best bookshelf speakers for < $2000?

No animosity what so ever.  That's why it's hard to have a discussion in writing as you don't hear voice inflection or see verbals.

I agree with half of what you say,  but the advanced part of this hobby still is not satisfied with digital anything.  That  includes class D amplifiers. DSP is not transparent enough for me to want my signal always going through it. We have been told for years that once the signal is digital anything can be manipulated at will without degradation so all the digital engineers can quit looking for better sounding DACs. Not true as  all one has to do is compare the sound of hi-rez digital to a record of the same master tape to know. One wants to remember that for most people it is easily good enough (Bose sells more speakers than anyone else). That is fine, but it is not what Hi-End audio is supposed to be. Anyone saying that a 6.5 inch woofer can fill a room with realistic bass without room gain has never heard a drum set in a room (yes I was a drummer in my earlier years, lol). Recordings are almost always made in a room and music is almost always listened to live in a room, which includes room gain on top of the energy produced by the drum set.  I've found it hard to discuss with kit makers as they of course believe strongly in what they do.  Proof is in the market place though as kit speaker are very easy to build by anyone for less money and they still are a small fraction of the market. JMHO

Unfortunately there’s just too much that happens between the master tapes and the disc or file you play to be able to draw any direct conclusions about analog vs. digital. Besides vendors deliberately sweetening mixes to prove the superiority of DSD, or what have you, tastes and fads change. The disk engineer of two decades ago would have been satisfied with a different balance on vinyl than one working on DSD today.

When CD’s came out, compression and loudness were king. Bob Carver famously demonstrated the lack of channel separation present in a CD, when the CD was technically far superior in that dimension.

Don’t get me wrong, if I didn’t have cats I’d love to have a record player and nice vinyl collection. :) I’m just saying we are buying more than technology when we buy vinyl, we are buying a musical culture.

If you are trying to stay with an all analog setup, I would at least encourage you to think about a miniDSP at the subwoofer. But, measurements are key and accelerate getting to great.

Last tip, don’t try to tune the sub for flat. I usually go for around 1dB to 1.5 dB /octave downwards slope.

Erik

Erik, this is just one of those agree to disagree.  I personally have heard a lot of high end DSP and it's never been fully transparent.  That's my take 

There are some who love it and feel that's its the panacea to fixing room problems.  I'm just not in that camp, that's all.  I'm glad that you love it and it works for you.

Speakers on shelf are those kinds of devices that can transform audio into memorable moments. If we talk about the big brands then such sound system very expensive for us. Don’t worry about it. There are other companies which offer quality Bookshelf speakers with 2 years and 1 years Warranty. Yes, I like to share the names of the top 5 Bookshelf speakers with little bit detail as well.

1) Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers: These speakers actually contain a 4-inch bass driver, best calibrated flared bass reflex port which helps the sound of lower frequencies developed by the woofer and subwoofer. These features also have automatic volume features and more Good balance between bass and trebles, Exquisite sound and Great build quality but at the same time these features have some cons. as well which are Can’t use a universal remote with it, Manual volume knob is confusing and Remote needs a power button.

2) Polk T Series T15 Bookshelf Speakers: If we talk about the loudspeaker then Polk is a well-known company in this industry. At initial point, they like to use Monitor Series for design affordable bookshelf speakers. If you connect amplifier then these speakers work as a desktop speaker as well.
Features of these Bookshelf speakers are Super-clear sound, Excellent for rear 5.1 Surround and Great for movies and TV. If we talk about cons. then these speakers Needs an amplifier to work with PC, Not balanced and Not for professional work.

3) Mackie CR3 Multimedia Monitors: The Mackie CR3 bookshelf speakers are designed with the professional component. For the correct placement of sound, on the back, there is a switch which helps to know which side of the desk is the active speaker.
Features of these speakers are Great for recording demos, Clarity even at lower volumes and Various inputs/outputs alternatives.
Cons: These speakers have No remote controller, No protective grid and Questionable durability.
Good luck to those who want to buy speakers on the shelf and i fully hope this information will help to select the best speakers which will be within your budget.