Best speakers for $3000

Harbeth used
Amphion pro line
Proac used

A lot of responses here! I'll add one more: Snell Type B or C5. What is important to keep in mind is that you really need to work with the speakers to find out what they like. I spoke with one guy who said he took the speakers out of the box, didn't like what he heard, repacked them all in an hours time! Crazy. One good point about the Snells is they was off the shelf drivers. The Type B's are now 20 years old. I bid $2000.00 on a pair and got them for under $700.00 The midrange drivers needed replacing. They now sound great at under $1000.00 Joe

@ctsooner You are correct in the notion that it’s difficult to sell something like my 12 channel B&K amp. And you’re also precluded from using the many fine, better 2 channel amps out there (unless you want to buy 4 of ’em...). Getting into a Linkwitz system is a big commitment, but not as big as you might think.

I’ve heard the best of the best. I’m very fond of the big floor standing Avalon loudspeakers. But even the Eidolan model sells for $20,000 used, when you can find them. And of course you’re going to drive them with a power amp costing no less than $5000. Now you’re $25k into it and you haven’t even considered what speaker cable to use... That’s not a big commitment?!

Building a Linkwitz LX521 (which I consider to be equal to or better than the big Avalons) and even a new ATI 12 channel amp as Linkwitz suggests is less than $5000 total. You tell me which is a bigger commitment.

Heck. You could build 4 tubes4hifi ST-120, 60 wpc power amps for less than $5000 and have a total system cost under $8000 and still be $17,000 under the used Avalon system.

There are any number of choices for suitable amplification to support a Linkwitz design. When I first built my Orions, I ran four Hafler pro grade pancake amps at 50 wpc. I was able to score them for about $125 each. But one kept having problems and after 2 trips to the Hafler service tech, I decided it was time to do something else.

I saw the listing on EBay for a 12 channel B&K amp and I got it for $500, and it was from a local dealer, so I just drove over there and picked it up. I ran a 2 channel B&K ST-140 for almost 20 years and have always liked their sound. I find my B&K AV1260 to have a similar sonic character and one I’m quite happy with.

Linkwitz himself uses inexpensive class D amps.

So no. I don’t see how the multi-amp nature of Linkwitz designs really have to restrict anyone.

Sound is personal as we all know.  I've built and have heard a lot of build it yourself speakers and I've just never heard a pair sound as good as higher end speakers from a larger/name brand company.  That's just me, but I'd listen with open ears like I always do if there was a pair around.  I get to Madison often as my step kids are there.  Do they have a pair set up to listen to if I go visit them?

The problem with your thoughts for many of us is that the amps DO matter as much as the source and speakers etc...  Even if the speakers are as good as you say, if you use an inferior amp or source to save money, then your sound can't be as good as the brand name speaker being fed a great signal.  Just go listen at any dealer and have them put on a speaker you like and keep changing amps in every price range.  I've owned B&K for years.  I just sold my original ST140 that was heavily modified by the guys in Bristol, CT who used to do the mods working with the B&K engineers as they were very tight.  They are nice amps for the price, but are not in the same league as Ayre and others that most of us use with our speakers.  I thought my Ayre AX7e was a tremendous amp (I was switching from modified Quicksilver mono's), but once I got the Ayre AX5 i was in shock at what I was missing in my sound.  Then I did the upgrade to the AX5/20 and WOW.  A totally different league from the AX5.  A great speaker will showcase what you feed it.  If you are feeding a great speaker with B&K, Rotel, NAD or other amps in that range, then you are starving the speaker and not allowing it to shine.  

I get out a LOT and listen at dealers all over the country and I am fortunate to get to hear a lot of gear and others on here have also.  I have just never heard a pair of any 20k speakers sound great with amps in the range you are talking about compared to the same speaker with a really nice amp.  Even if I don't like the speaker due to it running a bit hot on the high end or maybe the bass is a bit tubby or the speaker won't give me that leading or trailing edge properly, I can still hear said speaker sound much better with better amplification and or source.  I'd love to hear others who have also done this test to post about their thoughts.