best monitor available?


I am looking for some input on a potential upgrade to my totem mani2's. I only want to upgrade if it is an obvious improvement (therefore no mani 2 se) and I do not want to change my electronics. (EAD amp/pre pro with latest dacs.) All listening is nearfield, 20ft w by 12 ft deep b7 8 ft high exercise area with speakers on the wide wall 1 foot out. Listening to all but classical, with a velodyne sub for lf. Large amount of off center listening of music and open to small floorstanders if necessary. Have thought about revel gems, wilson benesch, jm lab, verity and others, but only have current experience with revel and totem. I am flexible on price. thanks for your input.
emster
I think the Alon Lotus Elites are one of the most exciting new speakers. They received some best-of-show votes at CES. Medium size, decent looking, dynamite sound. $8K for the Signature, all-alnico version. alonbyacarian.com.
I've listened to the KEF Reference 201's at a local dealer. The sound is clean, airy, accurate, musical. Does not reach the lowest regions in bass, but great overall tonal balance. Wide soundstage and sweetspot thanks to Uni-Q driver incorporating mid and high frequencies in one unit (the tweeter is mounted in the centre of the mid-range driver, which allows for excellent coherence). Not sure about pricing in the US, but probably around $4.5k with the KEF stands.
The Tannoy System 12 DMT and System 12 DMT II, the predecessors to the System 1200, are superb near/mid-field monitors, largely sold to the professional market, though there is a growing coterie of home listeners who have caught on to what might be the best price/performance ratio available. I know both these olders models well (own the DMT 12) as well as their big brothers, the DMT 15 II, which I use in my main system.

Recent reports on the Tannoy user's group on yahoo.com suggest that the System 1200 continues the tradition of excellence.

Hope this helps.

Joel Tatelman
Ottawa, Canada.