Looking for a speaker under $1000. used.

Soliloquy 5.3
You can find them used for around $800. An absolute bargain. They fit your sonic desires, once they have about 300 or more hours on them.

You must consider/audition GMA Europas (do a search here for "Europa"). They fit your description very well. They bested a pair of Totem Forests in my system. No doubt, you'll get many suggestions.

I agree with Soliloquy. That would be my first choice. Also, there is B&W 603 S3. Some used meadowlark can be found at that price.

Quad 11L/12L/21L/22L, any Epos.

Vandersteen 1c if you don't expect bottom-end extention. Make your next upgrade race to add sub if you do.

ENERGY AUDISSEY 5+2. WOW !

If your looking for imaging and soundstaging capabilites...I would stick with a standmount...and I agree...the Europas are almost unbeatable at their price and well beyond...I also have a room exactly the size of yours...and they easily fill it up...

I have a stand by pair of Thiel 1.2's that I keep just for when I sell my mains and buy another pair. I just recently sold my mains and have been listening again to the 1.2's while in between my new purchase to arrive.
Just tonight as I am sitting and loving what I am hearing, I say to my self. Why did I even buy another pair when these sound so well?. The Thiels image like mad. Nice tight bass. I don't even know how long I will keep the new pair in place.
The 1.2's might be back in action at any time.
The best part about all of this is I paid $400 for the Thiel's. These IMHO beat out the pair that I just sold that cost 8-10 times more!

I agree with the first couple of posters. In fact, as I was reading your post, I thought, Soliloquy 5.0s. Then I read the part about your room size and floor standers and I thought...Soliloquy 5.3.

I'm not a current Soliloquy owner (though I had a pair of 5.0s awhile back) nor am I a dealer.

Based on your objectives and criteria...it's EXACTLY what you're looking for.

Thank you all for your replys. I've heard the Triangle Zerius and Celius models, they image and soundstage well, but probably not as musical as some others. Will look closer at the Soliloquy line, 5.3, 6.2, 6.3. And the Europa's, (yes Phasecorrect) I might stay with standmount monitors for there imaging and soundstaging abilites,but sometimes I would like a little more bass and dynamics without going to a powered sub. Thanks again Audiogoners! Jerry

Meets your requirements except for the 40 watts; you will need 70 - 100 watts (or more) depending on the amp and your tastes, but the good news is that you will have about $500 left toward an amp after paying about $500 for a very nice pair of DQ-10s (including the stands - they need to be on the stands, not the 3 little feet). They will image and present vocals as well as anything in this price range. Assuming you could sell your existing amp for a few hundred dollars you could then buy an ARC D-70 MkII or a D-76A for less than a thousand dollars and be in sonic heaven (if you don't listen real loud, these amps will give you decent volume). I'm sure someone will chime in with something that sounds better, but either one of these amps plus a pair of DQ-10s will give you as natural a human voice as you can expect for anywhere near this budget. DQ-10s come up pretty often on the used market (e-Bay and Agon), but the trick is to find a truely original pair in good condition - no mods (people do wierd things) and no repairs (look for a pair that is owned by the original owner who kept them in a good HVAC environment and babied them so they don't need a woofer surround replacement). These speaker will give you a great sound stage, decent low end, and open airy midrange and highs; with a tube amp, especially an ARC, the highs (and the entire tonal range) will be musical. Throw an ARC SP-3A1 preamp in later and you will have a high performance medium budget system that can't be beat until you start looking at 2-3x the cost. If you have to, you can start with the DQ-10s and a vintage receiver (Marantz 2325, 2275 or Sony 7065 or a Yamaha equivalent) and still have great sound. Speaking of Yamaha, the other alternative would be a pair of Yamaha NS-1000s, but lately they go for about $1k in good condition; different sound than the DQ-10s, but also a legendary speaker. If there is any way to find a pair of DQ-10s and/or NS-1000s to hear, especially driven with decent tube equipment you will quickly realize what is so special about these two. Good luck.