Stanwal, I proofread my posts but missed the error in this one. Of course, I meant to say I used the MC275 in winter, not summer. Also, I would not expect the MC275 to drive any of these speakers to loud volumes, but only for quiet, mellow listening.
To all other responders, thanks. I do believe that home audition would be the best way to judge a speaker, but it doesn't seem practical in this price range. I am not opposed to buying used, but I am not sure that I would feel I got good value if the trial and error process went on too long with, say, a 10% loss each time, for speakers costing this much.
I feel pretty good about looking at the listening room at the dealer and comparing it with mine to get an idea of how the speaker might work at home, but not so much with figuring the impact of the different electronics and cables.
I spent my entire career using objective data to formulate my work product, so I guess what I am looking for is a systematic method that will allow me to compare speakers in different locations at different times. Using a single set of music tracks is a good idea, and I am in the process of making notes about what I listen for with each cut.