Which speakers should I get. $500-$1000

Schubert, I beg to differ. I listen to quite a bit of string quartet through my truly full range Thiel 3.5's. System harmony, especially with re: to amplification is key.

To each his own, I suppose if you are rich enough you can make a silk purse from a sows ear.

PSB *is* an excellent speaker with an honest tonal balance that works well with acoustic music such as classical and jazz. So is the new Monitor Audio Silver RX series, which has a smoother treble than the older RS.

A third option, with a Canadian tonal balance similar to the PSB, is the Mirage OMD15. It's $800/pair in gloss black or $1K/pair in rosewood. The speaker was originally $2500/pair but are being sold direct now from Vanns.com for much less, but with return privileges and the full factory warranty. I've had a pair of these anchor my 2-channel system for over 4 years now, and I listen to *a lot* of classical and jazz. The OMD-15s always sound smooth, natural, capable of excellent detail, and have a dispersion pattern that energizes the room very much like acoustic instruments.

At $800, highly recommended, and unlike most used purchases, your decision is protected by a return period and 5-year factory warranty.

Shubert, To each his own indeed, if your smart enough you can maximize the potential of an inherently neutral superb value without spending riches in the process.

09-26-12: Unsound
Shubert, To each his own indeed, *if you're smart enough* you can maximize the potential of an inherently neutral superb value without spending riches in the process.

I don't think the OP is looking for something with a long learning curve. Thiels are great, but are pretty demanding on system matching. PSB, Monitor Audio (esp. the new RX series over the RS), and Mirage have a natural tonal balance while digging out a lot of ambience and detail. You can match any of them with a Marantz PM8004 integrated amp and get *really* excellent sound without a lot of tweaking, fiddling, and component swapping.