help narrowing down my list of speakers, $2500

I am using a pair of Silverline Sonata II speakers (and the Prima CDP as well) in a room that is 2' larger than yours in each direction. I use them primarily for rock: Tool, Soundgarden, XTC, Catherine Wheel, Jeff Buckley, etc. I bought them for a few hundred under your price ceiling, and I am done looking around. They are phenomenal.

Many of the speakers on your list are superb. I agree as well with those that Maxxc suggested to scratch off your list. All, except the Silverline. No matter what amp I've heard with the Silverline (or Soliloquy) speakers, they sound fantastic. Tubes, hybrid, or SS work well with both of these speaker lines. And with the Sonata II, you will NOT need a sub.

The key is the synergy between the amp and speakers, and some of those on your list will be more finicky than others when it comes to that synergy. Let your ears be the judge.

All the best,
Howard

Totally agree, Maxx, about the sub. I had a pretty nice one, but in a small room it never seemed to sound as blended as when the speaker itself had all of the bass duties. And the Sonata II's are astounding in that regard--from Bach to Rock, as you say. I've never heard drums sound so airy, and the tuning signatures of the drum heads is unmistakable.

Jamie c001, For around $1300, you can get a pair of Soliloquy 6.3 speakers.
You'll shake your head and wonder how they can sound so good at that price. And again, you won't need a sub. Go out and listen to as much as you can, or buy something, or you could (as Audiomax suggested) spend the next 5 years narrowing your long list.
All the best,
Howard

I agree, and I am voting for Maxxc as class president. In fact, if Maxxc is available for the next four years, I'm writing him in on the national ballot.

All kidding aside:
Based on your list, if you are going with floorstanders (my preference), I would spend all of $1300-1500 for a pair of Soliloquy 6.3's. I was a professional musician for over ten years, and my experience with the Soliloquy line is that they sound like the amp that feeds them. And they are the most non-fatiguing speaker I have heard. Finally, every person who ever heard them in my system--no matter what speakers they favored--said one word about the Soliloquy's: natural. I have the Silverline Sonata II, and absolutely love them, but they could potentially overpower your room. For $1300-1500, you're set. Spend the rest of your money on romantic CD's and dinners for the girl who melts at the sound of Metallica on your stereo.

All of the other speakers mentioned are superb, but I personally think they will require additional effort to obtain the best amp/speaker synergy, and some of them (as Maxxc mentioned) will not serve your intended purpose.

If you are going with monitors + sub, I think others here would have more useful feedback than I would.

Unless you want to spend a lot of time 'figuring this out', that's my 2 cents, for what it's worth.

All the best,
Howard

Jrwr7,

If you're ever in the Sacramento area, I invite you to come on by and have a listen to Tool/Soundgarden/Kings X on our Sonata II's. In fact, we only use them for rock. I think they might overpower Jamiec001's room--and Alan Yun (Silverline's head honcho) might be shocked--but Alice in Chains never sounded better IMO.
All the best,
Howard