1K speaker advice?


I am looking to upgrade speakers from Dana Audio 1s to something full range with better resolution, with about $1K to spend. I have a NAD 100wpc power amp. I listen mostly to vocals, acoustic music, and blues - and to a lesser degree jazz, rock and classical. A local audio store has a used pair of Thiel C2 at $700. They sound great but I'm concerned about the age and how they will sound with my front end equipment. Am I better off buying something new - if so I welcome suggestions.
dalelogix
I'm not familiar with the C2, but an excellent used Thiel at that price point would be the CS1.5. This is a fine sounding floorstanding 2 way design. It is excellent with vocals and has wonderful timbre. I don't know what NAD model you have - if it's too bright it will not partner well with the Thiels. If you don't have enough current, you will lose bass extension. Thiels are all about detail. You haven't described your front end, but a pair of Thiels will ruthlessly expose every upstream shortcoming. They could cause an unwanted upgrade chain reaction in the wrong system. But, if you take the effort to properly configure a system for them, Thiels will thrill.
for under 1k, you must give the acoustic energy aegis 3 a listen. new at $700, they are based on the award winning aegis 1's, but are 3 way floor standers that have an added woofer. while all music enjoyment is subjective, i've got to say that these are probably the best speakers you'll find for under $1400. they are very warm, laid back speakers that fit perfectly with vocals, acoustic, and blues - their strong point is the aluminum midrange (super detailed). would be a good match with NAD amplification. i urge you to give them a listen. for budget speakers, they can't be beaten. MUCH tighter / cleaner / more detailed than the B&W 600 series. very musical speaker. sounds like its what you're looking for.
Ditto Dklap on the Aegis 3s. It misses some range on the extremes, but what it does, it does right. IMO somewhat more sophisticated than the B&Ws, but some might argue less engaging.
I was helping out a friend look for speakers in the 1k range. We audition everything from b&w, Thiels, definitive tech and the Paradigms. In my opinion, I find the Paridigm Monitor 9s to be a very good value. They retail new for less than $800 and are full range. If you listen mostly to Vocal, you owe it to yourself to listen to them. I've compared them to my Hales speakers and come very close in performance for half its price. The build quality is something I'm not a fan of but its a great bang for the buck. Other speakers that I can suggest are Canton from www.cantonusa.com. Let your ears be the judge.
Pick up a pair of Martin Logan Aerius speakers used, ideal for your needs. Jeff