Non fatigueing speaker under 1500

It AIN'T the speaker that is fatiguing - it's your amp IMHO! With only 200 Watts, I would suspect that it must be clipping, causing the fatigue that you hear/feel. Suggest that you Beef up your power!

-aj

Dr_joe, interesting point. I read a pro-audio magazine review on B&W 602's. They thought they were great as a monitor being flat, accurate and all that. However, they had two complaints:
1) Lack of bass control - passive speakers can't compete with active speakers in this respect since the amp is right at the bass driver for better control.
2) Too bright. But I would also want to know about their electronics which could also cause this problem.

I believe that you do not need to spend 3K+ on good, non-fatiqueing speaker, especially monitors. At the under 1500 price point, the best options have been mentioned. Maggies are not fatiqueing, but you need to consider your room and cables. The Spendors 3/5 are lovely, but after a while you realize the bass is not there. If you want Spendors, be prepared to add a sub or go with a larger pair. I cannot comment on the 6's. The ProAc Response 1SC are one of my favorite speakers. They will not sound as good as they can unless you have a very good amp. With a sub and tube amp, they cannot be beat. Now, Meadowlark. The Swifts and Swallows will blow most speakers under 2K away. The new tramission line technology that Pat McGinty developed impacts more than just the bass. They entire speaker is more natural and musical. I would really like to see how they compare to the Maggies side by side. My vote for serious consideration(not in order of preferance, as this is your choice): Maggies, ProAc 1 SC, Meadowlark Swift or Swallow. If you are not satisfied, then look at chaning your amp. The Theta Miles is just fine. Good luck.

OK Figuy, first things first, Meadowlark makes a real nice speaker. Bang for the buck wise, some of their stuff is a no brainier choice. But the ProAcs have tonal quality, and a certain delicacy and finesse that is just very special. An uncompromisingly clean midrange makes this speaker extraordinary to listen to (read non fatiguing). Along with lots of other qualities, without exaggeration, the 1SC has a top end that on certain cuts will rival electrostatic quality. While I believe these to be a world class mini, they wont deliver all the goods (they’re not intended to), which is why I think most people would want to sub. But if $1500 is the current budget, I’d rather have these and save for a sub, than have something else that wont come close to doing some things that the 1SC will do. btw, bare floors and no acoustical treatment (or at least some bookshelves, cushioned chairs, sofas, n stuff) is for sure some of the reason Gooddomino is dealing with listener fatigue IMO...

Gooddomino, FWIW I've had some nice variable analog out players, but never really had great luck going CD direct - harshness was always an issue until i solved it with a tube pre