I am happy with my source and amplification but feel a little more bass and fullness of sound is required in the relatively large space that is my listening room. So I have been up and about listening to various loudspeakers around town.

My standard evaluation discs and tracks are:

'Blackbird', Double White, The Beatles
'Tin Pan Alley', Couldn't Stand the Weather, Stevie Ray Vaughan
'Two Roads', Two Roads, Phil Manning
'Lily was Here', Lily was Here Soundtrack, David A Stewart
'Jest Smoochin'', Austin Backalley Blue, Sweetman & South Side Groove Kings
'Fields of Gold', Live at Blues Alley, Eva Cassidy

The speaker models and my initial listening impressions are documented below. Remember YMMV!

Martin Logan Ascent (I think) - I have never been a real ML fan, and listening to this speaker with McIntosh power didn't do it for me either. Excellent mid range but the sound never really appeals as entertaining (or foot tapping).

B&W 802 (non diamond) - This speaker seems to do everything OK, if only it cost 50% less. Not spectacular at anything however.

Wilson Audio Sophia (Mk 2) - Extremely crisp highs and deep lows but thin in the mid-range I felt. Also the speaker had a strange tonal balance. 'Blackbird' sounded like John Lennon was singing with a head cold, when it should sound like a healthy Paul Mac! Excellent build quality though but at a very high-end price.

Dynaudio Confidence 2 & 4 - The C2's were a bit bland for my taste, but the C4's were certainly a cut above the C2. I particularly enjoyed the bass, sound stage and presence of this monster. Big and quirky looks results in a questionable Wife Acceptance Factor however!

Legend Acoustics Big Reds - A great concept IMHO and an extremely well constructed speaker system. A good all round performer at a realistic price. The demo included the DEQX speaker management and room calibration device which logically appeals but I am sure is extremely complex to understand, configure and exploit.

Martin Logan Depth Sub Woofer - Well built and attractive for a sub (not just a 'box') and a sound that was solid and musical. Got to test this at home but was not really comfortable with the 'passive' RCA splitter I used to connect the sub to the Wadia. A powered splitter should get me over this limitation. I probably needed to spend more time 'tuning' the Depth for my room.

In summary, good speakers all, but none of the above really did it for me at first listen, but I reserve the right to re-visit, especially the Big Reds and the ML Depth. I should however add that my 'ears' are tuned to tube amplification and all the above (except the ML sub) were tested with solid state gear.

To close I would like to recognise the professional attention and service I received while auditioning the above at Secher Audio, Tivoli Hi Fi, Carlton Audio Visual and Frankston Hi Fi. Thanks guys!