Bookshelfs budget is $ 2000.

For just a touch warm and always mellow maybe take a look at some of ohm Walsh bookshelf models offered at ohmspeakers.com. Or maybe even a pair of more conventional refurbed ohm Ls there if available for a lot of bang for the buck compared to say harbeth.

Thank you all, I will go out and listen to as many as possible. the Totem one and Nolan and Walsh are at the top of the list. Thanks again. Best of the Season. Regards Peter

vapor audio..breeze or stiff breeze..highly recommended!!!! Ryan has put alot of money into these speakers!!

I have owned the Totem Model 1 Signature, Dynaudio Focus 140, Harbeth Compact 7ES-3. I currently have the Harbeth 30.1. I have listened to the Harbeth P3ESR at a dealer. To my ears the Totems sounded great at the start but became fatiguing after a while, especially with violins. The Dynaudios give a big sound, but were a bit tubby. However the Confidence C1 is a totally different speaker, far surpassing the Focus line. I had the C1s and enjoyed them. But to me the Harbeths sound so much more natural and musical. The P3ESR plays much more robust and room filling than their physical size would indicate on first glance.
If you can listen to them I am confident you will be impressed. Take some of your favorite classical with you, particularly solo violin and piano.

Second the Vapor Breeze. Best audio purchase I have made.
Compares to speakers costing twice as much.