New or used???

Someone has to buy new so there will be used for sale.

Here's my dilemma ... For budgetary concerns (and so my fiancée doesn't kill me), I'm trying to keep the speaker purchase near $5K.
Jhkear

Go for broke and buy what you want now. If she kills you, you die a quick, painless death with great speakers, as opposed to the long slow death that's a side effect of marriage with lesser speakers. Married men don't actually live longer, it only seems that way. :)

Seriously, buy used, but I would only buy local so that I could audition, and also make sure that they are in proper condition (and save the shipping nightmares).

Cheers,
John

if you have to ask...
used is green.

Figure that you will lose 50% value the day you pick something out new or used.

Electronics has the worst depreciation of any consumer category and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying.

Additionally, the aftermarket is fueled by tweakers who are constantly moving on to the next best thing. Your model, used or new, will likely not be desired, as "new" or "better" product is served up as the replacement technology. Very few audiophile products have an iconic status that hold up against the test of time.

Also, audiophile space is littered by small engineering companies that are usually undercapitalized and or have limited distribution. You are paying the R & D dreams of some inventor.

The premier English and Canadian companies know value out of the box. ATC studio monitors from the UK and PSB and Paradigm from Canada make excellent product. The quality and build is excellent. With that said, most consumer oriented audiophile gear can't hold a candle to pro gear--the best pro gear from ATC, Harbeth and Tannoy will run circles around the speakers you have auditioned, and are built to be played often to professional sound engineer ears that make their living and reputation by them. Before you buy the next great audiophile product, I would seriously view pro gear as an option, especially active designs preamped that eliminate the need for amplification components and cables (and an optimal signal path).

I would try the ATC 20-2 or 16A--true honest and transparent sound.

If you want to go with separates, Almarro is a wonderful tube amp company out of Japan.RFD makes the best sounding integrated amps out of the UK. Both companies offer simplistic design sourced from solid parts. Try to match the speaker to these first.

The good news is that, the price of used speakers except the flavor of the month depreciate from the new price considerably.
Indeed if in need of repairs shortly after after aquiring them, most speaker repairs are relatively simple, For instance new surrounds. If a driver is blown e.g. a burnt voice coil, replacements exact OEM are generally avaiable, and simple to exchange.
The bad news though is that used full range floor standing speakers are incredibly hard to ship. A true hard ship. Good luck.
Ever consider monitors? Better WAF easy to ship,don't sound like the big speakers no replacement for discplacement.