Suggestions for high efficiency speakers?

Before I purchased my speakers, I went on a one year cross country (east to west) speaker hunt.  I owned Wilson and Sonus Faber speakers prior.  I attended many audio shows also.  I never thought in a million years that I would end up with a horn speaker until I heard one in the same room with the likes of Eggleston, Stenheim, Meridien, Vandersteen, Vivid  and KEF.  The horn was Avantegarde.  From that point on I searched only for Horn speakers.  I considered Charney, BD Design, hORN, Avantegarde, Deja Vu, JBL, Klipsch, Tune to name a few.  Then someone mentioned this boutique horn builder in Sante Fe, NM called Viking Acoustic.  I went to the builder/designer's studio and was immediately impressed.  I ended up buying the Viking Grande Voix Dual horn speakers.  They blew away my more expensive Wilson and Sonus Faber speakers.  While the GV's may be over your price range, they do have many speakers in their line to consider.  You should give David Counsell a call at Viking.  

There was a pair of Emerald Physics 2.8s (open baffle) original MSRP $10K, now discontinued you can buy for ~ $3K on a competing used equipment site

Highly recommended

I was also impressed by the Audio Note's in Deja Vu's room at the Capital Audio Fest and also agree with your impressions.  I thought it was the best sounding room in my price range until I went to the Volti Audio room.  I listened to both the Rivals and the Razz that day and was absolutely gob smacked by both.  I insisted that my crew of friends listen to the Rivals yet again and they agreed that the Rivals  trumped even the excellent sounding Audio Notes.  I cam back and listened to the Razz later that afternoonr after again stopping by to listen to the Audio Notes.  I then spoke with Greg Roberts at the end of my day - very nice fellow and obviously passionate about his product.  He agreed that the Rivals were likely too big for my 12 x 18 listening room.  I ended up ordering a pair of Razz after a few days consideration to replace my Harbeth 30.2s and my REL sub, which until I have REALLY enjoyed.  However, the Volti sound has a presence and natural sound that just grabbed me.  The Volti's made me feel like I was in the middle of the music!  After 40 years of listening/buying and selling toomany speakers to count, if the Razz can do in my room what they did at the Capital Audio Fest, they might be my final pair of speakers.  I'll be running them with a Rogue Audio Stereo 100 tube power amp and a Prima Luna EVO 300 preamp and worry that i have too much power for the Uber efficient Razz given that Greg was running them with a 20 watt Border Patrol amp.

I liked the Volti room too, but, they had a little bit of a problem with bass response (probably the room and show conditions)--the bass was not well integrated with the rest of the sound.  Still, the old school technology (horn drivers, tube electronics) was quite impressive at the show when it came to just presenting music.

You will probably have even better sound in your own home, given that you will have more time and resources to make the speakers work well for you.  

Great thread.  I agree with the premise of course.  
 

We would be interested to know why, if you heard what you wanted from the Audio Note speakers why you're not intent on those.  Placement constraints?   
 

The ear/brain has a tipping point- if the speed isn't there, the brain moves the music processing from the limbic system to the cerebral cortex- robbing the music of some of its emotional impact
 

The above perhaps one of the most important comments that I've ever read on these forums.  And, it is at the heart of the answer to the OP.  
 

That aside,, I’m beginning to believe most important component in a FR is the cone material.

 

I suppose the above may be common knowledge but posts in these recommendation related threads are not often explicit on this aspect.  Anyway, I think this writer is really on to something.   Tone.   Poly-anything drivers (Devore included) to me make instruments sound a little bit like they're made of plastic.  Great speakers to be sure but I couldn't live with the tonal effects (affects?).   
 

Seems like there are always trade-offs.  Emotion vs. precision a big one.    I love the presence of the music that comes from my Kornerhorns but sometimes I wish I could experience better stereo imaging on them.  I understand why they don't image like Vandersteens but love the horns regardless.   

I also love the beautiful sonic images that come from my ESL rig, but the suspension of disbelief that happens listening to my horns just isn't there.  I'm always conscious that music is being reproduced on my ESLs.   
 

So I was thinking of suggesting that perhaps the answer to the question of which speakers to get will reveal itself when you figure out what kind of tone you want; what shape sound you want to live with (e.g. concentric vs horn ); and then, if you want a flat, precise, audiophile kind of sound or something more human.   
 

You're in an enviable position.  I admire your taste.