16K to Spend. Help me make the end all Upgrade.

Dynaudio Confidence C1 or C2 would be good - the C1 should have good WAF, and depending on her criteria the C2 may work also.

My friend also has the Pass 350 w/his 10T's. A First Sound pre and Meridian CDP, along w/a 60" TV & Rotel DVD rounds out this system.

I've also heard 10T's w/Pass monoblocks & the bass, along w/the rest of the spkr, is a pretty good mix. You're going to have a hard time bettering that sound.

Most large floorstanders that are capable of full range reproduction are considered ugly by woman, if for nothing else but their size.

Anyway, you have a daunting task ahead of you, so I would suggest taking your wife w/you to at least start looking for something that appeals to her. That way you'll have an idea of where to search, 'cause I don't think anyone here can help in that department.

The Linkwitz Orion is an amazing speaker and really quite small. You can get it made in any finish you want which means that you can let the wife make that decision. It is however somewhat less than your budget!

Being active will however require you to ditch the X350 since it no longer will be needed.

I ended up with Quad 2805s after having listened to both, but the Orions were my second choice and that is mostly because I (apartment living) had to put low-level performance ahead of bass extention.

Baraeryo:

I have listened to the 1037s three different times (two different rooms). They are ok but not worth the asking price.

The midrange is very open and clear with a natural tone to it. The highs are very detailed and not hyper detailed in anyway. But I had a few problems with this speakers.

#1 while I was listening to Nora Jones her voice came straight out of the tweeter on some pieces. This was very distracting and made the highs did not seem very well integrated.

Second was the bass. It was very textured when the speakers were pulled out into the room but but was too thin. When we changed room (same dealer different location) and move the speakers closer to the back wall the bass was bigger but lots detail and texture. This was a deal breaker for me and I moved on. Sound stage was not near as wide or high as Thiel 3.7 or B&W 802D.

A speaker I really like (and is under your budget... for once) is Thiel 3.7s. The mids are extremely detailed! The highs were much more detailed then the Duettes I did an A/B comparison with. The bass was balanced, it was never boomy or lacking. The sound stage was HUGE and still pinpointed each musician. They were also the only speakers (in this price range) that disappeared for me. I though other speakers sounded natural in the past but after listening to the 3.7 it has given me a new perspective on what I was missing. I also could not here a crossover in any way. Not sure if your wife will like them.... I actually had my mom (she is 58) with me for the audition and she really liked the looks...

Von Schweikert has come out with a new speaker that fits your budget and room. It's called the unifield 3. It is like a mini VR9. It has a small footprint and comes in glossy wood or piano gloss black finishes. It features state of the art drivers and cabinet construction while holding high WAF. Well worth looking into.

Blessings, Bob