b&w 685: heard 'em, liked 'em, but wondering


howdy audiogon community,

Im looking to buy a pair of new speakers for no more than $700 or so. They will be my first pair of somewhat decent speakers and powered by an 80w per channel marantz receiver. In shops I've been listening to the b&w 685 and cm1, dali ikons 1 and 2 and some speakers from paradigm and kef.

While I do like what I hear coming from the 685s- for the money, It sounds damn good- I am wondering if there's any other new speakers out there worth considering within my budget before I bring home the 685s.

My taste in music is fairly varied. I find myself listening to albums by the following- Wilco, Leo Kottke, The Allman Brothers Band, Charlie Parker and Sublime. That said, I would rather see more of my money go towards reproducing detailed mids and highs than powerful bass.

Looking around this site, I'm humbled by the knowledge and dedication you all have for hi-fi. I'm new to it all and am eager to hear some recommendations.
Cheers
rorty40
Rorty40,

If you get the chance you might want to listen to the Usher S-520. Also if possible check out Energy RC-10, and the NHT Classic Two and Three. Used some Quad 11L or 12L would fit into you budget, and would probably sound very well with your Marantz receiver.
If you really want the most for your money I highly recommend GR-Research kits. I just built there NEO-2x for $800 and crushes a lot of speakers under $3k IMO.