Help me shorten my list...

Don't forget the Totem line of loudspeakers.

Totem Mani monitors at about 3000 (used) need to be considered, although they are reportedly finicky about their electronics.

Totem Tabus are GREAT, and do a lot of things very well. They've been discontinued, I think, but still can be found occasionally here on A'gon. They were around 3000 dollars new, so tend to run around 2000, sometimes less, used.

Odyssey Loreleis go deeper than you "need", but still deserve strong consideration given their price (2700 new, and basically a licensed version of a practically identical Symphonic Line speaker that sells for 7000 dollars in Germany). There's a good sixmoons review that can be linked to from the Odyssey Audio website.

If you bought the JM labs Micro Utopia Be loudspeakers, they'd have to be used to be within your budget. Priced new, at around 5000+ dollars, they then can be compared to the Intuitive Design Summits (which are about 3500 for the speakers, and 1400 or 1500 for the stands); the Summits are simply the best speaker I've personally ever heard, and I have the privelege of owning a pair. It was the audiophile purchase of my lifetime, and I have reviewed them here on A'gon.

Here's a link to a well written review of the Lorelei speakers, posted right here on Audiogon:

Well written review of the Odyssey Lorelei loudpeakers on Audiogon