Best "Bookshelves" for $500? new or used

I have a pair of the B&W 601 (previous version, not the current one). I agree they do sound a little bright and edgy. I also own a pair of Epos EP12s which I bought used for about $550. I enjoy them much more than the B&Ws. They are smoother, better imaging, better bass. I'm using them with tube amps (Cary 40M signatures), so my results may not directly compare to yours, but I can say that for $550 I'm very pleased with the Epos

I bought a pair of Triangle Titus xs speakers a few weeks ago, they're excellent. They image and have better depth than the Paradigms I had. I bought them for $475 including shipping.

I agree with the comments on the 601's but for $400 they are pretty good. I've tried out a few Rotel preamps in the past including the 900 series and I thought they were all on the dull side. Try out another preamp. I'll add the Anthem Pre-1L or Pre-2L to my list.

I would second the tube preamp choice of the Anthem line-up. I used the Pre1L and Amp 1 with the 601 series I. Switched the speakers to Tyler Taylo Reference and they sounded great. The pre is probably more neutral than the amp though. For speakers you might want to look at models with silk-dome tweeters from Scan-speak, etc. Try some NOS tubes in the pre for sure--they are a great buy for the $$.

Dark: If you have not adressed the "isolation" of your player, you are just spinning your wheels, so to speak, trying to improve the sound of your system. The Vibrapods and a sheet of MDF that I mentioned in another thread are the cheapest solution ($24.00 + $2.00 to $3.00) to what you are experiencing. This combo is the least that can be done that will greatly improve your sound. The Vibrapods only isolate the platform from external vibration and the next step would be to use cone points from your player to the platform to drain off vibration from the player. The second step though can degrade the sound if the quality of the player is not high enough. I am telling this to you (for the last time, LOL) as friendly advice as I understand that you are on a beer/wine cooler budget. I have a very good but not too expensive digital front end, however if I remove the isolation components from my player and DAC the sound deteriorates greatly and my equipment is fairly well isolated on its own (contained in a 300lb plus cabinet to the side and behind my speakers). I also use the Pods on an inexpensive two unit mini system with the same results, the sound is more detailed yet much smoother at the same time. Try placing different items from the household under your player (telephone book, hard cover coffee table book, mouse pads, tennis balls and whatever) and you will see how each changes the sound of your system. For $24.00 you can get something specifically designed for the purpose of improving the sound.