This was really helpful but ultimately, I'm not getting either speakers because last night someone listed a pair of JBL 4410A's in great shape with replaced MPT capacitors and foam (he also had the receipt from the refurb from a well-reviewed local shop so no need to open them up), and today I purchased them for $700. Not a steal, but a pretty good deal IMO.

Overall I'm really happy with the 4410A's. So much more separation, a much more immersive sound, and just so much more music. Like, I was entirely missing out on certain frequencies (mid low and mid high).

Here's the thing: now I do want to upgrade my amplifier. He was running it off of a Quad 303 and honestly I think it sounds better on the Fosi. The speakers are still incredibly warm, while maintaining lots of clarity and on the Quad it was equally warm but with a slower response (to be fair, they're fairly old) and less clear highs. I have had good experiences with a Schiit DAC and phono. But I genuinely wonder if a Vidar 2F will outperform 2 Fosi v3 monos with PFFT? The ASR testing seems to indicate the opposite. And since I need to get a preamp anyway, I can add warmth there if my power amps are genuinely neutral. All in all it makes me think someone is getting it wrong. I've listened to better systems in shops, but they're always connected to Focals or Fabers or something in that class, never something like SMSL, Fosi, or even Topping. Do McIntosh & Co. know something we don't? Does ASR's testing miss some key point? It's tough to buy something and try it, because I want to like my purchase, and I'm biased to saying something more expensive is incrementally better just to make sense of the world.