dhanks, In your price range I would also consider the Wilson Audio Sabrina compact floorstanders ($16k/pair new) as well as Vandersteen and Vienna Acoustics. Or the Sonus Faber Olympica line or higher. And the new B&W 803 D3 ($17k/pair new) wouldn't be so bad either. These new B&W 800 D3 series do not use Kevlar midrange drivers anymore and sound quite a bit better than their prodecessor D2 models which still used Kevlar midrange drivers. B&W has gone through total redesigns and engineering with their new 800 D3 series model.
But out of these loudspeakers mentioned above my first choice would be the Wilson Sabrina and these speakers will pair well with McIntosh gears.
The Sonus Faber and the B&W 800 Diamond series will also pair well with the McIntosh.
Try to get as many as home demo speakers as you can and listen to them in your own room and with your equipments. It comes down to personal preferences and musical tastes when it comes to speaker choices. We all have different tastes when it comes to speakers.
But out of these loudspeakers mentioned above my first choice would be the Wilson Sabrina and these speakers will pair well with McIntosh gears.
The Sonus Faber and the B&W 800 Diamond series will also pair well with the McIntosh.
Try to get as many as home demo speakers as you can and listen to them in your own room and with your equipments. It comes down to personal preferences and musical tastes when it comes to speaker choices. We all have different tastes when it comes to speakers.