Speaker recommendations for 2,500 or less?


My system is a Classe CAP 150 integrated amp with a Classe CDP1 cd player... What speakers would work best with my equipment? I would consider either a floor stand or a monitor speaker..
tclipse
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
For a litle over $2500 you could have a used Sonus Faber Electa Amator II. Absolutely the best small speaker I've ever heard. Amazing and dynamic bass from such a small enclosure, harmonically rich with goergous midrange and smooth and nicely resolved highs. They do require some juice to sound their best and your Classe gear is more than up to the task. Actually I think it would make a really nice, musical system.
SF EA IIs are amazing speakers. I would take the talons over them for sound quality but you really can not go wrong with Electa Amator IIS for a mixture of looks and sound. Very good suggestion... If only i had thought of that.....