radiofreenewport
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another request for recommendations (around $1500)
commsysman
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I had a couple of NAD 3020 amps and also a 3060 and a 325BEE over the years, and they were pretty decent amps; with some sounding markedly better than others (the 356BEE I didn't like at all), so I'm not quite sure how good yours is; 25 wpc is pretty low power for most speakers; not much headroom.

Anyway, I think that the Music Hall 15.3 would be a worthwhile improvement regardless.

The PSB Image T6 speakers are superb speakers and I would certainly recommend those to you. I had them for two years before I went to the Vandersteen Treos. You can get a substansial discount on them at Saturday Audio (minor factory blems; full new warranty, $1039/pair in Cherry). They have a relatively small footprint, also.

The Focal Chorus 816V is another one that is very good for around $1300.

Floorstanding speakers are always best IMO for full-range sound (with no subwoofer). You just get a lot more sound, and the two I am recommending are very easy to drive; good sensitivity. For a room your size tower speakers should be ideal.

Both of those speakers are easy to recommend because I have never known anyone to find any major faults with them. Some of the other speakers you mentioned are sort of hard to like and only appeal to certain tastes. In general, I find that PSB, Focal, Wharfdale, and KEF are the brands that are consistently nice-sounding across the board, with no significant "gotchas".

bierfeldt
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I love Infinity speakers from that era and have a pair of Kappa 8.1's, SM3 bookshelves, an SM Center and those RS3's. 

How do you feel about the RS3's and how they sound?  Those are great speakers and were not inexpensive at the time.  If I recall, I paid like $400 for a pair in 1994 and although technology has advanced, if you like the way they sound and they are in good condition, you might find that some of the speakers you mentioned above are not going to be a big step forward.  I struggled to find a reasonably priced speaker that I thought was a step forward from those Infinities however I had an added constrain of my wife's animosity toward large speakers. 

If you can deal with a larger speaker, your best bet might be Magneplanar.  You can demo the MMG's in your home for 30 or 60 days depending on whether your buy from a dealer or direct (if no dealer is in your area).  They are awesome speakers for the money at $599 though they only go to 50hz.  If you like Infinity, you will probably like the MMGs.  They very much remind me of the Renaissance line from that same period (also a ribbon speaker)  The Super MMGs for $1199 have a bass panel included and will go deeper but if you are happy with the way the Infinity's sound, you likely would be happy with the MMGs.  One thing to note though is they are inneficient and need a power supply that can function well at 4 ohms. 

The Rega Brio R integrated is very well designed and is rated for 73w at 4 ohms at $899 from Needledoctor with a 30 day return policy.  That would put you at $1500 plus tax/shipping with the MMGs, about on budget.  That would be a clear step forward from what you have and you would have the opportunity to effectively demo it in your home.  I have and the Brio R for 4 months and truly love it.  IMO, it is the best value in integrated amps under $1000. 

One other note, anytime you can get your DAC away from other circuits, it should improve the sound so having an externatl DAC should help but only you can tell how much.   Cambridge Audio's DacMagic or Peachtree's DacIt are great values at $499.  There are other but you can get those from Needledoctor or Crutchfield so you get the 30 day return policy.   

radiofreenewport
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Commsysman, thanks for your suggestions. The Music Hall 15.3 and PSB Image T6 seem to keep coming up in my searches and discussions. I really appreciate your last comment about those certain speakers seemingly being well-liked across the board. I often read about speakers and amps having a certan color to them or being less/more  transparent, and I'm not well-versed enough in audio to know what that sounds like in practical terms. So, that comment is especially helpful.

radiofreenewport
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Thanks, bierfeldt! Your reply is especially helpful, as I just heard back from a local store that I thought was out of my price range -- and I haven't heard of most of what they carry, so I was a little scared off -- but I've now learned that it probably isn't. Magnepan and Rega are among the lines they carry, so I'll be sure to check out the system you suggested. It's good to be reminded that I can always check out and return a DAC -- a bit less cumbersome than shipping speakers back.

To answer your question, I like the RS3s well enough, but they just sound ok to me -- nothing special. I rarely have any "wow" moments with them. I seem to remember liking them more at one time, and I wonder if that's a function of having them in a bigger space. In the past, they've been in smaller living rooms, and as I described above, they're now in a bigger open LR/kitchen space.

Thanks again to both of you! I welcome any additional suggestions...

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