If anyone is keeping score, it just goes to show how silly but profound my post was. Whether the recommendation came from a dealer, distributor, boutique manufacturer, engineer, or plain enthusiast/audiophile, the responses meeting my criteria (which lets face it wound up being a "best of the best floorstanders" under $25k) yielded almost 50 responses, so far.
I'm not even sure how all these speaker manufacturers stay in business (God bless them). A few picks like Harbeth or Yamaha aren't floorstanders but got so many nods they make it on the list FWIW. How does one even approach this other than listen to what they can and then make a decision?
Here's the tally in no particular order as of July 10th
1. Devore Orangutan 093, 096 (and Gibbon X)
2. Tektan (Moab, Double Impact, Ulfberht)
3. Spendor 100/200 or D's
4. Gershman Acoustic Grand Avant Garde
5. Harbeths
6. Tannoy (Kensington), Revolution XT8F, Cantebury
7. Vandersteen
8. Boenicke W11SE
9. Raidho C2.2, C3.2
10. Avantagarde Zero
11. Wilson Yvette/Sabrina
12. Horning Eufrodite
13. Magnepan
14. Magico S1MKII,S3MKII and A5
15. Legacy Audio Aeris/Focus XD
16. ATC SCM XXXX
17. SoundLab Electrostatics
18. NOLA KO's
19. Bache Audio
20. Audio Physic Tempo
21. Jern
22. Martin Logan
23. Sonus Faber Olympica Nova
24. Spatial Audio X3, X5, M3
25. Audio Note E
26. Pure Audio Project
27. Neuphor
28. Joseph Audio
29. Wharfedale Elysium 4
30. Zu Audo
31. Vienna Acoustics The Music (Used)
32. Dali Epicon 6 or 8
33. Soundlabs Electrostatic
34. Yamaha NS5000
35. Daedalus Apollos
36. Fyne 701s
37. Dynaudio Contour 60i(take your pick), Special 40s
38. Revel Salon 2/Studio 2
39. Audio Physic Avanti II
40. Audiokinesis Azel (Duke!)
41. ProAc K6 Signature
42. Focal Jm Lab Utopia
43. Janszen Valentina P8
44. KEF Blade 2
45. QUAD Electrostat