There are already a lot of good ideas here. It's probable that the first speakers ordered will be a pair of M80's or M100's - and possibly a pair of M50's as well.
The M80/100 to compare against some direct competitors in that $2000-$3500 range, and I will mention the 50's again for this reason: The anechoic sensitivity rating of 94 dB (2.83 V @ one meter) combined with 8 ohm nominal resistance places them in an unusual spot: they are about 6-7 dB higher in sensitivity than the competition, and close to the sensitivity of pro audio speakers.
Based on specs, in a real world, receiver based system, the M50's have the possibility of delivering true reference SPL in fairly large rooms using nothing more than a receiver.
I have a pair of highly regarded towers here that sell for under $1000 for the pair. The only issue is they just don't perform well unless a lot of power is applied. They really need a good 200 WPC amp.
This begs the question: Will the M50's deliver something comparable in performance to the other Kilobuck per pair speakers with a typical receiver?
Back to the M80/100 .. both seem to be in the normal "wheelhouse" for the higher end Axiom buyer. They also appeal to a much wider audience than do the Omnidirectional speakers.
I won't be ordering until mid April - we are taking our first family vacation in 3 years from April 3 until the 12th. There were a lot of personal issues in my family over the past 1.5 years, and time away has been impossible.
The whole family is looking forward to getting away, and when we get back, the fun in my "man cave" will start.
I have reached out to sources for 5 other tower speakers, and will keep this thread posted as positive responses come in.
Another thing - our home is open to people who want to stop by and listen.
