It is 2008 do you know the best start up speaker

How about a new speaker from an old co.? TAS does a review of the MartinLogan "Source", @ $1995.00,--in the latest issue. 'Made me want to hear how true the hubub is.

Pedrillo- You have a nice size room and can easily accomodate a pair of planars. Read the reviews on the Magnepan 1.6's: (http://www.avguide.com/products/product-3762/) , (http://www.stereophile.com/loudspeakerreviews/595/index.html) for instance.

I'll mention the Gemme Audio line.

I have the Tantos and really appreciate what they do well. Coherence in soundstage and image identity. Tonally, they go where I lead them. And bass is surprisingly deep, if not puffed up.

The bass is accomplished by a V-Flex technique which I don't understand, and the crossover btn the main driver and tweeter is very simple. Kind of horn like in the midrange since the tweeter rolls off at 6000hz.

They have a little more coherence than my Peiga TC-70X and control the bass better. The Piegas developed excess bass in my room once I added the Isotek Sigma and Titan.

Maybe they are not start up 2006, but that is the year the reviewers came on strong in their appreciation of the speakers. They are a small and interesting company.

I bought mine unheard and I might have bought the latest pair for sale on Audiogon but was too late. I was thinking of stacking and e-mailed the company. Great responses since a designer was thinking of a stacking also but wasn't satisfied with the results or concept.

The GS Research LS-9s qualify as early start up since few own a pair. Interesting line speaker design. Talked about on Audiocircle.

Hearing Magnepans has converted more of my "non-audiophile" friends into high end audio enthusiasts than any of my other 13 pairs of speakers that I have ever owned and auditioned for my buddies. I think there must be something very special a Magnepan does that "stirs the soul" as compared to other high end speakers. (Interestingly enough, I no longer have any Magnepans in my listening room, go figure?)

I hate to bring them up (again) because I'm afraid that I'll be accused of being a GMA shill...but I'm so excited about my Green Mountain Audio Callistos that I can't help myself. Of course, I choose to buy my Callistos (new) 3 months before Roy released his new line (which he claims even the Eos I bests the Callisto - I'll have to hear it to believe it). All 3 iterations fall below the $5k threshhold:

Eos I, $1,995 pair
Eos II, $3,200 pair
Eos III, $4,500 pair

GMA's been around for 20 years, so they don't really qualify as a "start up", but GMA does seem to fly beneath the radar, and may be one of the best kept secrets in audio.