Opinions on speakers


I know hearing speakers in person is the only way to choose so help me narrow my choices between:
1. Evolution Acoustics MMMicro One
2.Vapor Cirrus White
3.Vapor Arcus
4.Totem Element Fire
5.Pioneer/TAD S-2EX
6.Lawrence Audio Violin
7.Steinway Lyngdorf S-Series System
8.Audience Clair Audient 2
9.Vienna Acoustics Kiss
10.Joseph Audio Pulsar
seadogs1
Your price ranges are all over the map. The Kiss goes for sixteen grand and the mmmones for 2 grand.
How about some background info such as your room size, associated equipment, musical preferences and volumes ?
I know a bit about the Vapor line as I own the Breeze and heard all of their speakers at Akfest .
If your looking to spend under 7 grand , i would look at the Cirrus Black. With its base price of only $3750 or so you could add stands and upgrades to the tweeter and crossover and have awesome speakers. The Blacks are a better value in their lineup I think. They are cheaper, have more bass than the whites, and in my opinion are better looking, and Ryan says they are a bit more musical. You will need a sub with the Whites , but probably not with the Blacks.
If you are in a small to medium sized room, really a set of Breeze and a fast 10-12 inch subwoofer might do the trick for you. The Breeze is a stunning speaker in its own right. My custom Breeze include curved cabinets, matching stands, Dueland resistors, and Amorphous core Raal upgrade, in redwood burl. I'm in a 16x24 room and listen without a sub, although down the road I would like a sub to fill in the bottom end , and for movies.
Vapor is the only company on your list where you can totally customize your speakers, and save a boat load of cash compared to some of competitors on you list, and you very well may have speakers that out perform them all.
Seadogs, I have demoed the Pulsar which is great and you know the problems I have gone through with Vapor Audio. Even then, the Pulsar can't match that RAAL tweeter. I would also put Salk on your list and maybe Selah.
Thanks for all your replies. We will be downsizing so I don't know the dimensions of the new place yet. My guess is a small to medium sized room. I like all kinds of music except hip hoop and rap. I like to listen at low to fairly loud. Right now my system consists of John Tucker modified Usher BE-10 loudspeakers driven by Belles Power Modules M-01 Monoblocks driven by a Supratek Cabernet Dual preamp and sourced by a John Tucker modified Oppo-95 player. I will keep the Oppo but the rest must go. The 4 piece amps and pre will be replaced by a integrated amp. I'm still researching on either a tube or SS unit. At the time I first posted I was unaware of prices so I guess I 've already eliminated several of my options because I want the loudspeakers to be under ten grand.
Clearwave symphonia 72R is another to throw on your list. Being a two and a half way it is fairly sensitive which will work great with a less powerful integrated, and plays well at both high and low volume.

Discalimer, I am a dealer.