Your friend should go listen to B&W, Triangle, Monitor Audio, Dynaudio, Paradigm, Canton, Epos.....especially if they are going to be in his main system. He would then be able to decide value based on dollars to spend.

In January 1976 I bought a pair of B&O S70's. I thought they sounded quite good until I heard a pair of Magnepan MG1's. I have not owned a pair of boxes since I sold those B&O's to a buddy in June 1976. They were comparably priced but the Maggie's walked all over the B&O's.

I've had some B&O equipment in the past, great eye candy! I've found their equipment to be a little better than average but not a good sound value. Looks can have a lot to do with how one will perceive the sound produced. Kind of like a sonic placebo. But, if a placebo cures your cancer, who can argue?