$16K new/used speaker question?

My 2 cents - try for an in-home audition of whatever you think you want to buy.  Nothing beats an audition in your home, with your gear, without a salesman hovering.  Based on my own experience, I would rather miss out on a great pair pf speakers than take a chance that I will like them as much in my home as I did in the store or the hotel room without having the ability to return them.  Most decent dealers will give you at least a weekend with a demo pair.

I’m surprised you haven’t considered top level Vandersteens. I you're anywhere near, or can get to AudioConnection in Verona, NJ, you will find what you're looking for.  Speak to John Ruton (even over the phone) for lots of ideas.

Was just wondering why you are limiting choices to 90db or higher efficiency and 8 Ohm load. Unless you find speakers which are horribly inefficient or some ridiculously low impedance, most speakers will do your equipment no harm. I second the Vandersteen choices. They seem to sound the most musical of any speaker I have listened to, and I have listened to a lot. IMHO. Good luck!

For your budget, amp, and efficiency/LF frequency extension requirements KEF's full-range floor-standing 207/2 fits the bill. They are easy to drive, are 91 dB/w/m and are very capable of deep, powerful bass. They've only been discontinued for about a year so you might still find a pair at a dealer, and they come up here on Audiogon below your target price.

The 207/2s are big speakers, but the narrow front cross-section isn't visually imposing. The coincident tweeter/midrange drivers allow the speaker to do an aural disappearing act and when properly set up, throw a wide and deep soundstage. Absolutely non-fatiguing I find them to be the quintessential music-lover's speaker. 

I've with mine for three years now and haven't heard anything at any price that would entice me to sell them. The 207/2s might be the last speakers I'll ever buy.

Steve Z

If you can find just very recently discontinued demo units of Bowers Wilkins 802s at Magnolia Show room in your area, these are in a totally different league than any models mentioned above. I went to get them myself (as Best Buy offers 24 month interest free financing) and saw another audiophile buying them for $9 grand!( Darts, he had arrived half an hour early on a weekend) !!  They were barely broken in :((((((, with boxes and free delivery. And for $14 grand you could get yourself a demo pair of Bowers WIlikins 800 D2s .. I ve seen couple  of them at the dealers in NYC..... Now we are talking no holds barred level of refinement. Just make sure you get two external run of CArdas Golden Cross speaker wire and bi-wire them. Don't ever use single wire sets or jumpers on these, as they sound too bright...

Also you could get a brand new pair of Chario Sovrans from Italy. They are about $16  grand list, but with $/euro being what it is, be firm and I'm sure you ll be able to get a pair .... Try Canadian distributor if unable to find a willing dealer in the States...

If you have a chance try to listen to the pair of Eminent Technology 8bs... I ended up with them instead of the  those demo B&W 802D2s that had sold at the Best Buy... And they are JUST $2500 plus $250 for almost mandatory Sound Anchors stands which elevate their sound even further ....