Pulled the trigger
Visited an audio hi-fi dealer about 35 miles away this afternoon, and took home the store demo unit at a sweet price. Listened to some Paradigm, Fine, and Joseph Audio, but was most impressed by this Niko Evo which I think is pretty much the low end from EgglestonWorks in Memphis TN.
Was very neutral, - So was Vandersteen, but that may be for another day - when I want to replace my big speakers at home. Slight bite on some recordings in the treble, but not bad. Very nice rendition of male and female vocals, and you wouldn’t think that the 6 inch woofer would go as deep as it does, but a credible rendition of our favorite Chameleon by Trentemøller was in store. I think even the store owner now likes that track as a demo.
So now to cancel the Maggies. These were full warranty, cash and carry, no unboxing photos. Got them set up in the office, and Barbara came by to listen to Brubeck, Simon and Garfunkel’s Scarborough Fair, some Santana, and Journey’s Tantra (from Eclipse - great male vocal demo track). There was a stamp of approval despite the um ( @TylersEclectic ) artisan dark PURPLE metallic lacquer.
Here’s a link to the EgglestonWorks page on this speaker for the curious. They are a lesser known but high-end botique manufacturer.
http://egglestonworks.com/nico-evolution/