KEF LS50 or Wharfedale Reva 2 -- which would you buy?

OP, nice DRA-825R...big toroid transformer.  The 825 and the 1025 had the 'round' black transformer covers conspicuously inside.  I bought an  825 brand new back when they made them (ahem) but found a DRA-1025RA a few years ago and that has been in heavy use to the dismay of my Parasound and McIntosh products.  To the point, I was at a Best Buy Magnolia (don't laugh) and they were unboxing the newer 600 series speakers.  I was the only customer and the staff were friendly enough to let me stand around.  They would probably close the sound room for all the re-arranging and testing they were doing.  At the end, there was a great A-B-C-D-A testing of all the mid-tower sizes of all the Magnolia products on vinyl and digital.  When I heard the Kef in comparison to the paranoid A-B'ing of all the B&Ws (incl two in the 800 D3 line) and their other brands, it seemed a little flat especially on cymbals and higher frequencies.  I was expecting alot more.  It may be sonicly 'more better' to some but the compactness of so much trying to project from one area of a speaker design seemed to lose some definition and sparkle.  I would go with the Revas but possibly also consider Rega RX1s (with the stands)...all my listening forever has been in smaller spaces due to dense big city living.

"I know you loved these but any opinion on the R300s? Did you end up getting a chance to check those out?"

Sorry to say I only heard them once in a showroom. Not ideal but if you find them somewhere like Amazon you may be able to try them out. 

The Quad S2 is a great speaker for $1000.   You might want to consider it too. 

“but the compactness of so much trying to project from one area of a speaker design seemed to lose some definition and sparkle.“

...huh?

I too bought my setup from Magnolia, simply because I had to put some on my credit card.  Most employees at Magnolia are clowns and their c.s. Is borderline awful.  Just try getting them on the telephone at the store.  In addition, they have to order most of what I buy there yet they can’t nail down a delivery date and when it does come in, there a 50/50 shot at it being the right product. Do yourself and local community a favor and support your local “mom and pop” hifi store whenever possible.

I am not a B&W fan but I do agree that at Magnolia, they did have more sparkle up top than the kefs.  They were being demo’d through a $2000 integrated Marantz.

@skipskip -- I'm a big fan of the older Denons. Glad to hear you are too. And thanks for the feedback on the speakers.