Adam, IMO you are wise not to take much stock in any of our recommendations. Why, because you don't know any of our bias and preferences for audio reproduction. Ejilf points out the diverse opinions about these matters. Personally, I think Von Schweikert speakers are hyped beyond their performance at their price points. I've heard them in different systems, different rooms, VR4 jrs, VR4 srs, same impression, blah. I much prefer Maggies house sound, but that's just me and my biases. You must listen to these brands to see what YOUR tastes are. I'd also be interested in Zu, Zen Adagios, Nola Vipers, Vandersteen, & Coincident Partial Eclipses given your stated preferences.