What speaker to replace ESL 63?

I am also in agreement with Audiokinesis, but would like to add two other possibilities. At a little over twenty K, the Rockport Sheraton/Merak combination does many things well, including setting a phenomenal soundstage. My other suggestion would be a used set of Rockport Szysygies (spelling uncertain). This speaker was about 14k new, uses the Esotar tweeter, will work with a variety of amps (a friend is temporarily using a set of Quad 405's) and probably on the used market can be had for under 10k. I think that Andy Payor may currently have a used pair that he took as a trade-in. The other advantage to buying a used set is that the woofer requires very extended break-in to sound right.

Thank you everybody for your advice.
The only problem for me is that I am on a limited budget ( from US 2K to 4K) and I have to forget top of the line Piegas Sound Labs and so on...
I think it will be worth considering a pair of used but in good conditions Quads ESL 63 or a pair of 988 but I am hesitating. I have encountered reliability problems to hygroscopic breakdown (humidity and fungi) due particularly to the fact that I am often abroad and the Quads remain disconnected.
The Gradient Revolution seems a possible replacement to the Quads. The bass panel Gradient SW 63 that I use for bass reinforcement is extremely articulate and dry and is very weel built and reliable.

agree w/ fcrowder. the rockports are way special speakers. i have heard the same syzygy's that fcrowder refers to (at rcrump's place) and they're last-buy speakers.

there's very few speakers that i would pay that compliment to. rockports are one of maybe 3 (along w/ soundlabs & avalon)
rhyno

Jdanielh, I have a suggestion which could help you with your ESLs, protecting them against humidity, when you are away abroad. I learnt this from a dealer friend and it works well:

Get yourself a roll of that stretchy-elastic see through plastic wrapping and wrap it around your speaker, inclusive of the bottom electronics part, in about three to four tightly stretched layers. I assure you, moisture will not get through. You could of course also consider leaving them on all the time, as I do, but a certain fire hazard can of course never be discounted and mould could perhaps form all the same. The wrappings should do the trick, I'm pretty sure.
Cheers and happy listening! Detlof

State of the Art driver and crossovers, unique internal damping methods, ambient driver, Hovland caps in the "SE" models, add up to a very quick, transparent, dynamic speaker that delivers a wide soundstage. The VR3.5's(list 3k) have been compared to the new $7k Quands, with more balls to the wall low-end and punch! Price increase effective Nov 1st will bump prices up significantly but, will remain competitive with other brands at similar price points. See at www.vonschweikert.com