Best Speakers to Audition in the $5-10k range?

A pair of used Wilson Audio Sophia loudspeakers will be right in your budget. They are the first speakers that poped into my head when I read you wanted detail. They are also pretty sensitive and your Ayre amp should mate well with them.

This is scarry!!! I just listened to a pair of 1978 Ohm C2 speakers that had details a Paradigm Signature S8 didn't reveal. To say I was floored is an understatement....

For very high quality home theater, you'd want main speakers that are free from coloration; disappear as the apparent sound source; give a wide listening area; have enormous macrodynamic capability without becoming harsh; and finally have excellent clarity, detail and articulation. This is a rare combination.

May I suggest you consider the GedLee "Summa", designed by the world's foremost authority on waveguide design, Dr. Earl Geddes (I'm Dr. Geddes' first dealer for this speaker). The price is currently under $5,000 a pair in matte black finish (for minimal light reflection in a home theater application). Here's a link you can follow to learn more about the Summa:

http://www.gedlee.com/new_loudspeaker.htm

For more in-depth discussion, take a look at the white paper accessible through that page. I think Dr. Geddes' design (using high quality prosound drivers in a unique enclosure that gives very well-controlled radiation patterns) is extremely intelligent and I think I understand it well enought to respond to most questions if you have any.

Dr. Geddes uses three Summas (front mains + center behind a screen) in his system, and has done several custom home theater rooms for clients using Summas. He has also written an excellent book on home theater, linked here:

http://www.gedlee.com/Home_theatre.htm (This really is a different link, even though for some reason it looks like the same one.)

Best of luck in your quest!

Duke