Best real world radial / omidirectional speaker

Maybe the Linkwitz Pluto 2.1

Wood Artistry will sell you a pair for $2995 (including amplifiers - they're actively bi-amplified with the electronics contained in the base of each speaker), presumably with some choice of wood accents and paint.

While the cosmetics could be better, the design is _very_ functional. For example, the mid-bass is backed with a damped transmission line with a measured 99% return loss.

There's an official "Seeking Pluto Auditions" thread at the Orion Users Group web site

http://orion.quicksytes.com/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=994

Don Naples had a pair in the Linkwitz Labs/Wood Artistry room at Axpona and may be doing the same at later stops in the audio show season.

I’ll make another vote for the Ohms for all the reasons Bondmanp and Mapman listed, plus room placement is not too finicky and they handle all types of music very well.

if you can get a hold of older SLS bookshelf speakers, that would be an alternative to ohm's. I'm amazed at what it can do for home theater and audio only with their patented ribbons. I own all sorts of speakers and my favorite is my ESSHEILS and I have more ohm's then anything else. I even own magnepans and acoustats and eminent tech. The SLS pound per pound is the most capable. My ESS heil's are the best because I modified it to my liking with three ESS HEIL drivers. Ohm is the best for placement and all around purpose use. Planars and electrostats you need to work with the room boundaries

Any thoughhts on the oh. Walsh 1000s versus the micro walsh talls?

Cdc2,
Apart from the Ohms, for 2000 $, you should be able to find a used pair of Shahinian Obelisks sooner than later.
Regards
Florian Hassel