Best Speakers to Audition in the $5-10k range?

PMC OB-1 seems to fit your needs, you may find you need more power but that is only a small chance.

The Paradigms mentioned above would be the only speakers anywhere near the PMC's infitting your needs, the Vandy Quattro's are just too ugly (a highly subjective thing of course).

All due respect to the other's mentioned, most are not "small" foot prints and Dipoles make the worst theater speakers....5+5.1 anyone?

Gallo reference III (?) terrible midrange dynamics for theater and the Merin is a pretty small in your price range to measure up to other options that are available.

PS: Sleeper pick DALI Helicon 800 and Dynaudio Contour towers should also make your list.

Make sure whichever speaker you choose a proper matching center is available if you cannot use a third tower for the front.

Happy Shopping.

Chadnliz,

1. It's a real simple fundamental problem that I can't seem to get anyone to answer about Dipoles, What are you going to do with all those back wall reflections? How do you adjust the levels and phase for that? And lets clarify Dipoles aren't bad speakers they are the wrong speakers for this application. As would a Fostex based single driver system....read "not ideal." So why recommend them?

Plus the Ayre V3 can run out of steam on Magneplanar Mg1.6's, so what dipole speaker did you have in mind?

2. "di-poles are awesome for the long side wall! Also as they run out of phase in nature they are easy to foget where they are and thats very important for HT"

Only if you use THX which almost no one does anymore. If the soundtrack is mixed on monopoles than I think you would want monopoles for rears.? Or if you can argue otherwise let me know. I think they have mixing/playback standards for a reason.

People haven't used Dipoles for rears on a regular basis since the mid 1990's, do you know why? I don't know why? :)

3. "As far as Di-poles being bad as was mentioned above, thats a load of BS, it is all up to your taste."

This is true, the part of it being you're own decision. If you want to do it wrong from the start it is a America. I've built a great deal of Ikea furniture in my day and when i didn't follow the directions most of the time I was ok, but every once in a while....ooops! Want to find an ooops on a $5K-$10K investment?

In the end

If you believe suiting yourself is to be placed above the artists intent than colorize your sound and system to any fashion you want! The idea is to enjoy your system.

But recommending it to someone else is a whole other story. You have to understand what your system is, and how it fits into the grand scheme of things.

If you wish to be true to the artist than you should make the system so that it does not alter their art or minimize the distortion your system imposes on the presentation. And this means following the rules to a great degree.

What are you going to do next month when "Minimalistic" is a pair of fully active Maggie MG1's with custom 15" JBL Subwoofers, Roksan/Ear864/MicroBenz analog. Gonna want your input!