Most forgiving high end speaker 10k-20k?

OHM Walsh fit the bill except cost is $1000 to $7000 or so depending on room size and options.

A good question, but I think it's the wrong question. Rather than focus on specific speakers at an arbitrary price level, you should look at your entire system (including room and setup) for a solution.

I suggest you start with a loudspeaker that doesn't have to fight against your listening room and placement options. Ignore your lower dollar limit. The right speaker could be well below $10k. You can then match the speakers to appropriate electronics.

So many people focus the high frequencies when dealing with loudspeakers/systems being forgiving. I think getting the lower midrange and bass right, which are primarily room interaction related, are more important in addressing the issue, particularly if don't have the audiophile aversion to tone controls/EQ.

I like Onhwy61's advice!

Speakers that are designed explicitly to be highly coherent through the mid range (where most of music occurs) and fit into the room well without overpowering it should work best. Find that first, get them tuned into the room optimally, run them off a well matched amp and tweak the sound from there if/when needed with the rest. There are many less expensive speakers that can fit the bill.

Also you have to manage your expectations when it comes to recordings. They are what they are, not what the listener wants them to be. IF you want to enjoy music on a good system, you have to keep this in mind. No good system will make a lesser recording sound like the best, so do not expect to throw money at the problem with that as your goal.

Having taken this approach, I find 85-90% or more of most anything I listen to on my rig, vinyl or digital, to be enjoyable and involving these days. I have two separate systems running speakers in 5 different rooms (and a deck over the summer). It's all good, but it took a lot of thought and time even more so than funds to get there sooner rather than later.

As a long time fan of music that's poorly recorded (Todd Rundgren, anyone?), I've faced this question, too, and I think that this animal exists.

I'd look for a gentle mid bass elevation and slowly, smoothly falling FR thru to the highest frequencies. As noted above, it's hard to predict exactly which speaker might do that in your particular room, but IME it's a fair bet that Verity's Parsifal series will do a pretty good job of it. It's also remarkably resolving thru the mid-band. Unless the gentle 40hz -60hz (ish) bump gets goosed by the room, the P/E will generally sound very good with mediocre source material and wonderful when a good recording allows.

Strictly speaking, it's not the last word in neutrality, but it might be just what you're looking for.

Good Luck,

Marty