Best speakers under $500? Fire away!

Gallo Acoustics still has some Classico CL-2 in stock. They were originally 1200 through dealers, then 800 direct. I just bought a pair for $390. A friend brought over his Elac B6 for comparison. The Gallos, as expected, completely outclassed them so he bought a pair of CL-2. Awesome speaker for that price.

edit, I think Dan at Gallo only has one pair left. Get em!!

You may like the sound of the Elacs, but you will most definitely not be happy with their fit and finish. Terrible, cheap veneer. The Gallos are made to a much nicer and long lasting standard.

seriously, the Gallo CL2's I bought are still breaking in and have detail, accuracy, spaciousness and natural tone that will put many of these suggestions to shame. They are 90db and a transmission line - the bass is extended and accurate, you can actually hear the tone and articulation of the bass, not just boom like the B6. I heard them up against the B&W 685 mentioned above - the Gallos are in a whole different league for sure. That CDT tweeter and crossoverless design is special. Call Dan at Gallo!!!

One other option is a used pair of Tekton Lore Reference - They can be had about $500. Very efficient, huge effortless dynamics and soundstage. 

I see you went with the B6. I think this a mistake based on your amp - they are overly warm, (rolled off really) and very bass heavy (boomy) unless you have a room that is very well treated or can move them into the room about 4 feet, no kidding. I feel like NAD will only exacerbate these issues. B6 would be best match with very accurate and neutral electronics, even on the slightly lean side. good luck.

Not sure I would go that far, but definitely $500 or under the CL-2's would be extremely hard to beat. My Lore Reference at $750 sound better, but they are also an incredible bargain.

update: I compared the Gallo CL2's that I got on closeout for $390 to the Kef LS50 today at a dealer. I preferred the Gallos in every way. More detailed, wider soundstage, much faster sounding, blacker background and deeper bass. If you like speakers to relax you, no matter what music they are playing, the LS50's are for you, they make me sleepy. If you want to be engaged and excited listening to music, the Gallos are much better. End of story.