Excellent Speakers for Classical Music - $2,000 USD Budget

I tend to agree, the best value you’re likely to find will be a pre-loved quality pair of speakers.

You’ll get rungs up the ladder from new, and when you do have more budget, they will depreciate considerably less if you take good care of something with a widely accepted good reputation, for resale.

Everyone owes it to themselves to own a set of Magnepans at least once. I would also consider the KEF LS-50 and a small, fast subwoofer, especially if your room isn't too large.

Martin-Logan, Golden Ear, Monitor Audio, Focal, all make extraordinarily good speakers in your price range. But none will have the aural size, depth, and detail, especially on classical music and jazz, of Magnepans. 

Everyone owes it to themselves to own a set of Magnepans at least once.

i agree with this... what maggies can do, in the right situations, is very special

but there are also significant flaws and issues/challenges as well

no dedicated audiophile should go through a lifetime without owning maggies and quad esl's....

1. I will second  stevea11757's suggestion for Shahanian Obelisks. Or Hawks. Or Diapasons. You can never have too much of a good thing.

2. I will disagree with the estimable atamasphere. Most speakers I have owned I felt were better with certain and specific musical genres. I know that this shouldn't be the case theoretically but my ears tell me it's so. My opinion only...

3. Having said that, there are a couple of speakers that come very close to making atamasphere's statement true. The above mentioned Obelisks, the Larsen 4/6/8 speakers (I don't have any experience with the 9), and some models of JBL horn monitors.

For the last couple of years I have been using a pair of JBL L200T3 speakers in my living room and they continue to blow me away with how great they sound with (almost) all music. These are the home version (meaning cheap cabinets) of the 4425 studio monitor. They use the (in)famous "baby butt cheeks" (aka Dolly Partons) biradial horn flare. Simple 2-way xover and work with almost any amp but a little power cranks up the low notes through the 12" bass driver.

Dahlquist 20s or the large advents.
save your money.