New Mordaunt Short speakers on the way....

[LeRoy]

Last night I decided to go ahead and order a pair of MS Aviano 2 bookshelf speakers. I've not heard them in a demo and don't know of a single review that exists on them. It's gonna be fun contrasting them against the MS 902's. Should have them in by xmas. :)

[audio amateur]

Sweet, I was looking them up on the MS website. They look well made. Definitely keep us posted, and pics please :)

[frenchmon]

Yeah let us know asap. I like the Mezzo series. The Aviano series look very much about the same on paper. I'm interested in knowing if they are a bright tweeter or a little warm and how deep they go. Is it a balanced speaker or does it have a characteristic that stands out.

frenchmon

[LeRoy]

I'll be happy to let you guys know the scoop on these speakers. I think they are due in on the 24th or thereabouts.

I don't have a digital camera and that's why I have not posted any pics....however, the niece surely has one and I'll have to get her over here to take pics :)

My presumption about the Aviano 2 is they are the 902's on steroids. We shall see...

[LeRoy]

It's amazing how important matching the electronics to speakers really is. I went ahead and permanently disconnected the Nola's which had been hooked up to the Rega Brio 3/ NAD 545 CDP combination .The Nola Mini's are now the dearly departed.

I disconnected the M.S. 902's from the Belles/Musical Fidelity X-Ray set up and hooked them up to the Rega/NAD setup. I gotta tell you the SQ took a big nosedive. The M.S. really sound fantastic through the Belles/Musical Fidelity X-Ray but hardly sound worthy of all the good things I have posted about them when I hooked them up to the Rega/NAD.

Sometime this week I am gonna have to disconnect the NAD 545 and hook up the X-Ray to the Rega and see if the 902's can come alive again. Weird how a change of electronics can totally change the sound performance of a speaker so drastically.

[frenchmon]

It's amazing how important matching the electronics to speakers really is. I went ahead and permanently disconnected the Nola's which had been hooked up to the Rega Brio 3/ NAD 545 CDP combination .The Nola Mini's are now the dearly departed.

I disconnected the M.S. 902's from the Belles/Musical Fidelity X-Ray set up and hooked them up to the Rega/NAD setup. I gotta tell you the SQ took a big nosedive. The M.S. really sound fantastic through the Belles/Musical Fidelity X-Ray but hardly sound worthy of all the good things I have posted about them when I hooked them up to the Rega/NAD.

Sometime this week I am gonna have to disconnect the NAD 545 and hook up the X-Ray to the Rega and see if the 902's can come alive again. Weird how a change of electronics can totally change the sound performance of a speaker so drastically.

I betcha if you let the M.S. stay in that second system for a few days they may start to sound better. I don't know why, but I have a hunch. Just try it for a few days and see what happends. Some times the magic or synergy happens after they get to know one another. I know it sounds silly but just try it.

I took the interconnect cables I was using to Mr.peabodys house for a shoot out. When I returned and put them back they sounded like crap. After a few days of playing music the synergy was back. I got some new speaker cable a day later and they also sounded like crap. But after I left the cable in place and continued to play music it too sounded better...started to break in and then the synergy was there. I betcha if you did the same with the speakers it may work.


frenchmon

[LeRoy]

I betcha if you let the M.S. stay in that second system for a few days they may start to sound better. I don't know why, but I have a hunch. Just try it for a few days and see what happends. Some times the magic or synergy happens after they get to know one another. I know it sounds silly but just try it.

I took the interconnect cables I was using to Mr.peabodys house for a shoot out. When I returned and put them back they sounded like crap. After a few days of playing music the synergy was back. I got some new speaker cable a day later and they also sounded like crap. But after I left the cable in place and continued to play music it too sounded better...started to break in and then the synergy was there. I betcha if you did the same with the speakers it may work.


frenchmon

Thanks for the advice. I will try to be patient and give the new config some time to get acquainted.

[frenchmon]

LeRoy, those new speakers come in yet?

frenchmon

[LeRoy]

Nope. Not yet....they are scheduled to arrive on the 24th. I ordered them in Walnut finish and I am quite eager to get my paws on them.

Have a great holiday.

LeRoy

[LeRoy]

http://www.whathifi.com/Review/Mordaunt-Short-Aviano-2/

Even though what hi fi gave them a 5 Star rating I got the feeling maybe the 5 stars are barely deserved. I shall find out myself. My AV2's came in today and I am going to give them a listen later this evening.

[frenchmon]

LeRoy.....how are the speaker bro?


frenchmon

[LeRoy]

LeRoy.....how are the speaker bro?


frenchmon

I took my rig over to the audio dealers home and this is the place where I want to break in the speakers. I will drop in on them to give a listen while visiting instead of always listening to them here. Hopefully, I will be better able to detect any changes in tonality, timing, etc.

My impressions: The woofer is very "tight". I think the speaker is going to need 6-8 weeks to break in the woofer correctly. I was getting a lot of upper mid bass and not much else from the woofer. Visually looking at the woofer while playing I was seeing the woofer excursion fragment and this was with pretty good recordings where the bass should have been more prominent.

With regard to bass notes and timing....the only thing I found different from the What Hi-Fi review is when I put on truly excellent reference recordings ....example, Patricia Barber 3-disc remastered set, there was no problem with woofer excursion and bass timing was as it should be. With lesser quality recordings the bass lagged enough to notice it and was not as crisp as the M.S. 902's.

The overall tonality is great and much like the M.S. 902's, however, due to the larger cabinet and larger woofer the AV2's are sounding more mid-range centric and the tweeter at this point is not as extended as the 902's. The one thing I noticed right away is the spaciousness that is commented on in What Hi-Fi review. The AV2's have great lateral imaging from the get go and there is very good separation of voices and instruments just like the M.S. 902's.

Know that the speakers had only been playing for about 5 hours before I got there and I listened to them for about another 4 hours or so. I will probably drop by my audio dealer's home this upcoming Sunday evening to give them a second listen and let you know what has changed...if anything.

Take care and Happy Holidays.

LeRoy

[frenchmon]

I took my rig over to the audio dealers home and this is the place where I want to break in the speakers. I will drop in on them to give a listen while visiting instead of always listening to them here. Hopefully, I will be better able to detect any changes in tonality, timing, etc.

My impressions: The woofer is very "tight". I think the speaker is going to need 6-8 weeks to break in the woofer correctly. I was getting a lot of upper mid bass and not much else from the woofer. Visually looking at the woofer while playing I was seeing the woofer excursion fragment and this was with pretty good recordings where the bass should have been more prominent.

With regard to bass notes and timing....the only thing I found different from the What Hi-Fi review is when I put on truly excellent reference recordings ....example, Patricia Barber 3-disc remastered set, there was no problem with woofer excursion and bass timing was as it should be. With lesser quality recordings the bass lagged enough to notice it and was not as crisp as the M.S. 902's.

The overall tonality is great and much like the M.S. 902's, however, due to the larger cabinet and larger woofer the AV2's are sounding more mid-range centric and the tweeter at this point is not as extended as the 902's. The one thing I noticed right away is the spaciousness that is commented on in What Hi-Fi review. The AV2's have great lateral imaging from the get go and there is very good separation of voices and instruments just like the M.S. 902's.

Know that the speakers had only been playing for about 5 hours before I got there and I listened to them for about another 4 hours or so. I will probably drop by my audio dealer's home this upcoming Sunday evening to give them a second listen and let you know what has changed...if anything.

Take care and Happy Holidays.

LeRoy

LeRoy...I'm sure the new speakers just need to be broken in from what you are discribing. Once they do you will really enjoy them. Did you leave the 902's connected to the second system? and if so, did they start sounding better?

frenchmon

[LeRoy]

LeRoy...I'm sure the new speakers just need to be broken in from what you are discribing. Once they do you will really enjoy them. Did you leave the 902's connected to the second system? and if so, did they start sounding better?

frenchmon

I played music through the 2nd system today...spun about 5-6 CD's one after the other...and no the system does not sound any better at this time. Once I get my rig and new speakers in the house I am going to hook up the X-Ray to the Rega Brio 3 just to see if it's the NAD 545 that's making the system sound so drab.

LeRoy

[frenchmon]

Didn't you have problems with the 545 before? I can't see why the MS would sound bad through the second system unless the MS are reveling the flaws of the 545. Are they more of a transparent speaker than the Nola's?

frechmon

[LeRoy]

Didn't you have problems with the 545 before? I can't see why the MS would sound bad through the second system unless the MS are reveling the flaws of the 545. Are they more of a transparent speaker than the Nola's?

frechmon

Yes, good memory there Frenchmon. The 545 I had before went back to the dealer and I got a new replacement unit that is now back into Rega system. So far the 545 has not given me any problems but the overall tonality of this unit is the same as the last unit.

Yes, the MS are significantly more transparent than the Nola's so I think I am really hearing the MS reveal the true sonic signature of the 545. Won't know for sure till I plug the X-RAY into the Rega.

[LeRoy]

The speakers are sill breaking in and with noticeable improvements in HF extension and more bass now energizing the room. One trait of this speaker over the M.S. 902's is the sound of brass instruments. Brass is meatier in the AV2's and yes the AV2's have a much heftier bass note.

Overall, the cohesiveness top to bottom is now starting to come in but still a long way to go before the AV2's show their true sonic signature.

[frenchmon]

Do you think they will fair better than the 902's

frenchmon

[LeRoy]

Do you think they will fair better than the 902's

frenchmon

I think each have their great points but it depends on what the listener prefers as to which is better.

The 902's are fun, lively, punchy/snappy bass notes, composed, and basically balanced from top to bottom. The only weakness I can detect is a little lack of brass bite (but just a little bit). The imaging is pretty good laterally, and okay vertically. These speakers match perfectly with my 65WPC amp.

The AV2's are composed, a bit slower in delivering the bass notes unless playing a reference type recording, meatier in the brass and overall have a more mid-range presence compared to the 902's. The bass energizes my listening room in a way that the 902's can't touch though. The AV2's sound spacious with excellent lateral imaging and pretty good vertical imaging. My feeling is these speakers need more power than my 65 WPC amp.

The upper frequencies are very, very fine in each of the M.S. models and I can not detect any upper frequency variations in either model. The voicing is excellent in both models, and I have yet to hear any distortion from either speaker.

Of course, I have only had the AV2's for about a week now....I am sure it's gonna be a few more weeks before the speakers fully break in.

[LeRoy]

I can comfortably state the tweeter is broken in and the hi freq SQ is very good indeed. I have detail, detail, and insight without brightness or hash. The wave guide on the tweeter sure makes an impact on how the hi freq is dispersed into the listening area and I think the wave guide is definite improvement over the M.S. Avanti series.

The low end is still coming in, however, I did get better results in getting some bass note snap when I swapped out the Belles gear and put in the Rega Brio 3. I was quite shocked to discover the little inexpensive Brio 3 was a match to the Belles in detail, pace, HF extension, mid range accuracy, overall tonality, PLUS the Rega put some snap into the leading edge bass notes where the Belles did not. Additionally, the Rega has a quieter background.

I really did not expect this kind of overall musicality from the Rega and especially a change in bass note playback going from the Belles to the Brio 3 but I am sure glad Frenchmon brought up the topic of amplification as maybe being one of the factors in getting a rolled bass note with the Belles gear. Thanks for the suggestion Frenchmon!

Also, I have been using the XRAY as the source and it was in fact the NAD 545 that made any system sound so dead/drab. I am getting rid of the 545 real pronto.

LeRoy

[frenchmon]

I tell you what LeRoy...you've got me tempted in wanting to try some of those MS book shelf speakers just to shoot them out with the Cantons. But I know I need floor standers but Bro you sure make it hard. What city do you live in? Any where close in the mid west?

frechmon

[frenchmon]

I can comfortably state the tweeter is broken in and the hi freq SQ is very good indeed. I have detail, detail, and insight without brightness or hash.
LeRoy

Do you have better body and vividness with the Brio/ Musical Fedelity and Aviano 2's ?

frenchmon

[LeRoy]

I'm in central Texas, the burbs of San Antonio that is.

I know how speaker temptation feels...The Avanti 902 small bookshelves are no longer being sold on http://www.accessories4less.com/index.php. However, they are carrying the current line of M.S. Aviano and I think they are already discounted 20%.

As far as floorstander's go, you might want to wait on a review of the Aviano 6. I know the small Aviano 1 got a great review on What Hi Fi and basically the AV1 is the upgrade to the 902.

My audio dealer/friend who made the recommendation for the MS to begin with continues to insist that the Avanti 6 was/is superior to the Mezzo 6. Of course, the Avanti 6 is also a discontinued model and I can only find them for sale in the UK. IF you can snag a new pair of Avanti 6 THAT would be the way to go.

However, these here MS Aviano 2 sure can put out some bass like a small floorstander does. If you are really wanting to hear these I can talk with my audio dealer buddy and see what rate can be had in shipping to MO so you can give em a listen. If you still have the prior email I sent to you with regard to my email address then shoot me an email so we can discuss it.

No, I don't have better body/texture but I do have some snap in the bass note with the Rega Brio 3 that I don't get with the Belles and AV2 pairing.

[frenchmon]

I'm in central Texas, the burbs of San Antonio that is.

Just thinking maybe one day during the summer months I may be able to get away. I use to live in Houston during the 80's.


I know how speaker temptation feels...The Avanti 902 small bookshelves are no longer being sold on accessories4less. However, the are carrying the current line of M.S. Aviano and I think they are already discounted 20%.

I think Amazon and Wild west Electronics are selling the 902's and the Aviano's



As far as floorstander's go, you might want to wait on a review of the Aviano 6. I know the small Aviano 1 got a great review on What Hi Fi and basically the AV1 is the upgrade to the 902.

The Mezzo 6 got a 5 star rating over at What Hi Fi. I just love the way they look but the Aviano has a better price. I've also had my eye on the Wharfdale Opus 1 v2 over at Wild west Electronics. That thing has great reviews and is being discounted at an unbelievable price. It has a soft dome mid woofer. Never seen that before. Check it out. http://www.wildwestelectronics.net/wharfedale-opus-1-speakers.html


My audio dealer/friend who made the recommendation for the MS to begin with continues to insist that the Avanti 6 was/is superior to the Mezzo 6. Of course, the Avanti 6 is also a discontinued model and I can only find them for sale in the UK. IF you can snag a new pair of Avanti 6 THAT would be the way to go.

What surprises me is that not many people on all the differnt forums I visit give MS or Canton any attention. I wish we had a Canton or MS dealer hear in St. Louis.


However, these here MS Aviano 2 sure can put out some bass like a small floorstander does. If you are really wanting to hear these I can talk with my audio dealer buddy and see what rate can be had in shipping to MO so you can give em a listen. If you still have the prior email I sent to you with regard to my email address then shoot me an email so we can discuss it.

I just might take you up on that advice. I kinda want to put the Cantons through a shoot out to see what its really like compared to other speaker in its range. I might break down and get a pair of Avianos for my own curiosity. But I tell you the Cantons are sounding really good in my two channel room. I'm sitting here as we speak listening to Pat Metheny, Dave Holland and Roy Haynes 1998 release "Question and Answer" CD. The Aviano 2's go lower that my Cantons.

The guy over on the Sound and Vision Mag forum started this thing called pass the speaker. The way it worked, some one would get a good pair of used book shelf speakers that maybe would go in a second set up at a good price off of audiogon. Then guys would put their names on a list over at the forum and then once all was signed up they would map out the route of the speaker according to the next closes city so each person on the list would get a chance to keep it for a week until every one on the list had a chance to listen to it. Each person who had the speaker shipped to him, would have to pay for shipping on UPS or FEDX to the next person. The last person would then pay for shipping to the owner of the speakers. After every one had a chance to listen to the speaker each person could comment on the speaker or give a detailed review on how the speaker did in their set up. Once the owner got the speaker back he would keep the speaker for his second set up or resale it on audiogon. It would be a nice thing if we could do something like that here at AR.


No, I don't have better body/texture but I do have some snap in the bass note with the Rega Brio 3 that I don't get with the Belles and AV2 pairing.

Are you going to keep the Brio paired with the Aviano's? I wish I could hear your system. How is your imaging? Tho I really don't need it, I use a sub with my Cantons...it gives more body than I had while running with out it. Have you tried a sub? And the A+ gave me a better sound stage and imaging.

frenchmon

[LeRoy]

Wild West stopped selling the MS Avanti series long ago. That's the first place I looked to try to find a pair of Avanti 6's. Yes, WW is selling the current line of MS Aviano but the pricing is better at A4less.

Yep, the looks of the Mezzo are quite captivating and that tweeter technology gets me all excited to read about....I know how tempting the are to want to snag a pair.

I am going to have to give the Wharfedale Opus a look and read. I once had a pair of Wharfedale Diamond 9.1's and I thought they were pretty good until I got the M.S. I am sure the Opus is a different world from the diamond series.

LOL, I know ..it's always such a bummer to not find the audio that interests you to not be close by. I know Canton is a quality product and so is M.S. I think marketing has a lot to do with each not having a larger following and because they spend less on marketing and more $$ into their products then we win. Certainly each company deserves better pub and recognition though.

Pass the speaker...that's an interesting concept. Yes, my main system will now be Rega Brio 3, AV2, and the XRAY. I don't intend to use a sub with the system and actually the only time I do use a sub is with HT. Next thing to do is to add the A+ spades/nana's to the Chord Carnival Silver Screen speaker wire. Thanks again for the reminder..

[LeRoy]

http://www.needledoctor.com/

I found a forum thread that discusses a few models of M.S. products and user opinions.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1051655

[frenchmon]

http://www.needledoctor.com/

I found a forum thread that discusses a few models of M.S. products and user opinions.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1051655

Over at the needle doctor??? wow.

I am a member over at AVS forum. I actually visit there pretty much. I've read the reviews on the M.S. and participate in the Canton forum as well as a few other forums over there. The guys over there like to argue a lots if you disagree with them, and most of the guys over there have a hearing problem because they believe all cable is the same, and will take you to the wood shed if you disagree with them...different breed over there.

frenchmon

[LeRoy]

I took all of my gear over to my audio dealer's home about a week and 1/2 ago. I wanted to walk into a different listening environment and listen for any changes in SQ or presentation.

In a nutshell, the MS 902i's continue to be my favorite speaker. I held this opinion of them over the Nola Mini's $695/pr and still hold the same opinion over the M.S. Aviano 2 at $435/pr.

The 902's are immediately engaging and draw me in to the music instantly. The 902's are punchy, pace just right, always remain composed even a higher volumes, and are simply fun to listen to music through. Positioned properly and in the right room...they can sound like small floorstanders.

The AV2's are tonally darker...as best as I can try to give you an idea as to how much darker in tone....like a octave darker. The AV2's are slower too. If you have ever listened to Monitor Audio Bronze speakers then that's the closest example I can give with regard to pace. The only way I can get some snap into the AV2 bass note is to only play reference type recordings. It did not matter which amp I play them through..if the recording is not a benchmark type then the AV2 will sound disengaged and the bass SQ will sound rolled and a little tubby.

While listening to the same exact CD and switching speakers as fast as possible...it was always more exciting and enjoyable to listen to the music through the 902's! The one thing I must give the AV2 their proper respect is with regard to the wave guide for the tweeter. It really makes for a wider/taller soundstage over the 902's.

Concluding....I find the M.S 902i's and the Cambridge Audio S30's preferable to the M.S. AV2's.

[frenchmon]

Who would have ever thought?

Thanks for the review. I thought the AV2's where the upraded version of the 902's? No?

frenchmon

[frenchmon]

Boy...im really tempted to get the 902's to do a shoot out with the Canton 403's.

frenchmon

[LeRoy]

Boy...im really tempted to get the 902's to do a shoot out with the Canton 403's.

frenchmon

Yep, my preconceived notion was the AV2 was a bigger and better 902. While they are certainly bigger I don't think they are better.

The 902's are keepers and if you do get a pair give them 6-8 weeks to fully break in. You might find you prefer the 902's. They are quite remarkable and for so little $$ they will amaze you with the SQ and fun presentation.

LeRoy

[audio amateur]

Thanks for the write up LeRoy, I may be checking out MS in the future. Care to post some pics of the setup(s)?

[frenchmon]

When you say dark, what do you mean? It can mean different things.Are you saying the sound has no sparkle? Or do you mean it has a rich, mellow sound? Are the AV2's just a aid back speker? And perhaps the 902's a bright speaker? Im assuming by pace you mean the temp or speed a which the speaker produce the sound?

Just trying to get a feel.

frenchmon

[frenchmon]

I think I saw a place online where the 902's where going for about $215.

frenchmon

[LeRoy]

Thanks for the write up LeRoy, I may be checking out MS in the future. Care to post some pics of the setup(s)?

If I had a digital camera I most certainly would but I don't have one yet....so, no pics to post at this time :(

[LeRoy]

When you say dark, what do you mean? It can mean different things.Are you saying the sound has no sparkle? Or do you mean it has a rich, mellow sound? Are the AV2's just a aid back speker? And perhaps the 902's a bright speaker? Im assuming by pace you mean the temp or speed a which the speaker produce the sound?

Just trying to get a feel.

frenchmon

By darker I mean the overall sound has a lower tone and more subdued delivery in their presentation of the music. I suppose it's true to say that 902's have a brighter and livelier overall presentation to the music.

Simply for the sake of an attempt to clarify/explain/contrast.....the tone of a Def Tech or Vienna Acoustics speaker is lower/darker than the tone of a Totem Acoustics speaker or Rega speaker, IMHO.

With regard to pace, the 902s have better speed and rhythmic drive. I think this is due to the smaller driver being easier to drive in the 902's ?!?.

Yes, I think it would be fair to say the AV2 is a laid back speaker that requires only the best recordings to sound it's best and even so...it still remains tonally dark and slower paced in comparison to the 902's

[LeRoy]

I did not yet want to throw the towel on these speakers simply because I think the 902's are better.....so, once the Stello Transport CDT100 (approx$1K retail) and Stello DA 100 Signature DAC (appox $1K retail) arrived of course the AV2s had to get another long listen. In addition to the Stello ( FYI I don't yet own the Stello DAC...I do own the transport though)...there was a big upgrade to the connectivity as well....custom made speaker wire and digital coax cable too....approx value of $800.....

And that's what it took to make the AV2's sound cohesive....bass notes are now on time, the pace is not quite as slow as before but it certainly improved and the overall they still sound tonally dark but now the sonic signature is "intact". I can live with this.

So, how many audio dudes out there would or could justify spending $2K on a digital source, $800.00 for speaker wire and coax cable, plus $700.00 (retail price on Rega Brio 3 Integrated) all for a speaker whose retail price is $595.00/pr... ?

I can't justify spending that much $$ to get the best out of a speaker that costs under $600.00 but it's certainly possible to do so.

I bought the Rega Brio 3 gently used at $453.00, and the speaker wire and coax were gifted to me otherwise I would never have known or experienced the AV2's transformation into a performance category they apparently are capable of IF you are willing to put a higher $$ source and cabling to extract that performance. I am going to have to give the Musical Fidelity VDAC some play time as I still have to compare the VDAC to the Stello DAC.

Here are the prices I paid: Rega Brio 3 $453.00, Morduant-Short Aviano 2 $435/pr, Musical Fidelity V-DAC $299.00, Stello CDT 100 Transport $850.00, IC's and speaker wire were gifted to me. Total system price, $2037.00

[frenchmon]

LeRoy Thats what part of this hobby is all about. Thats part of the fun in my opinion. I sit here everyday wondering what certain gear will sound like in my system. To bad i am not a bachelor. How is the Stello outfit compared to the XRay. I don't think there is nothing wrong with dark speakers as long as you mate them with brighter gear.

Just for your information, The Musical Fidelity X-CAN V8P has a very interesting write up in the latest issue of Stereophile. It seems that the latter versions of the X-CAN, the X-CAN V8P headphone amp/DAC is also a tubed preamp. You can run it as a dedicated preamp or run it with your preamp amp combination. Im trying to get more information over at the head-fi forum. It seems a few over there have been running it as an preamp. Its not clear if it passes through the tube stage while running as an preamp. I called over to Upscale audio and they have no more X-Cans in stock as they are discontinued with a new version coming out in June or July and they have one open box X-Ray V8 DAC at $1050 if you are interested. I think I want to see what the new X-CAN is like...im sure its going to be a improvement over the discontinued X-CAN. Their is a new Musical Fidelity supplier to the States apparently making it difficult to get the newer stock in to the stores. Upscale is not sure if they will carry Musical Fidelity any more and I've noticed that stores like Music Direct and Acoustic sounds really don't have stock any more as well.

frenchmon

[LeRoy]

How is the Stello outfit compared to the XRay. I don't think there is nothing wrong with dark speakers as long as you mate them with brighter gear.

Just for your information, they have one open box X-Ray V8 DAC at $1050 if you are interested..... Upscale is not sure if they will carry Musical Fidelity any more and I've noticed that stores like Music Direct and Acoustic sounds really don't have stock any more as well.

frenchmon

Hi Frenchmon, you're right ....nothing wrong with tonally dark speakers as long as they are matched with compatible equipment and it seems rather by accidental discovery that the Rega, Stello, and Blue Marble Audio speaker wire and I.C. are quite a matching system.

I do like the Stello quite a lot but have not had an opportunity to do a direct comparison to the XRAY yet. I will eventually do so and give a mini write up once I get all the gear back home.

Thanks for the info on the V8. I am no longer going to pursue the possibility of the V8 since I got the Stello Transport already. Besides, after listening to the Naim DAC for the last week I already know what any other DAC is up against... so....might as well just strive for compatibility. :)

Have a nice day