Monitors For Near Field Low Volume Listening

The Harbeth P3ESR is very nice but above your budget. A friend of mine who owns the 40.1 got the P3ESR for his 4th system replacing his Totem Model 1. Very nice and musical small box that will excel in a nearfield setup in a small room. Maybe the older version would cut it but it's quite rare in the used market.

The suggestion of PMC is also a good one that gives a more neutral sound with slightly better bass response but of less organic qualities as with the Harbeth.

I heartily recommend these: http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrmoni&1261462753&/star-Sound-caravelles-with-Mat

I've had my pair for five years now, replaced my B&W Silver Signature speakers with them. Excellent, excellent speakers!

Chuck

Sequerra NFM-Pro or the Met 7 series are very nice at low volumes and nearfield

The new Tekton open baffle speaker using 2 Fostex 166's look VERY interesting as well (one open baffle front firing driver and one upward firing driver) GREAT review on Enjoy the Music I think

I just stepped down from the Vandersteen 2CE Sig II to a pair of Spendor S3/5 for very similar reasons--I moved to a smaller space where the Vandies wouldn't work.

In the near-field (5 foot equilateral triangle) and at low volumes (60-75 dB) I couldn't be happier with the change. Soundstaging, timbre, musical detail, and enough low-end warmth to sound full and rich... You could buy the new S3/5R new within your budget or a used pair at $600-650. I haven't heard the Harbeth or Stirling, but the Spendor is a great speaker. I don't miss the Vandies...much.

I'm currently using a pair of very affordable and excellent sounding Polk Audio RTI-A1 in my office system.The equally affordable Mission M-31i also do a nice job.The older and more expensive Canton Karat M-30 speakers are a little larger and feature a side firing woofer.They sound almost full range.I have also heard Usher 520's,718's and the affordable Gini System LS 3/5A at my local dealer and all 3 pair sounded promising!!!