Today I went into a local hi-fi shop (yes, it's still 1970 in there) just to see what they had, as I had not been in that store for over 10 years. Apparently, not many others had either as most of the stuff was used - used but high-end. So I walked around, heard a few Magnapen's and some B&W Signature Series monitors, and the Paradigm Signature 8s and some giant (10 ft tall) speakers I can't recall the name of. So far, so good. They each sound good, but I’m not calling the banker for a loan. No damage, other than thinking of getting an NAD AVR to replace my Denon, because "the NAD is much better and does not have the shrill grainy sound of Denons" as the sales Dick said. Thanks a$$h@!*.
So I'm fine. Then I see a couple of little monitors in the back room. I like the cabinets, a curved job with great visual presence in a high gloss finished natural maple, so I check it out. Then Sir DipS&!%$ turns them on...so I sit in the crappy room with speakers everywhere to hear Dire Straits "You and Your Friends" for the 1,000th time, because a I had 10 minutes to kill. Besides, monitors suck, I'm safe.
Then the damn thing bit me...the bug. These little bastards made an image (in a crappy room) that blew my mind. Knopfler's voice was so clear and distinct from the guitars that I kept looking for a third speaker. I don't want new speakers, I want a new AVR and a projector not these damn half-pint monitors - I don't like monitors. But they sound soooooo gooooooood it hurts. And they are some locally made speaker with a name I can’t even find on the internet or recall with clarity (I saw it upside down and backwards).
I keep telling myself it was the $30,000 rack of transports, DACs, Cables and tube amps that made it so great, not the potentially affordable speakers. I'm screwed...I want new speakers now.
Someone help me, I'm being sucked down. DipS^!+ said they are "very revealing, fast, accurate, and will show flaws in recordings". Crap, I have heard that line before, but where???? Just don't tell me the Axioms sound like that - I don't want new speakers!
But I must have the precious... 
