Best Value Speaker Model for the Buck?

The Taylor Acoustics monitors are all fantastic values at their price points, and if you can find a pair used here or on audiocircle it's downright theft.

The nOrh speakers are wonderful, especially with tube electonics pushing them. The two top of the line models have crossover issues, but Dennis Murphy's website will show you how to fix that.

I haven't heard the Totem or Usher speakers mentioned above, but they consistently receive rave reviews, so if you can hear them within a reasonable drive you should do that.

Good luck!

i get a little tired of bringing up my 1st really good speaker purchase- ADS L-810/2's. walnut cabinets with dark-stained corner inserts. a dedicated pair of black lean-back stands with generous rubber pads to protect the speaker finish. free speaker wire of course. i paid about $960. the big deal for me was/is that NOTHING i had heard at the time, perhaps with the exception of magnaplanars (which were not nearly as good as present-day maggies), was relaxed and exceptionally natural sounding, with superior imaging that you could discern right off the bat- even if you didn't have prior knowledge of what imaging was. the dealer warned me against using an amp with too much juice, because the tweeter-fuses would blow (although a trip to radio shack and $5 would remedy that). you can easily get $600 or more for a mint pair today. only the "mint" pairs are rarely for sale...

I like the Reyanuds...MK II version, and subsequent generations on up to Signatures. Costs range from $500-$900 on Audiogon. They are amazing in the way they convey the intent of a singer, are extremely musical, and 90db efficient...sound great with tubes or solid state.

The all time value leader might be the B&W 302 at $299, new. They make a mid fi system sing.

Used Vandersteen 1Cs are an exceptional value without question.
For me though, it's a beautiful pair of Meadowlark Audio Kestrel IIs I got for $500.

Let's not forget the Magnepan 1.6's are the first step on many an audiophiles road to nirvana.