Looking for new speakers

Allenjohns with that budget you might look at Audiokinesis.

i agree, it is a matter of taste. i also agree with you that weight doesn't make a speaker great. what i was trying to say the build quality of all the usher's i have heard and have read about is excellent, as is the sound.
enjoy your new speakers.

Merlins are one of the more musical speakers that i have heard. While the forest offers dynamics that out of its price range. Both are great speakers.

Some great choices there, I like Epos and Devore in particular. One thing you can try with a small company like Devore, is to ask the company if anyone near you is using the speakers and whether they would let you have a listen. Small companies often attract enthusiastic owners who like to spread the word.
Having been on a similar search, I am waiting for a pair of Daedalus Da-Rmas to arrive, but the Devore Gibbon 9's were very close to the Daedalus

The deed is done, but what deed you may ask. One thing I didn't mention in my quest for speakers was my room size which is 23'x19'. And its the living room so whatever my choice of speaker it has to look nice. After deciding on a pair of Epos M16i's, I contacted a few Epos dealers for pricing. All gave me a price and would certainly sell me a pair, but all agreed that my room needed something larger. In my search I ended up talking to Chris Amos of Kemela Audio in Atlanta. In our lengthy discussions on room size, placement limitations, my equipment and the type of music I listen to we finally decided on a pair of Spendor A6's (in Wenge). So the order has been placed, though unfortunately the speakers are on back order, but I should have them in 3-4 weeks. Thanks for all the help and suggestions. I looked at every speaker you folks suggested (on the net), and thought seriously about the Devore and the Usher floor standers. Ultimately, neither would have worked (see WAF) in our room. Next on my list is an amp, probably integrated, to replace my 100 watt PS Audio Trio. But thats a question for a new thread.