Magnepan, Ohm, Spatial or ??

@soundchasr
I heard the Spatial Sapphire M3s and was amazed with the sound quality for a speaker that costs under $5k.  I know it's a bit higher than your budget but you also won't need an amp with lots of power as you might need with the Maggie 1.7s.  You may also find that you don't need a sub-woofer with the Spatials.

@asvjerry  "Dale Harder opined that my cones were too heavy, which I readily agreed to.  The originals were 5 mil litho aluminum, which I got a sleeve of 100 sheets gratis from a friend 2 decades ago. Since I've moved on to 2 mil alum and titanium. The tweets are 1 mil alum, and a PIA to form; look at it hard, and it creases...

Dale ( http://www.hhr-exoticspeakers.com/HHRhome.htm  ) does the closest thing to the original Ohms that I (and likely anyone else) does...

The prices are what I would call reasonable for owning any of his units.
His 'normal gig' is owning a company that (I believe) makes laser equipment....HHR ES is his labor of love, and it shows. *S*

I've never had the chance to hear them. He 'does' shows occasionally, but likely only those that happen to be nearby."

I sometimes think if everyone heard Dale Harder's Ohm F reproductions, this forum wouldnt exist. Everyone would just own them. My good friend has a pair of his TLS-1's. Just truly remakable instruments. 

@bigman 

Those Larsens are .... funny looking. :-) Interesting though. Time to do more research. 

I think I'm going into the analysis paralysis stage.  

I see another vote for Vandersteen...

This would be so much easier if we could just demo the things! 

I gave my son a pair of Magnepan MMG's which he uses in a small room in his apartment in NYC.  They sound fine.  Go with the Maggies.  

I owned maggie 1.7i's and went to Spatial X5's.  That AMT driver in the X series is phenomenal.  And Maggies are a pain to drive.  I will tell you this....I haven't owned a box speaker in 30 years.