I've had this system together for about a week now.
A couple of things I've learned:
1.) The importance of speaker placement...I spent about 4 hours setting up the speakers and the soundstage is finally a soundstage. It's so great to close your eyes and feel like she's singing right in front of you.
2.) I like sweetness. This system is more detailed than my NAD/B&W combo, but there is a sweetness to the sound that keeps me glued to my sofa.
3.) I like Birdland...I used my Etymotic ER-4S headphones to listen to my gear with and without the Birdland made, and the differences were quite noticeable. Grain was almost entirely eliminated.
4.) I love Green Mountain Audio. I haven't even broken these speakers in, but they are categorically better than my B&W 602 S3s. **take the prior statement w/a grain of salt as I changed more than just my speakers in my system, so it's difficult to attribute causality to the Europas** I will say that the resolution of the Europas at low volumes is entrancing, and the vocals...oh the vocals!
Where would you go from here? I'm not sure I'll upgrade anytime soon, but if I were to, my budget is around 1.5k. I can't decide if I should change the source or the amp.
What happend to reporting back after 200 hours? 30 hours? That's nothing. A little impatient, there, Dubzilla. I hope you have them sitting on excellent stands. Give them their 200 hours. I'm sure, the speed (pace) of your speakers will improve. . That's one of the benefits of breakin....
You're loving your system. That's beautiful. Wait until you don't love it no maw, then we'll help you out. Let your credit card a rest, break in those Europas, sit back, and enjoy your tunes. peace, warren
