Alternative Speaker Suggestions Wanted

Thanks for your for your response. I to looked at the B25s in hopes they might touch on the magic of the B80s, they failed to please. I think there are much better sounding speakers in that price range, I dare not listen to the B100s.

I love the looks of Focal's speaker range but am not fond of the Beryllium tweeters inside them. I find them a bit to harsh and clinical for my taste.

I liked Monitor Audios PL300s but they seem to have trouble with faster paced bass.

I found Vienna Acoustics "The Music" speakers quite nice not as detailed as the B80s but they don't cost as much either. With that being said they are still a small fortune.

It's interesting that you mention Vienna Acoustics "The Music," because they were another one of my other favorite sounds at that CES. We seem to have similar tastes.

Which brings me back the the Focals. Regarding the beryllium tweeter, I too have heard it sound harsh, when mated with the wrong upstream components. My impression of the beryllium tweeter is that it is finicky about the source, in particular. When I first got my Focals, there was a disappointing amount of high frequency shrillness. Naturally, I thought it was the speakers. But when I improved the quality of my source (specifically, by reducing jitter in the transport), the high frequency shrillness vanished. I have a friend with the same speakers. He had a similar experience when changing preamps. I concluded from these experiences that the beryllium tweeter is a microscope of upstream component issues. Like my last girlfriend, it is not easy to please. But also like her, when she is pleased, she makes you very, very happy.

Good luck!

Thanks again for your input. I now have to ask what source components are you using?

Thanks

noticed your description on the home theater page and I was wondering if Dynaudio C1's would be a potential? Not heard the suggestions above. Is used an option?

Joe - I'm using a computer based source. Basically, iMac -> Sonos -> Empirical Audio reclocker -> Meridian G68. It was the addition of the reclocker that may the difference, in my setup, between shrill and smooth high frequency response. You can see more details of my setup if you click on my system.