I’ve not heard these speakers but a number of them review well. Old Audiophile is right about keeping in mind whther there are any 4 ohm or current hungry speakers regarding your amplifier load. Recent reviews of the Klipsch 8000F in Audioholics were favorable in regard to improvements the Klipsch “sound.” The SVS Prime Pinnacle is not usually thought of within Stereophile but reviews show it to not only be a potent performer, but is surprisingly forgiving in proximity to walls. Some reviews have said the Pinacles are just a hair rolled off at the top but this may be a benefit of less fatigueing listening for rock music.

If quality bass is a bigger priority then it might be for most, I would start by taking a long listen of the Klipsch 8000F and try the SVS Prime Pinnacles. SVS has a generous return policy to give these a try.All the speakers you aare thinking about are fine speakers but some may be more bass shy then you like.

I still have a pair of Athena AS-F2’s so I know what you mean about being spoiled and wanting to retain a full range stand alone sound in your speakers. Not sure what you are using for speaker wire, but I found Wirecutter was right about Monoprice 12 gauge being very good. They have helped my Athenas fully “wake up the ponies” with better bass defiition and exension while more fully realizing treble and mids.

I've at least looked at most of the speakers you've listed plus probably 20 more in my price range which is also 2K (even tho it started at $600-$800).

After hundreds of hours of obsessively reading reviews and measurements, joining forums to get others opinions and advice (Including this one) I narrowed my choices down to:

1) Revel Concerta2 F36
2) Monitor Audio Silver 300 (or maybe 500 cause I know a guy who's a rep for Monitor who could get me a really good deal on a pair)
3) Focal Chora 826

Check the reviews yourself on the models I've mentioned. I think they are the 3 best options for hi fidelity floorstanders in our price range. I've decided on the Revels although I'm still reading reviews of other speakers while I await my funds. Revel tests their products EXTENSIVELY and I havent found one even lukewarm review of any of their speakers - they're pretty much as good as your going to get if you value linear response, balance, transparency etc.

I don't think you can do better in the 2k price range than the 3 I've listed. Just my opinion but I've done more than my share (I'm pretty obsessive at times) of research on this... best of luck to you!

Shout out to @bluesdog - getting ready to do a dab or 2 and crank up the old Athenas as soon as I finish typing this. I know I'm looking to replace them BUT they have brought me much listening pleasure for a long long time and continue to do so even today.

Thanks, Swampy! The Athenas HAVE been a sleeper speaker for quite awhile. Got a lucky break and a long positive experience from the Audio Gods from them, I initially wanted to try and answer the question about the 6 speakers mikegough asked about. I HAVE heard the MA Silver 300 and feel it would best these 5 speakers. The Revel Concerta F36 and Focal Chora 826 are also good choices. The MA Silver 300 is worth stretching your budget for but the Revel Concerta F36 might be stretching further then you want? I have heard the Focal Aria 936 and the MA Silver 300 in a comparison. Although it was close, it was bested by the MA Silver 300. The Focal Aria 936 had a bit more forward sound then the MA Silver 300 and I liked that. The bass in the MA Silver 300 went deeper and had a more gradual controlled dropoff. Once the Aria got much below 38-40hz it had a bit of a struggle. For that reason I would recommend the MA Silver 300 if you are willing to stretch your budget a little. If at all possible, listen to what you are considering buying because YOUR ears will often tell a different story then specs and reviews by themselves. Whatever you DO listen to and/or buy, let us know you’re your thoughts and experiences.

It might be worth looking around for demo models, open-box, gently used etc..
You might find you can get a speaker pair thats been well cared for and would normally be outside of your price range.

I've spotted a $3500 pair of speakers (that I like a lot) for 2400 + shipping. If I get my money straight before he sells them I'm probably going to pull the trigger on them even though a part of me doesn't like the idea of used anything.
I also had a chance to buy a pair of Monitor Audio Silver 500's shipped for barely over 2k but I wouldn't have the option to return them unless they were broken... This guy is a Monitor Rep but doesn't work out of a brick and mortar store.

I like the idea of a 3 way too. Mostly what I've researched BUT the Revel, even though its a 2.5 way design, measures as good or better than any of the 3 ways I've seen and they're praised for their mids also.

I would definitely take bluesdog advice and listen if you can.

Definitely give the Monitor Silver's a look. They are a true 3 way (as are the Focal Choras).

Some dealers, I've heard, will negotiate on some product lines... Revel is one of them. So don't discount products that may seem to be just outside your budget. The Focal Chora 826 (3 way) msrp is several hundred over my max budget but I just saw them on sale for 1895, about 3-400 under list.

In previous post I heard the Focal Aria 926, not the 936.

I grew up appreciating and favoring 3 way designs. I know they are out of your price range but if you get a chance to hear some Revel Performa3 F206 or 208's you should best take a cold shower first. The likelihood of experiencing a spontaneous speaker woody is considerable.

Yea Bluesdog, Got my eye on some demo model Walnut F206's. I'm afraid they're going to sell before I can come up with the scratch to pay for them.

I'm happy I got my BFF a new $900 TV for her birthday BUT I do wish I had that $$ now to get me close to the money I'd need for those F206's. Maybe they'll still be there in 2-4 weeks.....Keeping my fingers crossed

For Mike Gough: Sounds like those Sewell Silverback speaker wires with screw-on bananas are working well for you.

As for Swampy, as the great 3:47 American miler Steve Scott used to say” Sometimes you’ve just got to be happy for the other guy.” I’m hoping most audiophiles are rooting for SOMEBODY to make a move even if the rest of us are, ahem, DELAYED in our quests. Rooting for you about those Revels. In person they do look more walnut in high gloss. For some reason online they look more cherry.

For everyone: If you are used to hearing $800-$2,500 speakers then the Revel Performa 3 F206 or 208 can be a bit revelatory. If your amp is a hair on the warm side, that combines well for more of a bass sound in the 206’s But their bass production is a lot better then their specs would indicate. Hey, Swampy: Maybe somebody could take what you have on layaway?

Now it is a proven scientific fact that hired audiophile reviewers get sent to an elite Tibetan monastery. Here monks train them in the arcane arts of discipline and focus when experiencing audio bliss. How else to explain no untoward behavior from the siren call of uber components?

I’m kind of glad I HAVEN’T yet heard the Revel Performa3 BE228, the Aerial Acoustics 7T or the Sopra’s No 2 and 3. I could get arrested for downright speaker molestation and we can’t be having that! At the very least I might end up announcing “Ma-ma!”

Trying to figure a way to borrow about 1600 all day to get enough for those.... may have to just be happy for the other guy as you pointed out but who knows. I believe I can get those F206's for 2200-2300 + shipping but unless something unexpected happens I'll be lucky if he has them when I do have that much available. I don't think he'd take a layaway deal but it may be worth checking.

Regarding the Performa BE models. I'm fantasizing about building my own clone of the 228Be or 328Be (think thats the right model number for the 3 x 8" config) after this purchase. The tweeters run 300-450 i imagine. The other drivers are less than 150 each or in that ballpark. SB acoustics ceramic coated aluminum drivers all around besides the tweeters. Thats A LOT cheaper situation. Of course there's cabinet costs, crossovers (which I currently know diddly-shit about) and I'm sure the engineers at Revel have some kind of black-magic-fuckery that makes their products so consistently pleasing to the ears but if I could build something resembling a clone (sound as well as finish) of a 5K+ speaker set for maybe 800-1000 per speaker, a little learnin, and some elbow grease, then I think it'd be something I'd like to try. Evetually.

Quote:

Of course there's cabinet costs, crossovers (which I currently know diddly-shit about) and I'm sure the engineers at Revel have some kind of black-magic-fuckery that makes their products so consistently pleasing to the ears but if I could build something resembling a clone (sound as well as finish) of a 5K+ speaker set for maybe 800-1000 per speaker, a little learnin, and some elbow grease, then I think it'd be something I'd like to try.

In that context, I'd recommend going active and using available software tools to create a DSP-based crossover.

Not something I'd considered but at this point I'm just dreaming.
Is that (DSP-based crossover) the same as an "active crossover" ?
Or were you also meaning "active speakers" ie. speaker with amplifiers included as part of the speaker ?

In effect, a DSP-based crossover would be implemented as an active crossover. The exact physical placement of the filters and amplifiers is not the issue.

Based on my 10 minutes of research - lol - it seems that 1 issue with active crossovers is the individual amplifier channels available. From my (very) brief reading it seems that you were building a 3 way system.... you'd need a 6 channel amp or combination of amps. For a 4 way it'd be 8 channels.

Seems like the perfect solution for someone who has enough amplifier channels.
Maybe I'm incorrect about the amplifier/channel issue but if not that might be an obstacle financially to a speaker build. It'd cost me quite a bit to triple my amp channels.

I'd be curious about whether an active/passive combo is a thing and whether its being implemented successfully by anyone.

Feel like I may be contributing to the hijacking of OP's thread. Sorry.

Did you ever make any progress on your speaker search?

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Seems like the perfect solution for someone who has enough amplifier channels.

Your analysis is correct.

Quote:

I'd be curious about whether an active/passive combo is a thing and whether its being implemented successfully by anyone.

Yes, it has been done. Typically, in a 3-way design, the LF-MF is done actively. There is more cost-saving because lower frequency passive components are more expensive and bulkier than those for higher frequencies. OTOH, the decision might otherwise be based on where the actual upper and lower crossover frequencies are with respect to a typical lister's most sensitive hearing.

I may look into the active/passive hybrid crossover when the time comes. Currently I have a 2 channel amp but I ordered it with the case oversized and pre-wired for another Hypex amp module later. I plan to add that after I make this next speaker purchase.

That'll give me 4 channels of clean power to work with.
Thanks for the ideas and input Kal, interesting stuff.

I have the the Yamaha A-S801 paired with the KLH Kendall’s and its a match made in Audiophile Heaven!! While KLH has been out of the business for some time, if you’ve read any of the stellar reviews on these speakers I can testify they are all true! I’ve auditioned speakers from Mointor Audio to Vandersteens to Dynaudio to Klipsch.......the Kendall’s are simply the most enjoyable speakers I’ve ever listened to. I stay up way to late listening to music.... if you haven’t pulled the trigger on a pair of speakers you’d be crazy not to get a pair in your home for an audition. I use a BluOS streaming box using the Qobuz streaming service and I am looking for new music all the time because what these speakers do with the Yamaha driving them is what you’d expect from a $5000 dollar or more set up!

Tips on how to be a better public speaker
Use the following ways to improve your speaking abilities:
Make the necessary preparations.
Practice.
Make eye contact with your audience.
Pay attention to how you're acting.
Consider the positive.
Handle your nerves.
Listen to your remarks on tape.