best monitor speaker under $2000

Ellis 1801
Salk HT-1

Seasons greetings fellow A'goner.B&W speakers are usually a pretty safe bet with Rotel electronics.You could start with something in the new 6 series & some decent Bi-Wire cables for less than $1000.00 new, or if so inclined invest in something REALLY good that you could grow into like the 705's which I see for sale here for around $1000.00 in gently loved condition(plus get some decent Bi-Wire cables BUT don't go crazy).Another option might be a pair of Vienna Acoustics Haydn Grands,ABSOLUTELY stunning fit & finish with a beautiful,organic sound that should mate well with the Rotel.Although EVERYONE is going to tell you they are 4 ohm speakers & a very tough load I have spoken with Sumiko & have been assured that although they are 4 ohm speakers they have a very gentle impeadance curve & are fairly efficient & should NOT be a problem for any decent amp(unless you listen VERY LOUD).1 more thing,take Rlwainwrights advice above & save some money for GOOD recordings.The more resolving your system gets the WORSE some cd's are going to sound,that is your going to here how they are actually mixed which can sometimes be really bad.Most important,have fun with the process & enjoy the music.

Having owned Rotel(amp/preamp) and B&W together, they are a good match initially, but over the long run I, personally, found the slightly lean nature of the Rotel preamp and the zippy high-end of B&W became fatiguing and etched. It was through this that I learned I am partial to soft dome tweeters over metal in lower end speaker.

My suggestion is the used Jean Marie Reynaud Trente($1,400) speakers here on Audiogon as long as hard rock/heavy metal/electronica is not your primary music of choice.

They are extremely easy to place for good sound, have fantastic soundstage and imaging, and really present a deeply rich sound. If anything, they might err slightly on the warm, forgiving, side. But, their performance improves as your system does up to a very, very, high level. Match them with a good tube integrated and forget about it!

Personally I'd rethink the Rotel integrated. In my experience it would be easier to get good sound by getting a top notch amp and some less expensive speakers than the other way around. I'm totally familiar with the Rotel model you have so maybe I'm out of line here but I think getting a great integrated like a Creek Destiny or Krell or Naim and spending less on the speakers might be a better way to go. In my experience pairing any kind of high quality speakers with less than a great amp yields less than great sound but I've had all kinds of luck making 300 bookshelf speakers sound great with a great amp.

If it were me I'd budget 1500 or so for the amp, sell the Rotel and put the other 500 and whatever you get for the Rotel towards speakers. I would bet you'd get better sound.

Sorry if I'm offending anyone here but this has been my experience.

Check out Fritz Speakers (www.fritzspeakers.com). He has an add or two here on audiogon, and has been very well received at AKFest and and RMAF 2009. His Carbon 7s are fantastic!!!