Your best picks for 2006 Best Speakers under 4K.

Thats easy. hands down in a good sized room full standers.
No other speaker holds a candle next to these two for under $3000.

Spendor S8e
Usher CP-6371

Smaller room is a differant story i'm sure.

If you don't count the recommended Path Stands, the Intuitive Design Summits are ~$3500. Path Stands are ~$1400. Best speakers by far that I've heard anywhere near that price, and quite probably the best I've ever heard at any price (the only one I'm not absolutely sure about is the old Audio Physic Caldera, but I think the Summits would probably sound better than even those legends in a shoot-out).

After hearing the Consonance Eric Grande 3 way floorstanding speaker I was impressed and shocked at the price to performance. My last two speakers were Coincident Super Eclipse and Von Schweikert VR-4 HSE III. I now own a pair of the Consonance Eric Grande speakers($2800)and continue to be impressed with their balanced sound. They are only rated down to 40hz but their bass is so quick, tight, and full that I don't miss my full range VR-4s too much. I am letting my ears make more decisions than measurements and price tags these days and it is adding to my listening pleasure. Great thread.

DynAudio Special 25's can be had on Audiogon for $3000 to $3500 and you're getting a $5200 speaker. Stereophile "re-tested" this speaker and say's it goes down to 30hz. The manufacturer says 35hz either way tight bass, warm mid and a soft dome tweeter that never gets tireing... to my ear. Stands are necessary but hey, thats only a couple of hundred bucks, sand to fill them is cheap. They do however need some watts and some volts behind them as they are 86db and 4 ohm speakers, can't have everything, or maybe you can?

I second the Spendor S8e!*>)