Best standmount speakers 2023

Can't fathom to endearing lust for the Kef Metals having auditioned them twice against the 606 S3's.

I have the 606 S2's and been relatively unimpressed hence due an update.

Went to listen to the Kefs in the store and figured test against the 606 S3's which would hopefully prove night and day (as they didn't have any 606 S2's in figured the closest to what I have) and... listened. Checked the cables. Listened again. Switched them multiple times and tried every favourite track I could think of.

Every single time despite wanting to love the Kefs I found the S3's far superior in terms of clarity and general enjoyment for every single song.

I arrived ready to buy the Kefs, left unsure so what to do. So I ordered them both and set them up at home and repeated the test first asking a housemate to do a blind test - back turned sat down to ask which A or B did he preferred.

Every single time he preferred the S3's!? Are we missing something or are we just unrefined heathens!? Seduced perhaps by the separated tweeter that seems to provide far greater detail and clarity to all the music I like.

Perhaps it's just a cheap trick from the BW's and we're falling for it, or; we just genuinely get something more from the S3's Vs Kefs.

To give the Kefs a final chance I played only them for two days and gradually warmed to them immensely in isolation.

On the third day plugged the S3's in again and nope - exactly the same result. Perhaps all I can say is maybe the S3's sound a bit 'thinner' due to the 'detail' but whichever way I try to think myself into preferring the Kefs they still sound less interesting by comparison.

What am I missing!?

All equipment is equal, only variable is the speakers