the big one: how do you choose speakers? By what features, data?

i would consider price and dealer response when needing any help.

@emrofsemanon thank you ! Midrange seems to be the common theme, and I very much agree with sensitivity

@needfreestuff You described the OGY. Really. The midrange is crystal because you have a world class single driver without a crossover to muck things up. The bass is so tight thanks to the transmission line. The cabinet is solid plywood. No MDF. There’s 0 port farting. It’s fast. Sensitivity is 91db. I don’t know how I would describe the highs. The speaker is so transparent.

I like to go with the most basic speaker in a line that has trickle down technology from a highly respected.....high priced.....premium sound speaker mfgr. I’ve found the " cheapest" Magico or MBL Speaker is a real bargain...These companies KNOW how to make extraordinary speakers. I just purchased the Borresen X3 @ 11K.....because they sound very Close to their 100K speakers. Good Luck to you. Rather than buy the most expensive speaker in a cheaper line...get the cheapest speaker in an expensive line...Plus the resale is much better.

@mbmi 

There is a fair amount of truth to your approach. It's all about what makes up the speaker's price. E.g. if it's a luxury brand and the speakers are all delivered and setup by a technician with a degree from MIT,  there will be a cost to that, a markup in each of the company's product.

Ideally, the company will want to make money on their premium line and leave no margin on their cheapest model while it benefits from the trickle down magic. Ideally but often it's not the case. You are paying for the membership in the club.

E.g. I tried Sonus Faber's entry model and it sounded bad. Surprisingly bad.

In short, every manufacturer uses a (unique) pricing and design model, and some do what you are describing. 

Lastly, the 10K budget is nice. Mine is 2K. Not complaining a lot of awesome choices there...