So you have been able to get your auditions going then?
I just completed them and will update everyone when I get a chance, but it was a bit overwhelming.
I liken it to going to a Michelin rated restaurant every night for a week straight. Every speaker at this level is very good but not every speaker appeals to everyone.
There was no bad speaker but a couple that were eliminated due to esthetics and a couple that were wonderful background speakers but not exciting in the least.
So when you read please remember these are my opinions not facts!
Estelon Extreme MKII, the joy of bad placement and electronics that are simply not adequate means uncontrolled, muddy and boomy base, but having heard the Forza I know not to blame the speakers but the circumstances, however once we leave the base and move up the register my thoughts are very different, the soundstage is wide, high and deep trully 3 dimensional and you can imagine yourself in the venue. The precision is almost a bit surgical, and while itâs amazing it can be tiring and simply too much, the highs were never shrill , but on a couple of tracks they were bright
Estelon Forza, The soundstage is 3 dimensional but no match for the Extreme, however itâs still impressively imersve. The base is fast and controlled, the music flows easily and the precision is pin point accurate, the highs were never shrill , but sometimes a touch bright
Magico M6/M7, Contoll, control and more control this speaker was one of the few that made the base on my control track sound good, most just made it not awful or plain awful but i missed the 3 dimensionality, then I missed the width of the soundstage and for the price that was enough for me to stop evaluating it.
RockPort Lyra, base was as or tighter than the Magicos and a rich full sound stage, they sounded good regardless of the music they played but a tiny bit brighter than I like
Alsyvox Caravaggio, amazing speaker for the track I heard but they simply wonât work in my space so no real analysis.
Lorenzo LM2, dream like jazz, mellow and relaxed, smooth. However never pinpoint accuracy in the imaging and a narrower soundstage than I was expecting, A great contender if you like to listen for a long time as I dont think you would ever get fatigue but not really an exciting presentation either.
Avantgarde DUO SD & GT, a very nice sounding system the dispersal pattern makes these a pleasure to listen to in a wider area, however they were too bright for my liking. These speakers are very fast and responsive but they never got me excited.
Odeon Helix, crystal clear and relaxed, mellow and relaxed, a touch bright but lacks excitement and the depth of the soundstage is shallower.
Diesis Audio Roma Triode, very interesting full and warm for everything even aspects that I felt shouldnât be.
Tidal Akira, wide soundstage but not very vertical, very melodical and easy to listen to, the music flows and has a wonderful dynamic yet controlled feeling. The imaging was not as precise as I expected, the soundstage was centered between the speakers it didnât feel like it filled the room.
Von Schweikert VR30, this is an interesting speaker. The VR30 is a downgrade but I suspect the Ultra 7 is an upgrade. The VR30 is fast, melodical, controlled and very enjoyable. The sound stage was wide but not super high. This is not a Michelin star restaurant itâs a very good chain owned by a chef who has a 1 star but we couldnât get reservations that lined up with our schedule.
Short List & Thoughts
So the first question has been answered with a resounding yes, can I hear a noticeable improvement over my system. The next is what speakers appeal to me, my criteria are likely not shared by all (or even by many) but that is fine, I want an immersive experience, I want a neutral experience, I want to be taken to the nightclub, the beach in brazil, the Sydney Opera House, etc. The next is an esthetic question, what are we happy with having in our living room as a focal point (as all these speakers are focal points). I come up with a short unordered list (Estelon Extreme, Estelon Forza, Rockport Lyra) and a runners up list (Tidal Akira, Von Schweikert Ultra 7) and esthetics plays a very large role in the selection.
I will update on the next steps later.
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Now that is a speaker list! I will be most curious to hear the Forza vs. Extreme comparisons. Estelon has poked us a few times to make the transition.
Looking forward to your report!
@Daniel_Francis , my thoughts and opinions on the amazing experience have been posted
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@Peter.bomberg, a very comprehensive review of a very wide range of speakers you have got there! Amazing that you can audition all these different speakers.
Do you have a chance to listen to the Marten speakers, eg. Coltrane Quintet or Mingus Septet speakers?
what was your listening space, eg dimensions"?
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Good Morning @Easyglider, I sadly didnt listen to the Marten as they only had an Oscar Trio available, I would have loved to compare the Mingus as I have heard great things about them and I plan on auditioning a pair, same with the YG
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@akro for where I listened to the systems or where they are going?
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from where you listened
will probably sound different where they are going
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alas that is one of my concerns, one of the top contenders needs a LOT of space for it to sound at itâs best and I lack the needed space, I created a 1:1 scale model of the footprint and am looking at it over the weekend, but I might have to eliminate it
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Speakers need space for both sound and esthetics. I have a friend who was looking a Forza but had a small listening room. He made a full-sized cardboard silhouette of it to get a feeling for how it looked in his room. The speaker was visually just too big and overwhelmed the room⌠it looked like it was ready to step out and attack you 
. So the Forza was dropped from consideration just on esthetics alone. Even HiFi fanatics have some sense of esthetics.
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Enquiring minds want to know which one is it?
This is exactly how I feel about my Magico subs. If I was in a larger room they would look just fine. Guess I need a new house.
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I would say some do, every once in a while I get reminded of the Monthy Python sketch.
But in my case I have an amazing wife that lets me give her options and she vetoâs options she dislikes but always leaves me at least 1-2 options
Lol, the Titan?
Itâs a bit more complicated than that but I will answer (in time). The purpose of this listening extravaganza wasnât actually to pick the speaker, it was to answer a couple questions:
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Can I discern a noticeable SQ difference
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Is the difference enjoyable enough to contemplate an upgrade
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If it is, what is the $/smile ratio (negative/neutral/possetive)
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Are there any options which work in my challenging space where the $/smile ratio is positive
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No two of the new version S-Sub. They are 2 x 13â front firing woofers each. Iâve never heard bass like it before. I had a six pack of Red s8/12 previously and they couldnât pressurize the room like the Magicoâs do.
I looked at them but went for the Rel No 31 instead as they look amazing and sound fantastic in my setup, let me try to upload a picture as I customized them
So the answer to my questions:
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Can I discern a noticeable SQ difference
- Yes, I can still hear well enough to notice the difference
- Yes, I can still hear well enough to notice the difference
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Is the difference enjoyable enough to contemplate an upgrade
- More nuanced answer honestly most systems sounded worse than what I have so they were eliminated, there are several equals and a couple definitive upgrades in my list.
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If it is, what is the $/smile ratio (negative/neutral/positive)
- Ahh now that is the key. The first aspect I should say my smile ratio is not accuracy, itâs not range, itâs reliving my youth I guess, I was a roadie for several years and I want to be able to close my eyes and feel like I am at the jazz club or the beach concert or Wembley. Which is why the 3D aspect is so important to me, there are MANY great speakers on my list that gave me the feeling of listening to a SACD not a live performance, they are amazing sounding but not what I am looking for. As an example I can not fault the Magicos at all they are superb speakers and I would be happy to listen to them all day long but they didnât excite me. The LM2 was the closest to being at a jazz club but they could not make me feel like I was at an concert.
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Are there any options which work in my challenging space where the $/smile ratio is positive
- I believe my shortlist will work well and give me a positive $/smile ratio, however I have to eliminate the Estelon Extreme as they are simply too big for my space, even if they were my favourite (yes @Daniel_Francis I wil fill you in later but they are much better than the forza in some ways and in others not at all), now the reality is I am likely delaying the upgrade (if it ever happens) but I will prepare for it, the first aspect is before we close the holes in the ceiling I will install another dedicated 20Amp circuit for the future streamer, I will plan to upgrade my M205âs to M500âs in order to support the Estilon Forza that gor my wifeâs approval
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I will be interested to hear. The Magico bass really is unbeatable. Very immersive sound. The Magico sound is really fantastic for certain audiophiles, I can hear why they are so loved. The clarity and soundstage of the Forzaâs though⌠canât give it up right now. Sounds like a drug 
We may try adding some subs to the Forzaâs and see what we can make happen.
We all listen differently for different things. It keeps the industry interesting and diverse. I know everyone is always looking for the âbestâ, but we simply arenât all the same. Then, you bring esthetics into it⌠everything is turned on its head. Definitely a fun journey to explore this kind of gear and new configurations. Thanks for sharing @Peter.Bomberg .
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