JTR seems to be at the top - but their prices are also a bit steep for me, especially with the advent of 11 channel setups.
anyone else offering speakers like these?
I think in general fewer excellent speakers are far preferably to lots of poor and mediocre ones. I would start with three really excellent front speakers.
If you have not heard the JTR I would be careful. High efficiency speakers with light paper cones, with poor bass extension using compression HF drivers, can be OK in a huge space, but in domestic situations seldom give pleasing accurate results. Far more often than not you have a very unpleasant ear full.
I think what Audyssey are trying to accomplish, can be done under domestic conditions with less speakers.
Really good speakers don't appear to even be involved in the reproduction of sound, and give an apparent sound stage larger and longer than the room. Imaging should be excellent at the same time.
With my rig I also get good height cues. An organ high above the choir in a cathedral sounds just like that, even using just two speakers.
Having just visited good friends in Canada with a professionally installed all Paradigm 5.1 system, I'm convinced two good speakers would have been better than the five. Certainly it was no where near as good as my 2.1 system in my lower level living room.
So I'm a firm believer in quality and accuracy over quantity when it comes to speakers.
If you want to look at other high efficiency speaker system, then above all look at
Tannoy.
JBL also have a high efficiency domestic speaker in their line up, but I bet it bores a hole in the head.
In spaces you are talking about in your other post you really don't need the trade offs that come with very high efficiency speakers.
I would seriously look at speakers from Salk. I heard one of there offerings recently and was very impressed with it. I thought the speakers delivered good value for money.
