Where to hear ATC speakers

Thanks for all the advice, and thanks to the dealers who reached out.  Just to respond to some of the comments above:
1) I looked at the dealer locator, but the public websites of the two dealers in the area didn't suggest anything about ATC, let alone availability of demos of the models I might be interested in.

2) I have been speaking with Coherent.  They seem to want me to self-serve repairs, which I'm ill-equipped to do.  I believe it is the crossover that is fried.
3) MusicDirect does not extend their return policy to ATC special orders.  I spoke with them.  Neither does Sweetwater.

4) The only ones I've auditioned were the Wilsons.  Very impressive image and liveliness, awesome vocal timbre, but I got the impression they might be a little fatiguing over a lot of listening.  It's almost as if the Wilsons push the image towards you, whereas my Thiels tended to create a solid image at speaker position and behind - more of an audience position.

I listen most critically to classical chamber music (my wife plays viola and I get a lot of live comparison time) and jazz (I went to Berklee and gigged a bit in my youth, before turning to finance), some orchestral and rock.  I'm listening to music, passively or in a focused way, almost all the time I'm home and awake.  I like to hear the instruments laid out in front of me, as if on stage or a small venue, each in their spot, not popping out and retreating (some mixes are deadly this way).  But I'm also cognizant of the fact that one tends to grow accustomed to a certain sound, even inaccurate.
I have a pair of the little active KEFs, and they create a really nice image. Small-scale, though.  In general, active speakers make a ton of sense, side-stepping, as they do, the first order crossover complications.

I have a server with about 1200 titles, roughly 250 High-res of one sort or another and the rest redbook.  And Tidal.

love your detailed requirements list and thoughts OP
the active filters do not sidestep the first order phase issue, they just move the steep slope filters and phase shift upstream
try to go listen to the Quattros, Jim Thiel and Vandersteen cut from same cloth. I own both. and as mentioned get time in front of ATC speakers ( yes the unobtrusive black no fuss models ) in das studio, they certainly have many virtues.
your reference back to Viola unamplified is rare, most people chase tail trying to correct for all the aberations in the chain, including microphones....enjoy the music !!!!!

ahofer

Here is the new beta website for you to see

www.audiodoctor.com/wp

go to about us page and see brands

please note this is beta so it is not done yet

as per Wilson's being fatiguing and image  being too forward that will depend on how they are being driven and setup, the Wilson's are very smooth in the top and so are the ATC both speakers throw a big soundstage.

We had a client runing the ATC SCM 40 MK II on an all Naim rig and the sound was amazing, it sounded like your were in the recording studio with a live band, with the famous punchy warm and full bodied sound of the Naim.

ATC makes a fantastic speaker it will all come down to what you are trying to create. 

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ ATC dealers

I'm not very technical, but here's ATC's claim:

" Active filters allow independent control of level and phase(time). This is not possible with passive crossovers. With a passive crossover any changes you make to the circuit affect both level and phase. The benefit this allows is that we can adjust for the crossover to have a perfect magnitude response and phase response. The result is that the stereo imaging is much more stable and the tonal balance of instruments is improved. " 

At any rate, as I said, I've heard the active and passive versions of the same KEF, and it's night and day.  And generally, I think the amp-load matching opportunities in active designs eliminate/optimize much of what people hear as differences in expensive amplifiers, right down to the driver level. I remember that Julian Hirsch's infamous blind A/B/X amplifier listening test involved a mediating gain/impedance-matching step that probably fouled the experiment, but I could be wrong. (ducking away from object thrown by amplifier mavens).  I also run balanced, and like the idea of going balanced to the speakers.

For your Thiels I would look for a local tech to look at them, really no reason to send them half way across the country for another tech. If you are just trying to repair them any competent tech can change a failed part. I'd imagine there are quite a few competent techs in NY. Ask your local audio dealer for a recommendation on a local Tech.