Help I need some speaker suggestions

I can recommend Vandersteen 2Ces (and signatures). The 'Steens have a slightly warm and laid back sound character that is totally non-fatiguing. $1495. (new) for the sigs., $1295. for the std. 2Ce-- less used. 3As/3Asigs can be found between $1500. and $2000., used. and are also excellent-- detailed without being analytical, and dynamic with good PRaT. Bass is very good for the price(s). Vandersteen sound is just about opposite of the Theil sound character.

But Vandersteens are not loud playing R&R speakers like the Cerwin-Vega reputation. Max. SPL is about 90-95 dB, but this is loud in a typical room. Good Hunting. Craig.

Ditto what Garfish said. In your price bracket, you will not do any better than the Vandy 2Ce Signatures (new), or the Vandy 3A (used). If you can get a good buy on a low-mileage pair of 3A's, they are the better buy. (A-gon has a pair of 3A's on sale here right now for $1700.)

The Vandy's are speakers you will enjoy and want to keep for a long time. They won't bowl you over with sizzling highs, or grab you by the throat with artificial qualities -- they'll just sail along making great music. I've been a Vandy owner since 1988, and prefer them to all the other speakers I've owned or heard.

hello, I would also agree that the b&w 803 matrix would be a great choice but for 300.00 more you can get into a pair of matrix 802 series 3 which are very very nice sounding speakers. Best of luck

You might be able to find a used pair of Dunlavy III at this price point. I'm suggesting these because of their driver configuration. With this type of speaker that employs mids and woofers above and below a centralized tweeter, there is less power fall off, as you move away from them in distance (as compared to conventional speaker configuratons). This type of speaker configuration tends to sound "louder", than a similarly rated SPL speaker, that does not have multiple vertical drivers ,such as the Dunlavy Line.

There are other speakers lines that also use this type of configuration very successfully (such as the Montana line and JM, which are out or your price range). The point being, there are probably other vertical D'Appolito designs, which I have not thought of, for you to consider.

I have personally made a couple of DIY designs, with this particular vertical driver configuration, and they really tend to deliver the power. They also seem to require less driver and crossover dinking, in order to sound half decent. There's just something about the way that these vertical driver designs deliver power into a room (as compared to conventional designs).

If you really want serious bass power (at your price point), the only speakers I can think of that will do what you want are the NHT 3.3 and the Legacy Classics and the VMPS line (not sure which VMPS model though). Both the NHT and the Legacy have been listed on Audiogon for around $1500. The NHT's don't use as good as drivers as the Legacys, but the Legacys are not necessarily as together sounding as the NHT's. In my opinion, the Legacys offer the most air moving ability, for the buck, where the NHT's are one of the best attempts at getting decent, coherent sound, out of a design that uses average drivers and crossovers. Either seem to fit your description of what you are looking for.

Good Luck on your quest.

I agree completely with Lev335! Go for used B&W802 series III.
I usually tell perspective speaker buyers this:
80% of all classical music is mastered on B&W speakers. So if you are considering several speakers and one of them is a B&W, go for the B&W. This is because, unless you own a Cello Pallatte (new it was $25,000), your sound will probably more often sound like it was heard when recorded.