MiniMonitor 33lbs w/realistic vocals,not bright.

I didnt know you buy speakers by weight.

I was going to recommend the GMA Rio as well. I'm sitting here tweaking my GMA Callistos (their predecessor) in my new listening space as I type.

Thanks for taking the time for all that info Stearnsn! That sure was comprehensive. I really appreciate it.

I went through about a dozen small monitors in my office system. I would stay away from active studio monitors for what you are seeking here. They will likely not fit the #1 & #3 criteria in your OP. For what you seek here is my top 5:

1) 47 labs 4722 lens. Magical little speakers that have bass down to about 40Hz and are a little rolled off on top. Hard to find but you should listen if you can. Very small. Of all the speakers I've had you seem to be describing this one. I like them with my MC275 so a small tube amp would work. A gaincard or switching amp might be best though. I'd recommend 25wpc-50wpc.
2) Von Schweikert Unifield One. May be a bit over your budget but these speakers are awesome! The clarity and detail I heard with pro monitors without the fatigue. I listened on both tube and ss and they sounded nice on both.
3) Harbeth hl-p3es-2 sounded very sweet but for me they needed a sub. They also sounded best with a larger SS amp.
4) Merlin tsm-mxe. The are transparent and very dynamic but they seem to be quite sensitive to upstream components and recording quality, this may cause some issues in the highs for you. I found they work best if you have some space around them and you have some distance from them. Not their best in the near-field. Bass was plentiful, tight, controlled and not boomy at all. They too remind me of active studio monitors.
5) Green Mountain Rio. At 40+ lbs each these don't meet your weight limit but they are not too big. The cabinets are made of a stone-like material. These sound really good and dynamic at low volumes so they might be a good match for a bedroom system. They are dynamic and have excellent bass control. They might be a bit to "accurate" to give you that silkiness you seek.

hope that helps

Usher be-718

Legacy studio monitors

Well, I got a pair of old Sonus Faber Cremona Auditors and they are just great. So much better than the Quads (12Ls, now used on my computer, doing a nice job there for youtube).

The Auditors have really smooth but lifelike gorgeous vocals, the bass is solid with some hints of deep bass, highs are sweet too. They aren't totally transparent but they throw a very credible soundstage that sounds very right to me, and they sound driverless. Overall, I think I like them better than my Harbeth SHL5s (I like the vocals better in the Auditors, no ringing and more rounded with better texture). But they are very different speakers from the Harbeths, which have a fuller big speaker sound with bigger images. But I like the tonality of the Auditors better, with more detailed texture. I never had Sonus Fabers before.
I'm looking for some good speaker cables for them now.

(The only problem is I like them so much I'm eyeing the Guarnari Mementos, but I need to resist the upgradeitis bug, at least until I sell some old eqpt. & cables...)

Harbeth, or Proac.

Usher 520's have been highly reviewed.I have a set myself and haved been very pleased.These list at $479,you can buy them used on Agon for about $350.

Look into Shelby + Kroll Nano Monitors with a Woffer Monitor. These will work well for you. Smooth and silky with loads of good clean bass.

Sequerra MET 8.

Jean Marie Reynaud Bliss or Bliss Silver. All of JMR's speakers are known for their silky smoothness and delicate highs. They have all the detail one could want, but not in a forward or aggressive way. They excel with tubes. StereoTimes review. Check out reviews of their other models since the overall sound is consistent across the entire line.

Even a used set of JMR Twins mkII would do the trick.

Yep, others have steered me to the 1SC (ProAc).
I need to look at an amp too I guess.
You would think with everybody into computer music these days there would be a higher presence of high end active speakers beyond ATC, Quad and PMC and some Swans. I think that's why the little active Quads have so much media attention & reviews, as they don't have much competition.

Rgs92 - I know the size may be a concern, but I've got two dealers on here with Monitor 3s for sale right now.

The Ref 3a di Capo is a slightly larger box, but tonally it barks right up the tree you describe. OTOH, while I happen to like the Tablette quite a bit, I wouldn't put it in the more "polite" (Shadorne's apt word) tonal space you seem to seek.

Marty

Genelec 8020B might be convenient in the corner of a bedroom.

If you want more bass then there is a compatible subwoofer from Genelec.

Polished polite and detailed is the sound they give.

OK, thanks everyone. I guess I was looking to spend < $2500, new or used.

Have never heard many of the speakers mentioned so can't speak to their characters but have just read 2 glowing reviews in as many months re: Wharfdale Diamond 10.1.

Best

Dave

Try Proac Tablettes. They are super for vocals. Many models available second hand for a very reasonable price. They are not active so you will need a separate amplifier but I think it is worth the effort. Good luck.

Spendor 3/5's should fit the bill!

Well, as far as the weight goes, I was looking for something roughly in the size & shape range of the Quad 12Ls (~20lbs each), as opposed to some bigger box, so I decided to focus on the weight as pointing to the class of speaker I wanted to keep the frame of reference in some reasonable limits.
I have Harbeth SHL5s in my main system and didn't want speakers that large & heavy for this system.

I too am curious about the weight consideration. What gives?

Have a look at the little Harbeth's or Spendors. Both are known for their midrange and smooth top end. I own Aerial 5's, which are pretty much as good as it gets, in my view.

Where does the 33lbs come into play? Just curious.