Sound bottlenecks: Cartridge-Amp-Speakers

Dkzzzz, you are dreaming in colour if you think you will find speakers with flat response from 20Hz to 50kHz at the price you mention.

Even if a manufacturer claimed 20Hz to 50kHz in a spec sheet, with no qualifying parameters (+/- 3dB, for example), it would only be meaningless bafflegab.

In the real world, a speaker with flat response +/- 3dB from 40 to 20KHz is exceptional enough. However that spec tells you almost nothing about what it sounds like in a store, and less about what it sounds like in your system.

Your question shows you need to educate both your mind and your ears.

For the ears, go talk to some dealers. Tell them what you want and ask to listen to some speakers in your price range. Take notes on how the music sounds.

For your mind, there are a couple of good books here. Start with the one at the top.

http://www.uhfmag.com/Books.html

I suspected there is more to speakers than just frequency range.
I guess I just have to buy Sonus Faber on ebay and live with it. Since I have never heard any other speaker that I liked better (Polk, B&W, Boston Ac.etc)

Any suggestion for good solid state amp?

Tobias hit it on the head. You seem to be into specs and not sound. My 1st speakers were rated 20 - 20khz (BIC formula 4) and cost a whopping 219.00 pair in 1976. In 92 I replaced them with $800 Mission/Cyrus 782 monitors rated 70 - 20khz +/- 1.5db -6db at 50hz. Everyone who listened to the Cyrus thought they had more bass but what they heard was a clear bass - mid range - and high end. Granted I did eventually add a sub which got the sound I really wanted. I still have them today and love them. When the day comes for replacements so far I really like the Sonus-Faber Cremora's or maybe the auditors.

So I would look at new speakers first then an amp when the $$$ permit.