There is no $4K speaker today that produces a 30Hz tone worth hearing. The "best" speaker under $4,000 will not likely impress you or anyone else as being best because of its low end band limit. A Zu Druid has a 10-and-change-inch full range driver with an honest, accurate, satisfying 38Hz response and is tonally honest up to 12kHz with no -- I said none at all -- crossover in the signal path. A supertweeter rolls in on a high-pass filter above 12kHz. The meat of music energy flows direct from amp to driver. It's 12ohms, 101db/w/m efficient, exceedingly amp-firendly and easily contends for the best under $4,000 at only $2,800.
The Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor is good perhaps to 50Hz, but is fast, articulate, open and its voicing is superbly musical IF you put an amp worth hearing into 4ohms. That's the hard part. *Many* contemporary solid state amps sound cheesy into it and if using tubes they need more power than their efficiency suggests. A Spendor S8e has similar attributes with more bass extension, and there is a good argument for saving some cash and spending a Grand on Spendor S3/5se and putting much more money into the amplification.
Point is, considering a "best" speaker under $4,000 absent any context for amplification and its cost is academic at most. For some of us, no speaker containing a crossover can be a contender, so Zu Druid easily wins. It's a field of 1. However, a Druid also can fully -- FULLY -- take reveal the advantages of some amplifiers 5X - 10X their cost, whereas most speakers in the price range cannot. Still you can make them sound great with careful choice of an amp under $800. So what are you gonna pair them with? The amp/speaker interface will largely determine the character of your system. All speakers will have their bass extension perceptibly affected by the amp match.
Silverline has contenders, including the SR17-II, but crossovers are a fact of life there, unfortunately. Reference 3a has to be considered if you're not Zu-inclined. Their excellent bass/midrange driver rolls off naturally and the tweeter is on a high-pass filter. You want bass from a reasonable footprint? Check out the Reference Veena. Harbeth, sure, throw them in the bucket too.
Bottom line, for me in this price range -- Zu Druid, once you understand them and choose your amplification accordingly. They outclass everything in the price category for putting convincing music reproduction in your home. If for some reason you're disinclined to Zu, Silverline or Reference 3a have your speaker -- specific model depending on your willingness to relent on the 30Hz note -- or the excellent Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor.
Phil
