Best speakers for my system

Everyone, once again thank you for your advice. I am going to the Atlanta show in April and will listen to everything. Most of you must be dealers or long-time audio afficianados. You certainly know far more than I do.
Ckoffend, I wanted to ask you opinion about the RealTraps. When I put them in my listening room they did improved the sound stage and eliminated an unpleasantness that I later attributed to reflections. Why do you dislike them, and what would you replace them with? Thanks again!

I like them and think you should get rid of them by sending them to me!

You are well ahead of most by recognizing that the room is just as important as any component. It is hard to make even the best speaker in the world sound good in a room with really bad acoustics.

FWIW, I am not a dealer and never have been involved in the industry, other than as a consumer. My comments about the traps was purely tongue in cheek. Your plans to attend the show is probably the best move you can make in narrowing down what you want in terms of sound and what you like in terms of product. Best of luck to you.

Well, my listening room is long and narrow and I knew enough to know that I didn't know enough, and after reading Robert Harley (and once again feeling totally overwhelmed--information overload) I somehow connected with RealTraps. I can't tell you how much the sound improved. A real head-turning WOW! Real soundstage! Speakers really disappearing! I think I spent about $3500 and it was really worth it to me as compared to the cost of components; their technicians were available for installation and placement recommendations as well as my usual idiot questions. An excellent audio experience all-around. I would be interested in others' experience with baffles and deflectors, etc.

I'm a bit late in response, but I can't add anything about Ckoffend's question about D38R with Levinson electronics. I was simply listing brands of speakers that I've heard in the OP's price range, that would fit his (not so limiting) requirements. I actually am not a huge fan of Proac's - all I've heard critically, though, was a D28 driven by Ayre electronics. It didn't grab me, but if you're shopping in that price range, you owe it to yourself to hear Proac's and see if you like them, because many do. B&W are the same - wasn't my cup of tea, but lots like them, so you need to do your diligence to make sure that you make a buying choice from an informed perspective.

As speaker and system choices are very personal I can only respond to what I would want in a speaker and a system.

I personally am partial to high efficiency speaker designs, such as those made by Devore, Coincident Technology, and Vaughn.

So for me, I would likely sell the Levinson amp and buy a Coincident Techology Frankenstein 8 watt/channel amp or their 75 watt/channel Dragon amp. The Frankies are the cat's meow and are the best low-powered amplifier I have ever heard. They produce the strongest 8 watts I have ever heard and with also the cleanest and most grain-free performance. IMO, there is nothing better if you hook them up to the appropriate speakers. And their difference to most other amps is not subtle. You will recognize it immediately.

I would then choose between a Coincident Technology Total Victory II or Total Victory IV--or maybe an $8,500 delivered Vaughn Cabernet. Maybe a Devore Gibbon 9 or their reference Silverback. All these speakers are excellent and are easily driven with the Frankenstein's.

Greg