Speakers free of grain, glare and steel?

Lean toward a soft dome tweeter. A metal one will really bring out any glare on the recording. And sometimes get more offensive than a soft dome. Harbeth would be a good one to check out, and Spendor. These brands focus on great midrange, where the majority of the important music is.

Jean Marie Reynaud speakers. Easily the most musical and engaging speakers I have come across. Add to that, they are incredibly easy to place for great sound

$2,000 or less used/new speakers free of grain, glare and steel, but with detail, extension, imaging, and tonal accuracy and balance? Acoustic Zen Adagio, Merlin TSM MME. Gallo 3.1, Frafrotski SE? Most speakers are competent, some are outstanding, a few deliver magic. Which speakers are the most musical and easy to listen to, rising to the top of a crowded field given their price point, and the most "forgiving" of their associated components? Which have magic?

-Pmboyd

Wow lofty standards and all for 2K.... we wish ... :)

I spent 3 days recently listening to Reference 3A MM deCapo's and was totally impressed with the sound, especially in a less than ideal room. Used they are in your price range. There is even a pair listed here right now. Outside of that a set of Spendor Classic series like the 1/2e should qualify.

Speakers produce the end result of all that has come before. If your components are hard, grainy, steely, etc., you would choose a speaker that compensates for that so the end result is listenable. This philosophy is enough to drive us audiophiles nuts. I subscribe to the philosophy of getting all the components as flat, free from distortion, etc. as there is (including all cables,). If price is a problem, wait until its not. Compensating for errors farther up is a no way street, and you will never be happy...you will just depleat your bank account looking for perfection.