Best speakers for $3000

Melb, gives a nice mix for you to start with.  You have speakers that are all voiced a bit differently so depending on your tastes, you'll fine at least a few that you will like.

I tried to edit, but was too late.  I'm sure that you will chose your speakers over anything else, but my point is that if 10 people can chose their favorite speaker and then yours, I bet all 10 will chose their favorite speakers.  Subjective, that's all.

Russ, how can you honestly make that statement.  Sorry, but first off maybe for YOU it's the best, but have you ever heard Vandersteen 7 mkII?  Have you heard the larger speakers from nearly anyone?  Sorry, but there is no way that statement is true.  I'd put my Treo's up against them any day of the week.  

Russ, the problem really IS the amping.  You're basically locked into that B&K amp which most folks don't own. If you need to buy a new amp for the speakers, then you are locked into things and have a product that has a very small used market when you want to get rid of them.  Some, like you, will go for that, but 99% of audiophiles will never want to lock themselves into one or two amps especially when there are so many amps that are better on the market.  Just makes no sense business wise to lock yourself into that.  JMHO

Sound is personal as we all know.  I've built and have heard a lot of build it yourself speakers and I've just never heard a pair sound as good as higher end speakers from a larger/name brand company.  That's just me, but I'd listen with open ears like I always do if there was a pair around.  I get to Madison often as my step kids are there.  Do they have a pair set up to listen to if I go visit them?

The problem with your thoughts for many of us is that the amps DO matter as much as the source and speakers etc...  Even if the speakers are as good as you say, if you use an inferior amp or source to save money, then your sound can't be as good as the brand name speaker being fed a great signal.  Just go listen at any dealer and have them put on a speaker you like and keep changing amps in every price range.  I've owned B&K for years.  I just sold my original ST140 that was heavily modified by the guys in Bristol, CT who used to do the mods working with the B&K engineers as they were very tight.  They are nice amps for the price, but are not in the same league as Ayre and others that most of us use with our speakers.  I thought my Ayre AX7e was a tremendous amp (I was switching from modified Quicksilver mono's), but once I got the Ayre AX5 i was in shock at what I was missing in my sound.  Then I did the upgrade to the AX5/20 and WOW.  A totally different league from the AX5.  A great speaker will showcase what you feed it.  If you are feeding a great speaker with B&K, Rotel, NAD or other amps in that range, then you are starving the speaker and not allowing it to shine.  

I get out a LOT and listen at dealers all over the country and I am fortunate to get to hear a lot of gear and others on here have also.  I have just never heard a pair of any 20k speakers sound great with amps in the range you are talking about compared to the same speaker with a really nice amp.  Even if I don't like the speaker due to it running a bit hot on the high end or maybe the bass is a bit tubby or the speaker won't give me that leading or trailing edge properly, I can still hear said speaker sound much better with better amplification and or source.  I'd love to hear others who have also done this test to post about their thoughts.