What is your vote for best bookshelf speaker ?

How about the following:

atc SCM 7-an incredibly accurate, shoe box size speaker w
with astounding bass given its dimensions

Triangle Titus-Can't believe no one mentioned this bargain
(less than $500)

Harbeth Compact 7-Another extremely accurate speaker, but
unfortunately hard to find in USA, but
available direct from the distributor in
Canada

These are all far less expensive than many of those mentioned-the Harbeth is the most costly at about $2,400-yet deliver performance so good that you'll have a lot more to put into other parts of your system, or, better still, into what really matters: LP's and CD's!

Gentle people, youngsters most of you must be, dollars for dollars spent, go find a used pair of Rogers LS 3/5a's. Find out what midrange,depth, and focalazation can truly sound like for less than $1k, take the money you save and buy a good front end and a sub. Feel good in the knowledge that 5 years from now, the Rogers will still be worth what you paid for them along with being worth listening to. Few of the others will be able to make that claim, though Suretyguy is right about the Harbeth. And I own none of the above. Proac ain't bad either.

Either KRK K-Rok (about$400.00) or Speaker Art Super Clef (about $1,500.00). Don't let the low price fool you, these speakers are both very very impressive.

Sonus Faber Extrema's, modified to bypass the internal crossover, using external crossover, driving it "active" bi-amp with world class amplification!!!....WOW!!!..WOW!!!
For most all practical purposes, I garantee you worlds, no light years better performance all around than anything you just named!! Not only are we talking world class resolution and tranparancy, but dynamics and realism (from rock to instrumentals) so hard hitting and powerful, you'll swear it's live, live, live!
Simple passive speakers are really no match in dynamics and that "you are there" beleivability, presence and DYNAMICS!...ALMOST HURTS with the right music!..I swear!
That Esotat tweeter and Dynaudio Woofer can take more power than you can immagine!..just gotta go active bi-amp to find out! the drivers are a simple blend, and no trick crossovers are needed. SOUNDS AMAZING! Detail is as good as it get's, and the bass is simply world class (competes like this with full range, no problem.)
Immagine everything you've come to read about the Extrema's (class A out of the box, etc. ), X5!!!!..it's mind blowing really. I will NEVER need anything else EVER FOR MUSIC!!!..ever!
now home theater in certain instances, that's a different story in some applications. Just depends on you're room, and set-up. speakers like the Wilson Cub's (though not as listenable for all typs of music over periods of extended listening, as is, in my view, are superb HT speakers! Drive em actively, and you're talking world class Home theater performance that is incomparable.
GO MODIFIED BABY!....IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO FLY!

what about the Audio Physic Step SLE?