Best $500 speakers for Home theater only?

Have you thought or looked at Magnepan (MC-1'S or MMG-W)?

http://magnepan.com/

How about the North Creek Echo?

http://www.northcreekmusic.com/Echo/EchoInfo.htm

http://emotiva.com/news.html

...scroll down to the speaker section on Emotiva's page and look at the ERM-6.3's shown in the picture. Emotiva is their own manufacture, and direct distributor to the end customer, which is how you can save. These are $499 each, and will likely offer far more for you money in a dynamic HT speaker than you can otherwise get.
I think you're looking at something like dual 6.5" woofers, dual 4 1/4" midranges and a 1" tweeter. If they sound anything like their small reviewed pairs, you should be doing very well here!
Having dual woofers and midranges should offer superior dynamics, better power handling, better distortion cancelation, and a more solid overall image and dynamic from your transducer, all things equal.
Just a thought...

That's an awfully expensive sub to use with $500 speakers

Well,
It's for ht! How good do the speakers have to be?? They will be crossed over at 80hz.