Tube 777, You are certainly entitled to go your own route. I can' help but think that you may be putting the horse before the buggy. Used speakers will offer much greater value, especially at your price point. Three way speakers are by there very nature going to have some size to them (I think the Vandersteens size is typical). Personally I'm more concerned with foot print than actual size. While bi/tri amping/wiring can have advanteges, at your price point I would want to keep things simple. Better speakers are made with a combination of considerations with compensations made with cabinet,crossovers,etc. Just willy nilly replacing drivers could possibly (probably?) make things worse, even if said drivers are better. This not to say that mods can't improve your system, but only to say that it takes expertise (including appropriate testing equipment) and money and still comes with risk. I would be much more concerned with speaker to room interaction and how it effected my musical enjoyment than in playing with wire and/or amp combinations. Another area that on the surface may seem like a good idea but in practice take a great deal of expertise to make work. Again this type of fine tuning can provide signifiicant improvement, but your budget seems to be out of range for these priorities. IMHO it would be like contemplating racing slicks on a Yugo. I don't mean to rain on your parade and I wish you the best, but my advise would be to keep it simple.
