Bookshelf Recommendations

If you appreciate midrange transparency and detail with richness and emotion check out the Salk Bagby Continuum-
comes very close to the legendary Harbeth P3ESR at less than half the cost.
Much more natural sounding than the LS50s IMHO.  
http://www.salksound.com/model.php?model=Bagby%20Continuum

@mesch: Thanks for your follow-up. Those are suggestions I’ll def pursue, and as I’ve enjoyed success with pre-owned over the decades [sole exception, a Linn Lk-140], it’s especially important now at my age, income, and rather modest level of discretionary income to $tretch my purchasing power.

@audioguyguy85: The praises you’ve sang of the W-225’s have not fallen on deaf ears. Because I’ve been inundated by suggestions—and I truly appreciate them all—I let a pair of preowned, but still NIB, slip by for < $300 bones (including shipping) last week.

You guys and everyone else on here are great. I feared my question might illicit some pedantic, derisive responses, but to a person they’ve been positive, courteous, and extremely helpful🔈👍

But I gotta do this thing soon, and get offa here. For some reason I’ve taken a liking to ML & Krell power amps since poking around these parts. I have neither the need nor dough for an amp of that caliber, but rationalizing non-essential purchases is an insidious weakness that I’ve battled since upgrading from a perfectly serviceable Technics SA-5060 receiver to a Kenwood KA-3500 way back in ‘78...

If interested there is a pair of Usher be 718 tiny dancer on us Audio mart for $900, pretty good deal. Owned some years ago,they go down to 40 and are very musical, very transparent, maybe a tad tipped up but very nice speaker, they do like current.

Grea debate!  I owned the LS50's - lovely to look at but, in my 12x12 room - the rear port-itis made me want to tear out my hair!   I just could not take the puffy low-end.  I'm a retired drummer and dislike that kind of bass playing sound.

I recalled the sound of my previous polk LS9's as working better.  Finally found a used pair in excellent condition.  After trying way to many speakers in there, the polks ended up the keepers.  For now!  drumbe

I’ve owned a ton of gear and you can’t go wrong with ML or Krell.  Go JBL....most satisfying choice plus they can be adjusted for frequency balance in your room with built in EQ buttons !