i think redkiwi and timperry are on the money. placement is everything. i owned a pair of 2.5i's. very hard to place because of the side firing woofer. they never lived up to the audiophile rating (but that is another matter indeed). infact if you look at nht web site 2.5-2.9-3.3 are all for dedicated listening rooms. where you can space them as they were designed to be. i sold my 2.5s and bought merlin vsm-ms. big difference...in sound and price (i have never looked back). unless you have the upgrade bug...try room treatments and placement. if not audition some of the others mentioned.
good luck / oh yes...my vote is for merlins
good luck / oh yes...my vote is for merlins