For floorstanders in the $500 and below catagory, they are a great speaker. Very efficient, plenty of strong bass, not bad looking, and quite listenable- never harsh even with solid state amps. I think you will be quite happy with them on that budget.
Athena ASF-2: are these speakers for real???
I'm currently trying to set up a "killer" budget system. At this point, I have a Cambridge Azur 640 series integrated amp and cd player. Cables are Monster M1.4 for the speakers and Alpha Core Micro Purl silvers between the amp and front end. I am in the hunt for a full range set of speakers and only want to spend $500 at the most. My listening preference is mostly acoustic jazz and some classical. I am seriously considering the Athena ASF-2. Any feedback on these speakers will be appreciated. My living room is about 16'x 20'.