Best Floorstander Under 10K?

Dodgealum, not knowing what music genres or part(s) of the audio spectrum you favor, I suggest the following two current models for MUSICALITY, accuracy, balance and long-term enjoyment with your ARC system:

"Equation 25" (www.mutine.com/pages/equation25en.html)

"Stonehenge" (www.fabaudio.com/Stonehenge.htm)

Equations are beautifully finished and provide more apparent but not boosted bass and are more forgiving; however, Stonehenges have a wonderful presence and reproduce anything, bass included, that's on the recording.

Stonehenges are very efficient and mate well with quality SS and, especially, tube gear. Since you're a vinyl fan, you'll hear things on your LPs you didn't know were there.

Both speakers' cabinets are very well made, contain top quality drivers, wire and crossovers and are great values.

Good luck!

Dodgealum, if the Vandy Model 5s are too big, then wouldn't the Response 3.8s or D38s be also?

Re WB Curves: from, excuse the source, HiFi Choice: "However, the Curve is also leaner than the ACT through the broad midband, 150-600Hz, so that a 700Hz-1kHz peak - visible on both - stands out as rather more isolated and obvious. The result is clearly audible as a rather less neutral balance overall, the Curve sounding thinner with less harmonic richness, especially with wideband orchestral material. Speech shows a similar character, with clarity and articulation, and lots of explicit detail, but also some leanness and lack of 'chest' on male voices in particular." Not a great endorsement of a $7,300 speaker.

It would be interesting, perhaps astounding, to know a mfrs'. costs of drivers, x'overs and cabinets for some respected high end speakers in the, say, $20-40K/pair range. I realize there's more than component costs involved.

Which mfrs. have the highest markup from factory to distributor?