 6 months old for a tiny bit discount, so I bought them.  Had I waited for a new pair from the factory, the lead time was minimum 9 months.  These speakers were designed to be a couple inches from the wall behind them.  
 

I was so sorry I bought them within 10 minutes  of setting them up.   I was using an Audible Illusions 3B preamp and an Odyssey Stratos amp. The bass was there but thin and the midrange was quite shouty.  I thought they needed more break in so for 1 month, I played the Isotek System Enhancer CD 8 hours a day, fairly loud while we were at work.  Nothing helped.  I stopped listening to the system and only listened to my office system upstairs.  6 months later I bought GE Triton One’s speakers and sold the VR33 speakers to someone in New York.  He called me after setting them up and thanked me over and over as he loved them.  Maybe his room was more friendly.  

I've been listening to the same Hartley Reference speakers since 1980.  

Yes I have changed all the drivers as I have found them (always looking).  

Changed out the 24" woofers just a few years ago (they came from Masterdisk studio NYC).  Hard to change what you love.  Although I have been through three sets of three amps in the tri-amp arrangement. 

To answer your question directly: NONE!

Regards,

barts