I haven't heard many of their competitors, but I have heard these and I love them. I heard them with mediocre electronics in Munich and was blown away. In fact, my buddy bought the demo pair at the end of the show. Full disclosure, I own two of their big brothers (the CR-1 and the R-1, so I like the sonic signature), but I think these may be the biggest bang for the buck in the line up. If I had a smaller room, or a second system, these would be the ones. Like everything in this game, it depends on your ear, your system, and your room, but this is a good place to start.