Non fatigueing speaker under 1500

Angela - Thanks for the input. I usually listen at normal volume levels and occassionally like to jam. It's like a sports car that goes 140 mph,won't always use it but nice to know it's there.

Gooddomino -- I knew about the Kestrel II but was not sure if Pat wanted to make it public yet. They are amazing. They have Pat's head spinning. Good luck.

I was gonna suggest the 1.5, but I didnt want to get too yappity about all this. But now that you've brought it up, they are one of the nicest speakers you could buy. They are not as good as the 2.5, but may actually do better in a smaller room. Vocals out of this speaker are outrageous. The pblm with this model (IMO) was that it really needed a touch more bottom to make most people happy. So now, if yer gonna sub, you might as well have the 1SC - which is a better speaker on the top end. I do suggest you at least hear this speaker before you buy anything. It is silky smooth yet not veiled. I have heard them driven beautifully at a dealership. Uder the right conditions with the right gear they sounded like all I would ever want or need. (I drove mine with a MD-208, and they didnt sound as good, although maybe the room had something to do with it.) I owned the 2.5, 1.5, and Meadowlark Kestrel HR all at one time a couple years ago. I eventually traded off my 1.5's for a new pair of 1SC's with sub, but if I could only have one pair of speakers for one smallish room, properly driven the 1.5 could very well have been it. I've already said how much I like Meadowlark, but they were the first to go, and I never looked back. The 2.5 for me, all things considered, is the perfect point of compromise in a speaker. But I did spend some money to get them to do all that they are capable of. I have not listened to your amp, so I've kept quite about it, but I have no idea why 200 watts wouldnt be way more than enough to drive any of these speakers...

I heard the Proac 1.5's with solid state - McCormack, and they were much harsher than the Thiel 1.6's I was comparing them to. So, I would be hesitant to classify them as non-fatiguing with solid state. The 1sc's with tubes, though, that can be a magic combination of detail and involvement. You'll won't know what you're missing, with that setup.

Don't know of any under $1500, but the Martin Logan Aerius is a still at $2K+! I bought a pair in 1995 and still have and enjoy them. I also own a pair of Wilson Watt/Puppy's, and the sound is not a 15K difference! The Aerius sounds like a high-end speakers on the plus $10K price range!