Speaker recomendation

@donvito101

Exactly. Americans make nearly everything in Asia or Mexico. Very good value. Definitely the last place I would look for SOTA but for value “American Brand” - the stuff made in Asia is by far the best value.

If you read above the OP found Dynaudio and Spendor to be too expensive by a long way - 5K...so I am simply trying to help in consideration of the OP needs.

Used Thiel would be great value.

All my two channel gear is almost all new and all made entirely in the West. UK and USA. Not outsourced. However, I pay a big premium for that pleasure....at least double the price.

I recently heard the Vandersteen Quattro Wood CT at a friend’s home and I can say with very little reservation that it was the best sound I have heard to date. Not heard the brands like Wilson or other comparable exotic brands but the experience listening to these speakers was boderline religious. They were paired with his spanky new Audio Research VSi75 integrated and a very basic Bluesound Node2 streamer running through an Ayre Codex. Simply breathtaking and within OP’s budget.

@soundermn @vingard and others who have slammed @audiotroy for offering his opinions.  I just got off the phone with Dave and had a very nice and friendly hour-long chat. I've experienced most if not all of the NYC/tri-state area audio dealers and I assure all of you, Dave is not one of them. After spending 30 minutes on the phone with him, he actually directed me to a speaker he thought was on sale on Agon! As someone who is trying to go and audition speakers with limited time, there is knowledge that I can't possibly expect to glean because I don't have the time to acquire it. When you've been doing something as long as Dave and Troy have (combined 70 years of experience) in a hobby that is incredibly subjective, their opinions are valid, and they deserve a right to have them and post them freely, unless of course there are clear rules against that sort of thing.   However, @soix was probably right to call Dave out for bashing his recommendation, maybe that wasn't cool, but I can also respect that Dave feels that the AZ's aren't offering as much value as what he's recommending.  I will give Dave my time (although maybe not my hard-earned money) because I think he will open my ears up to some things I wouldn't have otherwise heard.  Cheers to all and thanks for being passionate about great sound.  ~Lance

@lgoler - didn't slam him - quite the opposite actually - I assume you misread my post.  

I bet you can get a pair of used Vandersteen 5's in your budget.  Call John Rutan at Audio Connection in New Jersey.