KEF the Reference (non-meta), which I ended up purchasing. After a year of listening to stuff in a similar price category.
Revel F208.
Quad ESL-63 run by Naim Monoblocks, although this may be a nostalgic memory rather and I may now prefer the Revel or the KEF
There are some very smart, enlightened and courteous dealers who listen to potential customers and are happy to demo what they sell regardless of how you dress or what equipment you have. As enthusiasts we would do well to take our business to them.
I have been very very satisfied with the service I received from the very kind folks at Neko Audio http://www.nekoaudio.com/ in San Jose, CA. I’m a very satisfied customer.
Even though they carry some stratospherically priced equipment, they also have access to far more affordable brands that give great value for money and provide a ton of listening pleasure instead of being luxury items for their own sake.
They are very happy to listen to your needs, demo equipment to you and recommend what would fit in your budget. We need more shops like Neko Audio imho.