When choosing new Speakers, what matters most to you?

speaker criteria

1. If your married then I'd say the Wife Acceptance Factor is your most important criteria.  

2. the more sensitive the speaker is the less powerful amp you need.  Class D amplifiers generate more power with less heat.  

3.  do you have room enough to keep the speakers set  back from the wall?  Some speakers require that they be set back from the rear wall.    If you have to place the speakers up against the rear wall, I'd recommend you look at the Harbeth brand or the KLH model5.

4. take a look at this video for a general overview.

+1 @imhififan 

Correctly matching speaker size to room size is the only thing that will get you anywhere close to a live venue sound. I personally could care less about measurements, only my ears matter.

I never purchased any piece of equipment by looking at the measurements.  It either sounds good or it doesn't.  BUT you have to know what makes sound, sound good.  For example, I would not use a digital amp on efficient horns. I would use an 845 or 45 tube amp though.

I'm a longtime fan of Quad ESLs. No need to listen to or look at measurements. Just buy them!

# 1 thing for me is I make a serious attempt to buy Built in America with as many USA components as possible. That limits my choices considerably, but that’s how I roll. My dad made it back from the Philippines, but his only brother’s body was never returned from Metz France for two years after the war. Dad raised me with a American first philosophy. And it kind of stuck. In 65 years, I have never bought a non-American owned, non-Union made car. Not a whole lot of people can say that, but it's one thing I can take to the grave and be proud of. At least I tried.

BTW I ended up with all Legacys but considered a few others. My previous system was all Ascend Acoustics, and the one before they closed up shop and sold out, was Miller Kreisel’s..