I had the Shahinian Diapasons years ago ago. They filled the room (cathedral ceilings) with sound. They were a joy to listen to, but a bit of a pain to hook up. Wish I had them now to compare with the soon to be here Nola's. I've heard the MBLs at a hi end dealer in Southern California and the top end wasn't nice at all....sounded like a Tesla machine of sorts. Too much hiss, crackly sounds etc. Why they sounded like that during my listening session, I have no idea. It's not the first time that a hi end dealer has provided poor sound with pricey, well known equipment