Warm romantic & detailed

Take a look at MiniDSP options to adjust the sound curve. I have an SHD and it's awesome.  Lots of options to adjust highs lows, midrange, etc.  

Hey Jeff,

My suggestions for "warmth and romance" are Harabeth, Spendor, Audio Vector. All three are fairly easy to drive with Audio Vector, at 92 db sensitivity, being the easiest. You can find a new model from each brand in your price range. If you wanted to experiment, I would consider Devore Fidelity and PMC. Good luck and have fun!

If this is of any value/help; I purchased a new pair of Electra 1008 BE bookshelf speakers for $2,999 (orig $5,999). Focal was unloading them. I wanted the Rosewood but black was the only option and it this price...now, I like them.  I have them sitting on a pair of custom made Sound Anchor stands which provides an incredibly solid platform and really allows the Focal's to show off their bass capability= simply astonishing for this size speaker. The real gem however, as people who have bought them know, is the Beryllium tweeter.  Yes, it can be bright and requires careful matching. I was considering the integrated amps from Belles Aria, Sudgen A21 or Hegel H90.  Which one do you think won??  

I've recently been looking for the same type of speaker you're describing, and I'm being drawn to the Harbeths that have been mentioned. I have a pair of Tektons, but recently replaced them with Maggie 1.7i's. The Tektons are indeed neutral and detailed, but they don't deliver the rich, natural tonal qualities of the Maggies. From what I'm learning, the Harbeths take these qualities to an even higher level. Good luck in your decision. 

For pop and rock music with Harbeth, minimum in my book is SHL5+. They are still capable of sounding dynamic with punch and slam in the bass, only with the right amps. Other good alternatives include Spendor D7 or 7.2 and Tannoy Eaton.

Never liked Focal speakers. Sound too bright and tinny at the top, lean and thin midrange. Harbeth sounds full and warm in the mids but with sufficient detail and sparkle at the top, unlike some speakers from Sonus Faber which sounded pretty much dead with muffled sound and rolled off treble.

Jeff ,

You are fortunate if you live near Fidelis Audio.It is a great Audio store with a really good staff of people. Would recommend spending more time there to listen to their Harbeth Line up. 

I have Harbeth M40.2 speakers and listen to mostly Rock, Hard Rock and POP music.