Canadian or US made monitors for about $500

The Canadian PSB Image Monitors (larger model, forget the precise designation)
are <$500 new and provide ridiculously good performance from app 50hz on
up. For another $100, the USA made Magnepan SMG (factory direct) covers app
the same bandwidth, dipole style. Since you need stands for the PSBs, the final
pricing for these two is awfully close, but the Maggies are floorstanders and
require more amplifier than the PSBs

Good Luck

Marty

proac tabulette 2000 are made in the uk but great for that price

04-14-09: Martykl
The Canadian PSB Image Monitors (larger model, forget the precise designation) are <$500 new and provide ridiculously good performance from app 50hz on up.

That's the PS Image B25 at $479 list.

These things are ridiculously linear (the kind you used to have to pay thousand$ to get) as the frequency response plot shows in the Stereophile review. That's an anechoic response of +/-3dB from 50-20KHz. It's down only 7dB at 30 Hz without room reinforcement!