So I'm really thinking about pulling the trigger on a pair of the Mirage OMD 15s. As far as I can see it, here are the pros and cons of the main ones I'm considering (sorry this gets a bit long winded):
Mirage OMD 15s:
Pros:
-Designed to be musical speakers that interact well with the room and are have very good off-axis response.
-The price is right (and on top of that, for $2k speakers originally, it's a great deal)
-New, so they have a warranty
-30-day in home evaluation/return policy
Cons:
-might not be that great at low volume levels
-might not match up great with tubes
-I don't have an opportunity to hear them in action
Vandersteens:
Pros
-Everything but the aesthetics and size
Cons
-The aesthetics and size
-possibly have some build issues over time (but I'm not really concerned about this)
-no warranty
-no ability to hear them in action
Klipsch
-the older ones are way to big, the newer ones get a lot of crap for their quality (or compared to the old ones, at least). And I can't demo these, and supposedly horn speakers are very hit or miss with each person. But, they would work with tubes and fill a room.
Revel Concerta F12
-A bit more than I really can spend, maybe not good with solid state, getting a bit on the big side
ProAc Studio 125
-Hard to find and listen to. Can't really find too much about them.
Paradigm Monitor7:
-I was able to demo these, and I liked them, but they seem like they have trouble filling a room, and they have all the limitations of slightly smaller speakers. But they have the benefits of being new and warranty.
As I said, the Vandy are, unfortunately, pretty much out of the race, as they are the only ones on this list that my wife specifically vetoed on aesthetic ground (and until I get a dedicated music room, I can understand her concerns). The same goes for the older Klipsch models. There also a bunch of other brands (Aperion, Axiom, DefTech, Focals, Pols, B&W, Totem, Vienna, Monitor Audio, KEF, Energy, Epos) that for one reason or another have yet to really stand out as valid or good possibilities.
Any last thoughts before I make a final decision on this. Is there anything above that I am wrong about or overemphasizing? Are there any last models that people might suggest I take a look at or at least consider?
(and thanks again for all of the help)
Mirage OMD 15s:
Pros:
-Designed to be musical speakers that interact well with the room and are have very good off-axis response.
-The price is right (and on top of that, for $2k speakers originally, it's a great deal)
-New, so they have a warranty
-30-day in home evaluation/return policy
Cons:
-might not be that great at low volume levels
-might not match up great with tubes
-I don't have an opportunity to hear them in action
Vandersteens:
Pros
-Everything but the aesthetics and size
Cons
-The aesthetics and size
-possibly have some build issues over time (but I'm not really concerned about this)
-no warranty
-no ability to hear them in action
Klipsch
-the older ones are way to big, the newer ones get a lot of crap for their quality (or compared to the old ones, at least). And I can't demo these, and supposedly horn speakers are very hit or miss with each person. But, they would work with tubes and fill a room.
Revel Concerta F12
-A bit more than I really can spend, maybe not good with solid state, getting a bit on the big side
ProAc Studio 125
-Hard to find and listen to. Can't really find too much about them.
Paradigm Monitor7:
-I was able to demo these, and I liked them, but they seem like they have trouble filling a room, and they have all the limitations of slightly smaller speakers. But they have the benefits of being new and warranty.
As I said, the Vandy are, unfortunately, pretty much out of the race, as they are the only ones on this list that my wife specifically vetoed on aesthetic ground (and until I get a dedicated music room, I can understand her concerns). The same goes for the older Klipsch models. There also a bunch of other brands (Aperion, Axiom, DefTech, Focals, Pols, B&W, Totem, Vienna, Monitor Audio, KEF, Energy, Epos) that for one reason or another have yet to really stand out as valid or good possibilities.
Any last thoughts before I make a final decision on this. Is there anything above that I am wrong about or overemphasizing? Are there any last models that people might suggest I take a look at or at least consider?
(and thanks again for all of the help)