Well no one has bothered to mention Vandersteen Audio, I used a ton of them and found they were good with everything I threw at them. In fact I found them quite good with SS gear. Meadowlark Kestrels are also quite good, I have a pair right now that disappear in my room quite nicely. In fact now I stay up too late because I enjoy listening so much. But the Vandersteens are a bit more forgiving, which is what I would recommend with SS. You can find a pair of used Vandersteen 2ce's on Audiogon for about $700.
But I understand what your wife is saying about being so familiar with your old speakers. After listening to Vandersteens for years I turned my nose up to speakers that were 3 times as good. I think we can have some sort of thermostat in our ears that doesn't like a different sound. It reminds me of a church I used to go too. There was a woman who absolutely threw a fit if she didn't get to sit in the same pew every Sunday. Maybe your ears need to look for a different seat.
But I understand what your wife is saying about being so familiar with your old speakers. After listening to Vandersteens for years I turned my nose up to speakers that were 3 times as good. I think we can have some sort of thermostat in our ears that doesn't like a different sound. It reminds me of a church I used to go too. There was a woman who absolutely threw a fit if she didn't get to sit in the same pew every Sunday. Maybe your ears need to look for a different seat.