Recommendations for Speakers that sound like Snell

I wouldn't even go there without a cheque from wifey for $10K (6K for new speakers and another 4K for mistakes you might make in your search). Providing you with the cheque doesn't give her any input on the choice either since it was her idea, not yours.

Maybe after seeing your "bill" she will learn to live with them or suggest putting them behind acoustically transparent curtains (which you could open for critical listening).

once you and your wife 'price' speakers that don't come close to your snell's performance, she may be inclned to live with them.

Gotta agree with the other posters. You probably can sell the speakers fairly readily for a price that will not come close to what they are worth sonically (in many people's view, including mine, the speakers are classics), and to get something at or near their sonic equivalent would cost a lot as Ddd1 notes. Plus keep in mind that the Snell AIII was designed to be used up against or near a rear wall, as I recall when I almost pulled the trigger on a pair, where most current speakers of a similar sonic level need to be a bit out in the room to sound their best, which may make them even less pleasing from a decorator's standpoint. I like the idea of acoustically transparent curtains. Think twice, and do some pricing and listening with your wife, before you decide to do this.