Bookshelfs budget is $ 2000.

I am a big fan of the Vapor speakers' sound (my faves are the Aurora and Nimbus, but I have also heard the Joule and the Breeze), but I would not say they have a "warm mellow sound", which the OP is looking for. I also love my SP Tech speakers (just grabbed a pair of Revelations and have had a pair of Minis for a couple years), but I wouldn't recommend the SP Tech Minis to someone looking for "warm mellow sound". Let's not forget that audiophiles have different listening priorities, and try not to just recommend our favorites reflexively without taking the OP's stated preferences into account.

Some of Fritz's speakers would fit this "warm mellow sound" description, and Harbeth (along with other BBC speaker manufacturers) has long been known for that sort of sound. I'm partial to Fritz personally, but that would come down to personal preference most likely (Fritz's monitors would likely have considerably more bass, which is a biggie for me).

Ive had ref 3a decapo and lsitend extensively to kef ls 50.

for me, there no question, for weight, presence, tone, bass, imaging, the ref 3a is much better and can be had for 1.3k used

I have the Vapor Breeze. I don't like a hard edged forward sound and I love the Breeze. I think a lot of people hear about the wonderful detail of the Raal and worry that it will be harsh. It is not.Just smooth w tons of detail.

I am using VH audio cHela cables and they are a very nice match with the Raal. Also the diffusers on the Raal can be adjusted to tailor the sound. They are attached w magnets and are simple to slide up and down. Kinda fun to mess with and they do make a difference.I was listening to a Widespread Panic LP that is kind of dark and opening up the pads gave me the detail I was looking for. Dwight Yoakam's Under the Covers CD is great with a lot of air, seperation and sparkle but it's a little too harsh for my tastes. Moving the diffusers closer tamed that.

The Raal's are so good they give you an amount of detail you wouldn't expect without harshness. Wonderful.

I have also heard the Raal in two of Ryan's systems w high end cables and they also sounded incredible as expected.

Used Spendor SA1, igf yo can find them. Excellent for classical and jazz, very natural and realistic. A very "livable" speaker that has stood the test of time with me.

Neal

Nglazer, IF you can find them is right, over the years they are rarely seen on here.