Best overall Speakers for $2,500.00 or less, New?

Hoenstly,
I don't think it exists. You could spend double that and have a short list of candidates. Used will get you a lot closer to your goal.
If you talk to the folks who make 'em most will readily admit that to engineer to that price point, they must make some compromises. The choice of which compromises to make, and the execution is why there are so many speaker lines and so many different design theories.
By stating that you don't want monitors, sounds like good bass performance is near the top of your list of priorities. If so, I think the floorstanders will give you some tradeoffs in the other areas mentioned. If you find the killer $2500 speaker that does it all, please share!
Spencer

Listen to your friends. Go with the Paradigm Reference 100's, 80,s, 60's, or the 40's. You can't go wrong with these speakers.

Troutki ...did I say you can't get a decent speaker under $2500.00...I don't think so.I am simply stating to get one performance you will compromise another. That's just the way it is..there is no such thing as a best speaker.I know you love your Vandies but they aren't perfect either.

Spend less than the $7000 you have budgeted on your pre-amp mentioned in your other post and use some of those funds for better speakers.

just my 2c

Ellery

You can approximate your requirments by purchasing a mangnepan MG 1.6 (new, $1600) or MG 3.3 (used $1200), and using the remaining $900-$1200 to buy a Sunfire Signature subwoofer. The combo would be full range and wwould make beautiful music.