~$1k Monitors...So Many Choices...

Yes the reviews at audioreview are helpful, but only to a point. The reviews tend to be very subjective and many times written by HT users. Also I have found that the crowd here is much more discerning than the stereoreview crowd. Don't get me wrong I love stereoreview; I just prefer this site and AA for personal advice.

The Reynaud Twin MkII really is outstanding. It won the under-$750 shootout in Listener mag in the previous issue. You say you want detail and the ability of the speakers to disappear. The Twin will deliver big time, and particularly has an organic, musical quality that is hard to beat. Break-in will substantially improve the sound at upwards of 100 hours, so be careful of that. Try jm-reynaud.com. The Soliloquy 5.0 is excellent, got a rave from Wes Phillips last month on his new site, onhifi.com. Versus the Reynaud, it may be listener preference. The Triangle Titus is a little guy--the Zephyr II, 2-way floorstander, is about $1000. You've probably seen Sam Tellig's review of the Triangle lineup from last spring. I would bet on the Sim I-5080, which I have in second system, a great amp, waxes the under-$1000 amps. Also, Audion (ossaudio.com, the Reynaud importer) has the ETSE amp, single ended, one EL34 per channel, a ballsy 12 wpc, $1100 with a gain control. It's a serious good tube amp. If you want to chat, I'm at sturdbax@ptialaska.net.

I have the Reynaud Twin MK2's and they are absolutely staggering! I owned a pair of B&W CDM1's prior to this and it's no comparison, these speakers are so good it about makes you cry. The above poster who mentions the 100 hour break in is correct but they totally transform after 200 hours, like an about face, as if they are a totally different speaker. They are the most emotionally involving dynamic speaker I have ever heard. I tell you I'm nearly giddy with excitement. Musical, tonally bananced, natural, lively, etc etc but these things are so amazingly dynamic. They convey soft and loud sounds so convincingly well and resolve like no monitor near it's price. They start out warm and sweet but evolve into magical beasts with a sound so engulfing and involving. I'm telling you, you have to try these out. Letting them break in is crucial. Oh, boy...