[Formerly YB-2]

Hmmmm......... I would pretty much put B&W in the same boat as Sonus Faber. The newer the better. Like with SF, I stopped listening to B&W until about 2005 (or whenever the 'Diamond' tweeter first arrived). I was pleasantly surprised with the improvement in sound with that series and they've been good, if not great, to my ears since. I would not call them bright, but have only listened to them with McIntosh gear, which tends to not be bright. I've never heard a Magico speaker, so cannot comment on them.

However, I was very pleased by the SF O IIIs as I was with the Sopra 2 and Quattro CT and will do considerable listening between now and next May (decision time). Size is one of my considerations and I want the best SQ from the smallest tower. You know.......... an Aida 2 that's only 38"x8"x10". The impossible............ The O III is at the upper limit of size & weight for me. Plus, I find its finish to be so good that it enters into the equation, which I usually try not to allow.