Energy speakers

Energy had speakers in Best Buy, but they also made higher end speakers as well. You’ll find great used options out there if you find the Veritas line, their highest... or Reference Connoisseur (RC) series, their mid-level which was a super high quality/price ratio.

They are definitely smooth and not bright or brittle, compared to speakers widely known to be on the brighter side, but there’s nothing missing and they are very very good with imaging, tone and timbre.

Look for Veritas 6.2, or 2.3i, towers. And/or Reference Connoisseur ...RC-70 towers. Can’t go wrong, and will get a screaming deal (value) on some super speakers.

Energy...Mirage...Athena...All very good at their price points. So good that Klipsch (the very opposite of good) swallowed the company because they couldn't compete.

Less competition is always bad.

There's no lack of competition in the speaker market secret guy, and if you think Klipsch isn't good you haven't listened to the right one.

per the above, the veritas speakers from the late 90s/early 00s were seriously good--from what little i've heard the recent iterations not so much. for your budget i'd look at used proac, dynaudio, focal...

So take this with a grain of salt because this is the only pair of energy speakers I've ever owned. I am currently running a set of energy reference connoisseur rc70 and they are the best all-around speaker I have owned. They were made somewhere around 15 years ago and the quality is excellent with Kevlar drivers and Cherry veneer. They were actually given to me by an audiophile friend and I couldn't be happier. I run them with a rogue metis Magnum pre primaluna prologue 6 monoblocks Nottingham space deck turntable and an akai x1650 reel to reel. I own or have owned some stellar speakers over the last 20 years two pairs of Sonus Faber Klipsch forte celestion Ditton Tannoy Sensys dc 2 Magnepan lrs various Kef..etc. Most had their virtues..some more than others. The Energy's are simply better. Truth be told I didn't want them to be because I am kind of a snob on a budget but I just can't get away from their sound