Dog_lover, I haven't ever heard B&W and Martin Logan side by side and have only minimal first-hand experience with either brand. The B&W's I've heard have certainly been good speakers, but the CDM1 SE's and newer bookshelves (I think they were 705's) weren't enough to drag me away from my Paradigms. I do have a buddy in Texas with ML Aeon I's, which are similar to the Vantage (-3dB point on the Vantage is about 9dB lower, but both use an 8" woofer and a similar ESL panel). The ML's are very nice speakers - you'd need to make sure you can set them well clear of the back and adjacent walls to really let them perform at their best, and I'd strongly recommend some good demo time at a local shop before you invest in them (the ESL sound is adored by some, but not as captivating to everyone). I'd also make sure you get a good amp to drive ML's - they are a tough load at 4 ohms, not something a mass market receiver is necessarily going to match up with at all well.