help narrowing down my list of speakers, $2500

I am using a pair of Silverline Sonata II speakers (and the Prima CDP as well) in a room that is 2' larger than yours in each direction. I use them primarily for rock: Tool, Soundgarden, XTC, Catherine Wheel, Jeff Buckley, etc. I bought them for a few hundred under your price ceiling, and I am done looking around. They are phenomenal.

Many of the speakers on your list are superb. I agree as well with those that Maxxc suggested to scratch off your list. All, except the Silverline. No matter what amp I've heard with the Silverline (or Soliloquy) speakers, they sound fantastic. Tubes, hybrid, or SS work well with both of these speaker lines. And with the Sonata II, you will NOT need a sub.

The key is the synergy between the amp and speakers, and some of those on your list will be more finicky than others when it comes to that synergy. Let your ears be the judge.

All the best,
Howard

You can't leave out the Gallo Reference III, at just $100 above your budget.

Let me guess..It will take you 5 more years to get the right speaker based on the list that you have.

Gallo Reference 3!! Gallo Reference 3!! Gallo Reference 3!! The most amazing speakers I have heard in the last 10 years: superb imaging, very quick on transients, awesome soundstage. You *owe* it to yourself to audition these wonderful speakers.

-rw-

Of your listed brands so far, my personal favorite would be Totems. However, in that price range, with a bit of negotiating, you should be able to get some really good offerings from either Thiel or ProAc, both of which do a good job on rock (and pretty much everything else), IMHO.

One other consideration that would save you some money would be NHT ST-4's. They retail for about $1,000, but I was extremely impressed with them, and it is my belief that they best many speakers in the $2,500 price range. I certainly prefer them to B&W's, but then again, I have never really been a fan of B&W's (as you can probably tell, given that I like Thiel, ProAc, Totem, and NHT).

On the used market, a pair of Thiel CS3.6's make for one heck of a bargain. That's what I have in my system. I drive them with a pair of amps costing about four times what I paid for the speakers (Theta Enterprises), and to my ears, the 3.6's are worthy of just about any gear you would put upstream of them. Of course, 3.6's in a 12 x 12 room... probably not a good idea. 2.4's might be awefully nice, though.