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The best value for money that I have come across for $1000 or less is unmistakeably Wharfedale Diamond 9.6.Good deep bass (28Hz) revealing and smooth treble and beautiful mids.

NHT Classic 3. I love them. It is unbelievable the amount of speaker you can now get under $1000.

Focal Chorus 807V

Monitor RS6

JBL Pro LSR25p or LSR4326.

Vandersteen 1c.

The Kef IQ7BK and I recommended to Paradigm to create a three-way monitor like JBL's S-38 in 2001 issue Stereophile for the same price or less.

My favorite monitor speakers are the TBI Majestic Diamond II. They have great sound, fast dynamics, plus it has the Embedded Transmission Line (ETL™) technology. Many speakers look good, on paper and in an anechoic chamber, but fall short in the real world of listening. These measure very flat, within their frequency range, in-room at the listening position. Do try this at home! They make the price limit by five bucks.

Vandersteen 1c. It's been around for a while for good reason. Fabulous for the money.

New: Monitor Audio Silver RS6. Used: Magnepan SMGc.

av123.com's X-statik open baffle loudspeaker.

Wharfdale Sapphire

Dynaudio Audience 42, but you have to let them burn-in for a long time—200+ hours. Once burned-in, oh man, what a speaker!

Go to Best Buy and get a pair of Insignia bookshelf speakers,$88.98. In Plano, I paid $95.70, including tax. Large room? Get a subwoofer. They sound very good after a bit of break-in time. PS: Go early in the morning, before they power up the home theater demos. ;)

Alesis Monitor One Mk2

Monitor Audio Silver Series floorstanding speakers

Whatever current Epos model that fits in under the price ceiling. At all of the New York shows, the Music Hall room has been consistently enjoyable. Those small speakers prove that high end does not have to mean mega-expensive.

Magnepan 3.6

Various Mission bookshelf speakers

Totem Rainmakers. Beautiful!

Paradigm Reference Studio 20s v4. Even as a long time fan of Paradigm, owning S2 v1s, I was completely blown-away by how good these speakers sounded the first time I listened to them.

Aperion Audio's Intimus 5T Tower Speakers.

For all you jazz fans out there, you cannot go wrong with Monitor Audio Silver RS6. Awsome finish; awsome sound. Make sure you drive them with at least 80Wpc.

Paradigm Studio 20

Check out the full range JBL ES90, available on Amazon for well under a grand. Outstanding audio bargain.

Used B-G Radia 420s. Sure, for $4000 more you can do somewhat better, but to my taste and knowledge, these are the best value in audio today. If value is important to you, never look at the cool stuff. These are the real deal; agile, superlative upper and midrange, room-filling sound, but with superb definition and sound-stage.

Axiom M60s

The B&W CM1. These little 2 ways sound great, are built well, and are backed up by an established brand.

energy rc-50

Monitor Audio Silver RS6