Which $500 Speaker Next?

I don't know, those swan d1.1 and d2.2 look beautiful, get great reviews, are cheap, look to be built well with good parts...

Those warfdales look nice also, and I also like those full range speakers that don't use crossovers...i'll def conside those also, thanks!

Keep the input coming please! Got a week and a half before I get something :-)

I have two suggestions, based on recent auditions and a purchase:

Instead of stand-mounts (and sorry, they're a couple hundred bucks more but don't need stands), but the Focal 714V impressed the hell out of me in all the things you're looking for--clarity, midrange purity, air, detail, room-filling sound and ambience, nice tight bass. They're very petite--about 36" tall x 8"w x 11.5" deep. These speakers immediately disappear when the music starts. Normally $1200/pair but marked way down for MusicDirect's moving sale at $719 with free shipping and return privileges.

Second, after auditioning a bunch of stuff, I came home with some Magneplanar 1.7s. Too big and too much for your stated needs, but you can get the MMGs factory-dierct for $599. They're so thin and light you can tuck them up against the wall and then bring them out just to play the music. Maggies are magic. No boxy resonances or noise floor. Music and a well-defined soundstage just floats out into space. You don't listen *to* Maggies so much as listen *through* them.

Still, for maximum transparency and room-filling sound for minimum floor space, those 714Vs are hard to beat.

There are some good deals on the Focal Chorus speakers right now as they are being phased out. 705v, 706v, and 806v are likely in or close to your price range. I love Focal speakers myself, but not everyone agrees. Music Direct has the 30 day return policy that I think would apply to the speakers...

The Sjofn HiFi - The Clue - speakers for sale here for $500 used are a real bargain and are still a real bargain at their retail price of $999.

I have no connection to the seller but owned a pair for awhile and was constantly astonished at how good they were at so many things. I bought them on impulse out of curiosity after reading so many rave reviews.

I sold them only because I couldn't justify keeping both them and my DeVore Fidelity Super 8's. The Clue didn't quite have the refinement of the DeVores but it was remarkable how close they were at 1/4 the price.

I'd seriously consider the small maggies. They might be a squeeze in a smallish room, but you can back 'em up to the wall when not in use. Just an awfully good value at $600ish new.