Speaker recommendations for 2,500 or less?

Those talon peregrine speakers on audiogon now for 2500 with stands is one of the best deals i have ever come across. This speaker is almost as good as the original Khorus. Incredible!!! That is my advice for sure. If you dont go for these i would go for a pair of merlin vsm SEs. They are also incredible for the money. Either way is a sure win and they both kill just about (there are about 3 exceptions i know of) any speaker out there that are 6k or less. Email me for info on either pair. - Ian

A question like this is too hard to answer without knowing the kind of music you like best and the room where you listen to it. At 2,500, you can't have it all. Tradeoffs are the reality almost all of us live with, so you've got to choose the strengths and priorities that fit your circumstances.
That said, I think the Proac 1.5 is fantastic, but a bit more that your budget, and the Linn Ninka is also really good.

An obvious answer: no speaker will work "best". It's your room and your ears and what your preferences are. Speakers color sound and the design is always a trade off. What kind of sound do you like? Some speakers like Thiele and Vandersteen use what is called a pulse coherant design and emphasize imaging. Others, most canadian and British for example, are designed for a flat response. The best thing is to see if you can take them home and listen there. Sometimes that is not possible.
I will say my favorite is speakers I make myself because you get such better quality for the $$. If you are not into starting from scratch which I would not recommend forhte first time, speaker kits are available and are very easy to build. The down side is that you cannot hear them at home first. North Creek.com and Madisound.com both have great kits that are easy to make. I prefer Scan-Speak drivers myself. For your price you will get quality that you won't see until the 6-7k range (or well above that in many lines) in retail speakers. Check out the Madisound Solist kit or the North Creek Rhythm Kit (my favorite) for the fun of it. If you go this way get the best crossover you can afford.

Harbeth Compact 7ES or Monitor 30. Also Spendor SP 1/2. All are accurate large monitors that you can build a great system with.
Charlie

Listen to RBH 1044 SE. Then sound like a $5K pair. Really.
http://www.rbhsound.com/inroom/signature/1044.htm