I'm in search of speakers with the "danish sound" to audition

Around 6 months ago, the big boss at work, with whom i share the Audio Bug, finally gave me the invite to come over and check out his system. He's a vinyl & separates guy (Music Fidelity Amp and Soliloquy Towers, which he bought a decade ago), so it was interesting to say the least. i hadn't listened to a good vinyl-based system since i was a kid (LOL), and my speaker evolution over the last 10 years has all been AL-dome based (Energy Connoisseur C-3, which went "swimming" in Katrina, then PSB Image B5, then 'Digm Studio 40v4's).

here's a review of his speakers:
http://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/459/index.html

i really, REALLY enjoyed both the visit and the music. he's a rocker, i'm mostly into acoustic jazz (brought a few of my BlueNote and Miles CDs which survived the storm), but his system was truly enjoyable. and i really took a liking to the presentation by the soft domes.

now let's fast-forward to today....

The gods smiled upon me just after New Years and we're finally at the START of a complete renovation of our home. So of course this ALSO means I can start looking for a new system! We're gonna be moving out for roughly a year while the renovation is being done, and i've been thinking about small bookshelves, for both listening to music and watching TV in a 2.1 system for the temporary place (I'm happy with my sub, got a great deal on it, so it was the one thing i didn't sell HA).

Sadly, post-Katrina New Orleans does NOT have a large selection of B&Ms. Of the 4 stores open before the storm, only 2 remain (excluding BB/Magnolia). one is the "discount place" but they only stock Klipsch and DefTech - definitely NOTwhat i'm looking for. So i went to see "the other guy", which is where i bought my Digms. and of course since he was next to the mall, the wife agreed to come.

after explaining my needs to him, we started running through some choices using some older Dire Straits and some newer Diana Krall Live as demo material. We started with a couple pairs of Digms – some older v6 Minis he had CHEAP, and the newer small monitor in the v7 line. The v6’s were good for what they were and a good value on closeout, but were just WAY too bright. The v7 DID have smoother highs (if I remember, the tweeter tech devolved from my Studios), but were too bloated & ill-defined in the lows, and the mids were a bit too recessed for my liking. While he was prepared to start dragging out the SE and/or Studio bookshelves, he suggested we listen to something else in the room – some very small Danish speakers made by System Audio.

http://systemaudio.com/_en-GB/loudspeakers/compact%20speakers/compact%20speakers

The SA’s we listened to use Vifa soft domes and ScanSpeak midwoofers. We listened to a couple different MTM-based bookshelf models and were blown away. Being a former jazz musician, I know the guys who played with Diane on this particular CD, and know their sound (as well as hers, having played opposite her a number of times earlier in my career). Simply stated, I loved their silky highs and smooth mids. Getting a good jazz ride cymbal CORRECT isn’t easy to do… and the SA’s got them right – I could feel the BRASS in the cymbal AND the wood tips of the sticks. It was the same for Diane’s piano, and the upright bass – just an outstanding presentation.

SOOOOOOOOO… my question is this: what other brands are gonna give me a similar style sound? And are there any DOMESTIC manufacturers who make speakers in this style?

I’ve got some time to do some hunting/auditions. While not in town, at some point in the next month I’m gonna take a day and drive out to the closest Dali dealer as well as the Dynaudio dealer (200 mile trip), based on the assumption that these brands will give me a similar presentation.

Finally, cost IS a consideration. Dali Zensors are quite doable, and after speaking with the US distributor yesterday, he “suggested” that they have basically used the Zensor as a replacement for the Lektor. The Lektors are just a bit more $$$ and front-ported, which is better for me as the mains will go in a wall unit with a 24x18x17 inch space (HWD). Above that, the Ikons are at the top of my budget, and I’d wanna WAIT until the house is DONE before spending that much.

w/respect to the Dyns, the DM is similarly priced to the SA’s we listened to, and the next model up, the Excites, are again at the top. But the Excites DO offer a real maple veneer, which would help in the WAF dept.

so that’s my story. Any other suggestions from the internet only maufacturers?

TIA.

yep. thanks for fixing it. DOH !!!.

i listened to a previous generation compact MTM which he still had left, the 510, as well as a current model, the Aura 10.

the 510 actually had a soft dome which wasn't a fabric (if i remember), the aura had the real deal. but both were great.

like i asked in my original post, are there ANY domestic manufacturers who approach things the same way? i know i may have to do some mail-order, in-home auditions, and that's fine. up to a point.

for example, I've never heard Ascend Sierras, but i know how well respected they are around here. and i know they use soft domes as well as the NrT... and a ribbon he he. are they in the style i'm looking for?

Any other suggestions or input?