A list of efficient speakers at ~$5K a pair.

Another easy vote for the Volti Razz. There have been a few pop up her and on USAM recently for $5k pre-loved. Or as suggested already, pick up a pair without veneer from Greg directly... great option. 

@grislybutter and  ​​​​@aricaudio I listen with the lights turned off and my eyes closed and my listening room isn't used for anything else, so that wouldn't bother me in the least.  If they sounded great that is all it would take to make me happy.

@immatthewj you still should have painted the walls pink, and the ceiling grinch green but you find an excuse for everything 

should have painted = should NOT have painted

oh well

That would make for an interesti9ng visual, @grislybutter .

But seriously, on my budget, if I could buy a speaker that out performed it's price tag and save a significant amount of money because the manufacturer had put everything into performance and nothing into aesthetics, I'd  be all about that. But I do understand how everyone doesn't (literally)  see it that way.  

After I read the Volti Razz posts and went to their site, I love the idea of being able to buy a great performing speaker and saving  2k by selecting the option of NOT having it painted or finished.