You must look at the Mirage Omnisat v2 FS (floorstander) at $1K plus perhaps the Prestige S8 sub to flesh out the bottom octave. I've lived with the first-gen Omnisat satellites for 3-1/2 years, and they make the entire listening space a sweet spot. You still get decent imaging and soundstage depth if you have to put them against the wall. I know, because sometimes I wall-mounted my satellites and they still sounded room-filling and engaging without suckouts or hot spots.
Although the FS model is floorstanding, they occupy less space than most minimonitors on stands. They're 40" tall, but only 5.5"w x 5.9"d. It has an 8"x8", rather thick glass bottom plate with feet or cones to provide a wider, more stable platform. The enclosure is made of thick extruded aluminum, and is as free of boxy resonance as a panel speaker. It's sensitivity rating is 93dB at 1w input, yet can handle up to 175w, so it doesn't take much to drive it and it can play loud. The omnidirectional pattern energizes the entire room, imparting the feel of live music, and makes the entire room the sweet spot just as you get with a live performance. Even if you're sitting to the left of the left speaker, you will still hear the entire L-R stereo image.
The FS extends down to 55 Hz. If you want that last octave, add their very compact Prestige S8, which is about a 1' cube and goes down to the mid-20s.
One more thing: Even though they're $1K/pair, the Omnisat v2 FS is competitive with your max budget; these things do great image presentation spiced by excellent clarity, inner detail, pacing, and air.
Although the FS model is floorstanding, they occupy less space than most minimonitors on stands. They're 40" tall, but only 5.5"w x 5.9"d. It has an 8"x8", rather thick glass bottom plate with feet or cones to provide a wider, more stable platform. The enclosure is made of thick extruded aluminum, and is as free of boxy resonance as a panel speaker. It's sensitivity rating is 93dB at 1w input, yet can handle up to 175w, so it doesn't take much to drive it and it can play loud. The omnidirectional pattern energizes the entire room, imparting the feel of live music, and makes the entire room the sweet spot just as you get with a live performance. Even if you're sitting to the left of the left speaker, you will still hear the entire L-R stereo image.
The FS extends down to 55 Hz. If you want that last octave, add their very compact Prestige S8, which is about a 1' cube and goes down to the mid-20s.
One more thing: Even though they're $1K/pair, the Omnisat v2 FS is competitive with your max budget; these things do great image presentation spiced by excellent clarity, inner detail, pacing, and air.