New floor stand speakers

I would suggest looking at the Vivid Audio range depending on your budget and room size. Amazed by the V1.5, ordered the B1 and will definitely get the G1 when the wallet permits.

Frankie, i’ve heard the original Crystal Arabesque Mini’s & original Magico S1’s. I’ve also heard the Wilson Alexia’s in a couple of different setups, though not the new Sabrina.

These are all very different speakers. The Crystal Arabesque Mini’s are good sound stagers and disappear in the room. They are quite punchy/dynamic for their size, though I thought the tweeter sounded a bit analytical. However the new Arabesque Minimissimo’s BE dome is supposed to sound sweeter and less analytical, though that shouldn’t be an issue if you’re driving them with tubes. However note bass depth is of course limited being small stand mounts.

The original Magico S1 is a good speaker, but that’s all. I think both the S1 Mk2 and YG Carmel 2 will both be a lot better. No one outside the factory will have heard the S1 Mk2 as they are not due to start delivering until early Feb. I have heard th Carmel 2 and was impressed. Amazing build quality, very nice looks & the new model has better power handling, bass & smoother highs than the original Carmel. The Carmel 2 like other YG models sound very coherent and have good sound staging. But I think the much improved Magico S1 Mk2 should give the Carmel 2 a big run for its money. Of those two models, I would expect the S1 mk2 to sound a bit warmer with jazz and soul & have a bit more top end air/extension. The YG might offer slightly better sound staging. However this is pure speculation at this stage.

I can’t say i’m a fan of Wilson. I found the Alexia’s ported bass design flawed. The bass was punchy, but slow and flabby which smeared the midrange & produced a sound which did not sound tight, accurate or coherent. Though they sound stage well and have a ’live’ sound which I can see appealing to some. The Sabrinas would be worth an audition. I also see Wilson speakers being demo’d a lot with ARC tubes.

You may also want to look at 2nd hand Magico S3’s which are coming up for sale more often. They have good bass & a very open/transparent midrange. If you’re looking for a small form factor, those speakers are also worth considering.

I went with Vandersteen Treo's when leaving my Proac's after over 20 years.  I love the newer Vandy line and the Quatro is in your range and ar killer for the price.  Very clean, fast and natural sounding.  The disappear easily too.  I'm with Mel on Wilson's.  I just don't get them.  They use inexpensive speakers and spend money on the cabinet and marketing.  Ton's of great marketing and they well because of the name. Similar to B&W.  I have heard all of their line recently from the XLF's to the new Sabrina's.  They keep telling me how great their soft dome tweeters sound. Why didn't they use these since day one?  Even the silk ones are way too hot.  The have a ringing upper mid range that just gives many a headache. I was at a Wilson dealer a few weeks ago and even the guy helping me out HATED them. It was hilarious as he ripped most of the speakers in his shop.  There were two lines they carried that he likes, but we put the Sabrina's on with CH Precision gear.  I know that gear sounds very good, but even with nearly 100k of gear the Sabrina's just didn't sound good.  Even the owner came in the room and rolled his eyes.  I joked that at least they sell and they don't need to spend much time with the customer.  He agreed with me.  That was all I needed to know.  The owner used to be a VAndy dealer and wishes that he still had the line as he said that customer service was great and they were a great value.  Sorry to go off topic a bit, but I thought it was a funny story to share in this thread.  

Hope you get to listen to some of the speakers in this thread.  Lot's of choices for you, but you'd be remiss to not have Vandersteen Quatro CT or even Treo's on your short list.

Dynaudio should be another consideration. I prefer the Contour (non LE) and Confidence. They aren’t as picky as some speakers as far as set up and disappear very nicely. But you should listen yourself. No one can tell you what YOU like. They are rear ported and do sound a lot better when away from the back wall

I'm a bit surprised your local shop recommended the S1.5 and not the S1, which is a proper floor stander. I haven't heard the Crystal's, but have heard the Magico S1 and Sabrina, although in different shops. I'm not sure I totally agree with the very negative opinions on the Sabrina's, while they weren't my favorite speaker, they're by no means terrible. If you're looking for slam, they definitely have that. Compared to the S1's, there's a lot more lower end as well (remember, you're comparing a ported 8-inch woofer to a 7-inch sealed design). I didn't feel the bass was flabby on the Sabrina either. I listened to them back-to-back to SF Amati Futura's (both powered by a Boulder integrated), and while the SF were more musical and realistic, with greater bass extension, the Sabrina's are about half the price. Like another poster mentioned though, I think the Sopra's are a better choice, for a bit less money, but these two speakers are voiced very differently. If you listen to the Sabrina's, and the sound appeals to you, then my advice would be to go for it. At least you'll be able to hear all three of these speakers in the same room, same electronics, in my opinion that's a much safer bet than buying something without hearing it first!