I agree with Zd's suggestion of 2nd hand Genesis 5.2 speakers. Fyi, the latest 5.3 is about $25kUS, however Gen 5.2's can be had in good shape <$10k. Here are a few other options..
I would throw in 2nd hand Graz-authorized resto'd Apogee Duetta Signatures. You can sometimes even find resto'd Divas with all the Graz upgrades circa $10k. Those resto'd Apogee's have surprisingly good bass & fit your sound description. Though bare in mind Apogees need plenty of room to breath & like a lot of power.
While we're talking panel speakers, i'd throw in Martin Logan Summit X. The Summit X borrows a lot of technology from the CLX & ticks all the boxes. ESL's don't like dust I hear you say? You can pick up a pair of these dust covers which will do the trick. Cheers to Spincycle09 for that suggestion.
Revel Ultima Salon 2. You can find these <$10k. The Salon 2's have one of the best beryllium tweeters out there which sounds natural and airy & has changed the perception of hard domes for many audiophiles. A great overall package & high end bargain imho.
I'll even throw in a 'roughie'. A Dealer is selling a pair of classic Infinity IRS-Epsilon speakers in good shape here on the 'Gon, asking $9500, though I would think you could knock $500-$700 off that straight away. The Epsilon was the last classic Infinity speaker produced by Infinity & was designed by John Miller and Cary Christie. The servo-controlled 12" bass driver has a sealed box, whilst the lower midrange, midrange & tweeter used a 'transmission line' to control the back wave, giving them a wide smooth response curve. The IRS speakers are fast, open, detailed & had wonderful 3d sound staging. Though bare in mind this speaker *must* be bi-amped & they sing best with big ss amps & a tubed preamp (preferably ARC).
Hope that helps!
I would throw in 2nd hand Graz-authorized resto'd Apogee Duetta Signatures. You can sometimes even find resto'd Divas with all the Graz upgrades circa $10k. Those resto'd Apogee's have surprisingly good bass & fit your sound description. Though bare in mind Apogees need plenty of room to breath & like a lot of power.
While we're talking panel speakers, i'd throw in Martin Logan Summit X. The Summit X borrows a lot of technology from the CLX & ticks all the boxes. ESL's don't like dust I hear you say? You can pick up a pair of these dust covers which will do the trick. Cheers to Spincycle09 for that suggestion.
Revel Ultima Salon 2. You can find these <$10k. The Salon 2's have one of the best beryllium tweeters out there which sounds natural and airy & has changed the perception of hard domes for many audiophiles. A great overall package & high end bargain imho.
I'll even throw in a 'roughie'. A Dealer is selling a pair of classic Infinity IRS-Epsilon speakers in good shape here on the 'Gon, asking $9500, though I would think you could knock $500-$700 off that straight away. The Epsilon was the last classic Infinity speaker produced by Infinity & was designed by John Miller and Cary Christie. The servo-controlled 12" bass driver has a sealed box, whilst the lower midrange, midrange & tweeter used a 'transmission line' to control the back wave, giving them a wide smooth response curve. The IRS speakers are fast, open, detailed & had wonderful 3d sound staging. Though bare in mind this speaker *must* be bi-amped & they sing best with big ss amps & a tubed preamp (preferably ARC).
Hope that helps!