counterpoint incoming.
context, I still own ML CLSes (factory repaneled) and some larger maggies are in storage awaiting vacation home setup.... so I enjoy planar/dipole.
I've had good success with B&W and tekton monitors for imaging.
But my current setup trounces anything I've heard before regarding both imaging and soundstage. What changed? how much?
1) I dropped hoping to get the room to bounce my speaker sounds (or omni speakers) and added a lot of GIK diffusion panels on ceiling and side walls (4" thick and 1" offset) and corner traps and run an area rug on top of my wall to wall carpeting.
2) I toe'd in my speakers (not for 3-5' behind my listening position) but right at my face, even less room interactions... and most importantly, the next item took advantage of these 2 mods...
3) I deployed Bacch4mac. It set me back less than 1/3rd of your lower end speaker budget number in the OP.
I happen to have a TV nearby so i keep the mac GUI up to quickly (mouseclick) A/B test the processing effects (you can keep the ORC/room correction engaged for both A/B/C so your EQ and level/gain isn't a factor in the "which sounds better").
Spring for the "Audiophile+" version with the webcam and the in-ear mics, then the software will calibrate viz your head movements during the setup process, so when listening, you're head is not in a vise. also the ORC (eq/room correction) is quite good, I was running some "cut filters" in Roon to deal with 2 room modes, bit it made it "input dependent" so I was shopping for a DSP EQ.. no need now, here anything fed to the babyface appliance (part of the kit) gets processed for both EQ and spacial.
You'll need a mac mini, or they can include one. The founder (Edgar) sets things up with your via screen share like concierge service.
I've had 2 people over to demo.
1) I will run withouth Bacch-spacial, but with the ORC / EQ at a minimum for their baseline of their fav tracks.... sounds dynamic, balanced, solid stage and very much media/track dependent imaging.
2) I will engage the 2nd pre-set (still with ORC/EQ) but adding the spatial correction, and it gets... interesting, speakers truly disappear and things that are meant to be focused (a single singer's voice) become a laser vs. a flashlight. wide chorale or live band setups are enveloping. it's spooky without being distracting**
** on 1-2% of tracks, usually studio recordings, you'll hear an odd tambourine or single element truly at 2-3 o'clock or 8-9 o'clock and be like WTF no way the player would be in the 3rd row. but on real recordings or where the engineering wasn't pushed too far. it's quite amazing. worth auditioning, via their satisfaction guarantee.
who is this not for? SET 1-3watt amps and low sensitivity speakers. the system cuts (levels in ORC and among other things, phase work for the spacial) so Edgar shared the one setup where he couldn't get a satisfactory output was an SET tube amp with only modest sensitivity speakers. (not problem in my case, Tekton Ulfbehrts with Buckeye Amps and BAT preamp).
if you're on the hunt for what you describe, try this, it may be for your or not, only your ears will know.