16K to Spend. Help me make the end all Upgrade.

If WAF is so important, give us a hint as to what is acceptable(e.g. modern & glossy vs wood, etc)

Oh man, listen long & hard before buying the Wilsons. Many threads you can search w/ pros & cons, but safe to say that opinions on them are greatly debated.

As a former Avalon owner, I agree that they look great. They are sensitive to matching electronics, but I'm guessing your Pass amp would be great match, if not overkill.

Personally, I prefer others already suggested: Merlins, Veritys, Vandersteen5A, but to each his own. Please consider room placement requirements of whatever you're considering. A great speaker against a wall usually isn't a great speaker anymore; don't spend and fool yourself. Cheers,
spencer

Lots of folks can surprise us with knowledge and understanding of speakers. But without passion, resources, business acumen, manufacturing skills, patience and luck, they will just amount to one of hundreds who've gone out of business building speakers. If you go down that road, assume that 75% of your price has been gambled, because resale value is almost nil, regardless of the speakers' merits. That puts the achievements of Avalon, Merlin, Magnepan, Vandersteen, Thiel, et al in rarified air. Even often immortalized desginers like Albert Von Schweikert have folded their companies. IMHO, if you want custom work, redo your kitchen. Cheers,
Spencer