Best Two-Way Monitor Speakers under $700 New/Used

Monitor...misleading term used (being used) to mean exactly what?

You "monitor" with what you've got. Speakers used by professionals in most cases will not fit into this category. Now asking to find outstanding speakers for the amount specefied is a much more intelligent question.

Kind of like, years ago, asking if the "stereo is "hi'fi.""

Those Spendors look like a good deal. Had a pair years ago and found them great. Kind of sorry I sold them. Great with solid state or tubes.

Sonus Faber...Revel m20

KEF XW10B or XQ20B, list price $1500 and $2000 respectively, on blowout at Vanns.com for $700 and $800 respectively. Both in gloss black, all curved lines, which should fit in with modern decor. The Absolute Sound flipped over the XQ20s, and named both the 10s and 20s to their Editor's Choice awards that year.

Otherwise, I'd look at what's available from Dali, PSB, Epos, Mordaunt-Short, and Monitor Audio in his price range (unless he can score a used gloss black pair of Dynaudio Excite X12s). Is he allowing extra for the stands or $700 total? In that case he should probably shoot for $500-600 to leave room for decent stands.

As for an amp, if he's using a lot of digital sources he may want to look into a Peachtree with built-in upsampling DAC with multiple digital inputs. If a general purpose integrated (even with built-in phono), he probably can't do better under $1K than the Marantz PM8004. TAS review here.

Silverline Minuets. I will never sell mine, but I might give them to someone I like as a gift. I really enjoy these amazing little speakers.