Help me narrow down some speaker choices


Had the opportunity to listen to a bunch of well-known brands with my XA30.5 and DirectStream dac/pre and at the end of the day, left even more confused of what direction I wanted to go. I tried:

Totem Sky - Great air and high extension, fun, slightly forward from neutral, but too boomy and midrange wasn't working for me.
Focal Sopra 1 - The BE tweeter was making my ears bleed.
Opera Seconda - Great impact, dug deep, beautiful construction but on the opposite end of the focal, way too warm and congested (relatively speaking). It was definitely a fun speaker that wouldn't offend anyone but left me looking for more clarity and air.
Reference 3A MM deCapo - Really enjoyed these overall in the 2 hours I listened at someone's home but the BE tweeter again was wearing on me in the long run. Acoustic guitar and Gregory Porter's voice sounded absolutely stunning though.
ATC SCM40 - Great extension on either end, very accurate, guitar and voices sounded very real, in the room type of feel, not hifi. Lacked impact and wish it was a little more forward, otherwise very enjoyable and one of my top choices. I think my amp might be part of the limiting factor here.
Verity Audio Finn - Didn't sound coherent at all, top end was very overpowering. Each component was working fine but seemed like I was hearing each individual one rather than a blend, was very unusual.
Harbeth SHL5+ - Wrapped me in music, nice and cozy. Laid back speaker, female vocals sounded great but male voices didn't have the grunt I was hoping for. They left me a little snoozy and wooley sounding (but not signficantly so).

Looking back, I'd like the high-end extension and instrumental texture of a deCapo BE but a notch-back of the sizzle, with a more forward sounding SCM40 that can generate some impact. 

I'm looking at all sorts of options at this point and wondering where to go. Looking at internet direct options as well from PranaFidelity Bhava, Tyler Acoustics Linbrook Sig Floorstander, Salk Sound Song3, Tekton (would have to be the Lore References, I can't stand the sight of the tweeter bug-eye array no matter how they sound. Wife wouldn't let them in the door either).
msommers
Have you ever listened to any of the Prestige line of Tannoy? Consider giving them a listen, they could be just what you're looking for.

Regards,
Dan





OP   I agree with you that the limiting factor in listening to the ATCs would probably be your amp.  Great amp for efficient speakers, but at 85 db efficiency that is not what the ATCs are!  My speakers are 85 db efficient and I would not expect much jump out of them with such a low powered amp.  It seems to me you have to decide how committed you are to the amp.  If you really want to keep it then more efficient speakers should probably be on your list to audition.

Good luck!
@inna There is no way for me to know, but I suspect they were all broken in. The Totems had just over 200hrs so maybe not quite.

@twoleftears I haven't heard any of those, I'll see who's local!

@jperry I'll check these out as well!

@islandmandan I have heard the Stirling GR (pretty sure). I really loved the sound from these! Also have heard Tannoy D10A which was also very, very good and much better to look at. Also heard the Revolution series and the bass was way too boomy and nothing like the others I had heard prior. These speakers are reaching pretty high up the price range for me though, I think buying a new GR anything would be beyond my budget. And I have to wonder if the D10A would be too large for my room. I should see if I can demo a pair again...
msommers, it might also be that you are very hard to please, that is good but creates problems. Pass are good amps, don't know your source. And to me just about any digital sounds wrong. Still, it is unclear. I don't know your budget but you could try Lansche and Kharma if you operate at this level. Focal Utopia is usually best with tube electronics.