Horn Speaker Recommendations

Not a fan of horns but I do think that something from Cessaro would be worth a look. Best I remember hearing. If you get horns be sure to power them adequately. I strongly favor more power from an OTL design over the lower powered SETs especially if you go with Avantegarde. I wouldnt waste my time with anything from Klipsch unless you want to spend time and money modifying them. Others rightly point out that with horns you sacrifice many things to get those wonderful dynamics and you should make certain that what horns do well are your top sonic priorities.

@willgolf
A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to listen to the Avantgarde Acoustics Uno Fino at HifiProfis in Frankfurt (I have Helsinki Gradients with Rythmik subs, combined w DSpeaker X4 for room correction in my main system, and I am completely happy with the sound except for ... life like dynamics at higher SPLs.)While I listened to the Uno Finos only for a short period of time, they sounded absolutely glorious. Space, dynamics, tonality, texture - voices, drums, jazz, symphony orchestra - just stunning.I am familiar with the sound of a Klipsch Horn and I believe there is no comparison.Then there is obviously the form factor and the superb craftsmanship.The eye wants to eat too.
On a more fundamental note, I am a scientist by background and earn a living by identifying breakthrough technologies. Hence I have a strong preference for products designed such that the primary focus is on parameters, which are well understood, and that these parameters are optimized with highest possible skill (i.e., the expertise of the designer is not limiting the outcome; e.g., if the focus is on building cabinets, one may not know very much about DSP) and free of dogmatic limitations. So - if there is a score for the degree of human ingenuity as value contribution (as opposed to simply going overboard with materials, size, weight, ...) the Uno Fino is really up there, too. They will be my next move.Btw, when it comes to the 'speed' of a speaker, especially a (sub-)woofer, it is my impression that this is not so much a function of the"speed" or rise time of the primary impulse. Rather, it is a function of decay, room interaction and (may be) distortion. Combine the room correction and crossover function of a DSpeakerX4 with a couple of good subs (e.g. Rythmik 15" sealed box) and you will be smiling.

Willgolf, you are blowing your horn in the wrong direction. There is no point source radiator (every horn system ever made) that will fill a room that size with a realistically sized sound stage. Only a line source will do that. If it is volume you are worried about don't. Line sources project power much better than point source speakers. You should look carefully at SoundLabs Majestics 845s if you have 8 foot ceilings and 945s if you have 9 foot ceilings. They are right at the top of your price range. They will be more powerful than a horn system (I did not say louder I said more powerful.) Their image production is in another league entirely. There is no horn system that is phase correct across the entire frequency range. The Majestics have no crossover which is always an advantage. Their distortion is even lower and their transient response just as fast but without ringing. They are not as efficient as horns so you will need more power. 200 watts a channel is sufficient for most people. 300B jockeys need not apply.   
There are quite a few of us who believe these speakers are among the best speakers ever made if not the best speakers ever made. I do not own a pair yet but it is only a matter of time. A short time I hope. 

I have had many speakers over my lifetime and have spent a lot of money on stuff.  The best long term speaker system I have encountered (and own for the past 8 years) are the Avantgarde Trios.  On the used market a pair with subs in 19 ohm configuration are about $20K, hopefully within your budget. 

In my experience there are four factors that contribute the most to long term satisfaction with a given sound system.  These are: a large wave launch, high efficiency (100 db or thereabout), good micro-dynamics and lastly no upper mid-range odd-order harmonic distortion (granted electronics are key here but some speakers can be brutal in this crucial region).

A large wave launch means the speakers never sound "loud", allowing you to see into the music better.  High efficiency puts you in a category of being able to select relatively inexpensive electronics.  Micro-dynamics give the music that subtle realism that takes you there.  Once you experience this there is no going back.  Lastly to my ears upper mid-range distortion which in many cases is from under-amplification is a pet peave and may not bother some as much as it bothers me...perhaps due to my aging ears.

Of note, the Trios are a very different animal from the Duos or other horns in the AG line-up.  While they are big and take up space, they work fine in a relatively small room.  I will concede that their imaging is not as pin point as small monitors or planar drivers, but is quite satisfactory to these ears.  Live music does not have finely delineated images. 

Good luck with your search. 

I agree, the Trios are in a different league above the other AGs. But I disagree about them working in a small room. My experience with them ( my buddy owned them, he was the Jadis importer at the time ), tells a different story. Listening too close to them, they lost coherence, and did not stage well. Moving them to a larger room, creating greater distance between them and us, the listeners, they disappeared. We also had set up a pair of the AG powered subs, and it was awesome.