$165k - $200k speaker performance for $40k ?

The cost levels you guys are talking about are really super specialty products that don't conform to regular rules regarding quality. i.e. the quality level is already so high you are really just distinguishing between them based on personal preferences they are all great at that level.

Holy cow...your "large room" is bigger than the footprint of my house. I knew that Ivy League degree meant zippo.

It's crazy to think that my recommendations of the Aviors and Q3s as "small" since they weigh about 500 lbs. per pair each, but it is all relative in our hobby isn't it? I still think with good subs they could be compelling even in this space.

However, my first impulse was to suggest a line array but didn't think it could be pulled off for $40k (or, at least not well). The GR Research speakers Vladmir mentions look very interesting (along with Selah and any others who might meet the price point) assuming they have the engineering chops and the company survives for the long haul (not a small consideration). Not sure the drivers and other components are up to the quality of the cost-no-object designs -- probably not. Anyway, I like the line array concept in this application as well.

If you like line arrays, the Gallo 5LSs might be a good way to go. Couple these with some Velodyne DD+ 18" subs (with built in room-correction DSP capability) and I think you'd be 95% of the way to the "statement" speakers...

-RW-

Do you have crawl space or an attic? You could save yourself $20,000 with infinite baffle subs. Experiment with an equalizer like Behringer Ultra Curve Pro dsp8024
or if you have money burning a hole in your pocket, get a Rives Audio Parc.

The other solution that I personally would look at is Tappe Horns: https://sites.google.com/site/diyfirefly/38-hz-tapped-horns

Find a good local Audio Video set up tech and pay by the hour.