My Demo results: I feel like I'm at a frustrating block in my speaker journey

djones51
Having the sofa in front of the speaker I think you would get better results using bookshelf and sub.

+1 😬

Attempting to mix Home Theater and stereo audio is usually a disaster. You want stereo audio? Get rid of everything and start from scratch. No flat screen, no HT receiver, etc. Otherwise you'll be down this rabbit hole forever. 

Harsh but true. Ask me how I know ;-)

Mjt8, I love your post and, if you truly went through all the trouble involved with arranging demos of all or even most of the speakers mentioned, I am blown away by your tenacity.  Your post is perfect for driving audiophiles crazy.  Perhaps you should change your handle to "Goldilocks".

Firstly, here's an axiom for you to cogitate:  There is no such thing as a perfect speaker or a speaker that does it all, especially those in the price points you've been exploring.  (Acoustic suspension design generally does very well for reproducing the sound(s) of an acoustic guitar.  I play a 1972 Gibson.)

Secondly, probably more than any other audiophile component except maybe tube, solid state and Class D amps, speakers are an intensely personal choice.  Some ears prefer sound signatures others eschew and so forth.

Thirdly, perspective in photos is always difficult to glean but your listening set-up appears to have some definite challenges.  Virtually all listening rooms do.  It's difficult to estimate how close to the back wall those towers are.  Some speakers, including stand-mounters, need more breathing room than others.  I'm going to assume you took all of that and many other basics into consideration, although it certainly does seem a little more reading and research might help, judging from the extremely wide disparity of speakers you've been auditioning (e.g. speaker break-in; component-matching; etc.).  The lovely, plush love seat appears very close and directly in front of the left channel, which also appears to be in a corner.  Generally not a good idea.  The "sweet spot" for music listening appears to be the left end or section (from seated perspective) of that lovely, plush couch, which looks right.  I assume that's where you've done or have been doing your critical listening.  The wall cutout behind the couch/listening position is a definite factor but I think a good one for what appears to be a relatively small listening room with conventional 7' ceiling height.

Anyway, you've already received some very good feedback in this thread and again, considering the extremely wide disparity of speakers you've been auditioning and the multitude of other variables that need to be considered in order for you to achieve the sound quality you can live with contentedly, my advice would be to seriously consider an in-home consultation from a bona fide, qualified, trusted, experienced, professional audiophile, sound engineer, etc.; not just any yahoo from a local stereo shop but someone who actually knows what they're doing and can readily understand what you're after.  That, alone, will likely save you lots of time and dough compared to the endless search you've already embarked on.

Finally, out of curiosity, please let us all know when you've found the speakers that make you happy.  I'm especially interested as I am also embarked on the same quest.

Happy Hunting!    

Forgive the mistype but I meant to say that I own the ML 35XTs and they are the ones that are currently $400 each. Not the new 35XTi model. Also, I could be mistaken but the ceiling height definitely looks to be a more normal 8-9 feet. 

The 35XTI seems to have very pronounced mids 800-1800 Hz, like a plateau, which may be what you are looking for. Might not sound correct with recordings that already have full energy in this range.

The 35XTI seems to have very pronounced mids 800-1800 Hz, like a plateau,

Have you heard of an EQ?

I sure would consider buying Focal speakers.  Even the Area 948"s lacked bass.  I think they should advertise them as "Where's the Bass".  I think they are made to play classical music.

I listened to about 60 speakers and ended up with a pair of Paradigm 85F towers.  They were balanced.  Of course, no one in this group would every stoop so low but to admit these are decent speakers for the money.

I just wish I had held off because at the RMAF in Denver I heard a pair of SALK Song3 Encores' priced at $6,000 and they sounded better than a pair of $60,0000 speakers down the hall.  Problem is they are sold direct and the only place you can hear them is at an audio show.  Jim Salk sells direct because he is not willing to give up the build quality and drivers to be able to sell to the dealers who make all of the money.  This will all make sense when you hear his speakers.

After I added a pair of REL S2 SHO subwoofers to my system, the sound is incredible.  Their high level connection makes the difference because they allow them to play as addition woofers so they blend without noticing them.  There is nothing better than to fill in the lower.  I wanted to hear more of the recording and these really made the difference.

The Salk Song3 BeAT's and the Encore's both indeed great.  The BeAT may be the slightly better speaker overall, but it doesn't go so low.  But given the journey the OP's been on, the Salks would be a gamble.  Hence recommendation for a brand with fairly wide distribution.

Since you seem to gravitate toward the ML 35’s but they were volume challenged and lacking bass. The solution is simple buy a sub. M-L Dynamo 800x is great option, designed by the same team as the speakers. The built in Anthem Room Correction can help to with room issues. Upgrading the receiver can’t hurt either. 

You seem to have already found a few speakers you actually like. I suggest picking the one that gave you the most enjoyment, and stick with it for a few months. See if you can try them out with better source components.

One thing I've learned: especially as a beginner, and especially at lower price points, breaking sound down to its component parts (like they do in audio reviews) and trying to check all the boxes is the wrong path.  Instead, find stuff that makes the music sound good to you. If you aren't moved, it isn't working. Don't over analyze it.

Speakers are about tradeoffs and your tastes are likely to change over time. Think of it like dating. You've got to live with a choice over a period of time to really know. Sometimes what you don't notice at the start can end up being the most important positive or negative thing, and may change the way you look at things going forward.

Also: source components matter. I wasn't satisfied with any speaker until I got rid of my crappy AVR.

I recommend for you to pursue a really good headphone system.

Ok, tons of good info and recommendations given, tons of bad info.  Good luck knowing who to believe.

1.  Snag something like a Peachtree Nova 150 or comparable. Look at good 2 channel integrated amplifiers.  Something with a pre, amp, and dac all in one.  
2.  What is your source?  (How do we get this far into a discussion without the source component??). If you are streaming, stream Tidal, Qobuz, or Amazon HD through a Bluesound Node 2.

3. Spend the remainder of your budget on a pair of monitors (salk, fritz...?and 4 GIK panels.  Art Decco series, perhaps.  Buy some Isoacoustics l8r130 stands.  
Speaker placement: put the speakers on the isoacoustics and then on the “entertainment stand.  Pull that left speaker out from the corner of the room and in a way that its emanating sound isn’t impeded by the couch.  Set up an equilateral triangle with regards to where the speakers are and where your preferred sweet spot is.

Acoustic panel placement: I’d put 2 panels in that corner, behind the speaker that is front of the couch and 2 1x4 panels on the wall behind your head, above the couch.

Consider a concentric designed speaker if you want to have a good dispersion pattern across all the listening seats in that area!

It sounds like you have a good ear, which gets expensive so understand that you may have to compromise on the speakers until later on.  With the other components that I mentioned in place already, THEN you spend $3500-$4500 on speakers. Don’t put the cart before the horse and expect to get anywhere.  With that in mind, any $1500 speaker from Fritz, Salk, or used fill in the blank, will sound better with the set-up I described than a pair of $60,000 Magicos hooked up to the Marantz AVR.

If all of this is so overwhelming that you aren’t having fun, buy some Dynaudio XEO 20’s, some isoacoustics and be done.  

Russell K or Jern 14EH with decent subwoofers.

mattarms makes a great point to pick the speakers you find the most enjoyable rather than just ticking off boxes on a list. 
Meanwhile, oldears is officially on “time out” for recommending a headphone system.

1+ bluorion on the Dynaudio Special 40s. I auditioned them at length and would have purchased them, but my dealer had me try some Dali 5s. They have a ribbon tweeter, I believe, and they don't need speaker stands (those things are pricey). The Dalis are more than $3000.00, but not a lot more. As much as I like the Dalis, it wasn't until I replaced my late 80s BK amp and pre-amp with a Simaudio Moon that they really bloomed. What about taking your amplification to your local dealer and have a speaker shootout? Both wear masks and keep your distance. Anyone interested in late 80's BK amp/preamp combo?

And that is why audio is such a wonderful and exciting journey. You need to have to find the combination of electronics, speakers and room that's just right and makes you happy. 

I feel your frustration. Been there. A logical approach would be to learn more about your listening environment. Such a feat can be accomplished with little or no expense. 
IMHO I would try the following first:
1. borrow a rug or put down a bedspread to absorb reflections from the floor. 
2. use a smaller piece of furniture
between the speakers to hold your gear or remove the piece altogether temporarily for testing purposes. Bring those speakers closer together. This solves the irregular triangle problem and the more obvious issue of speaker behind chair. You may find you don’t need to increase the volume as much as a result. 

This will cost you nothing and could satisfy your needs. 

3. Avoid listening to people who believe their system is what you require. Each person is different; each room is different. Naming off a list of components and their worth aids no one   

This is where the money starts flowing. 

4. Equipment placement and room treatment will only take you so far. IMO if you don’t like the sound signature of your speakers you won’t like them no matter what you do. 

5. A clean high current amplifier IMO will greatly improve the sound of any speaker. When I purchased my amp it was immediately apparent what I was missing. I especially noticed more bass at lower volumes. 

You are making good decisions by trying the equipment in your home. I don’t make equipment suggestions for you. Instead, I give you my knowledge as an audiophile and speaker designer/builder for 45 years. 

Good luck. Hope this helps. 

Getback to you asap.

mjt8

Thiel Audio- CS 3.7 loudspeaker.

It's nice of everyone to give their good advice, but I think that it's probably pointless in this case since you are very particular and will need to hear what you like for yourself, and it looks like it's going to take you a while... 

With the room layout and speaker placement limitations, I'd focus on bookshelves placed on your cabinet (on some sort of 2-8 inch stand like Iso Acoustics) and add a small subwoofer.

Bookshelves would have at least a tiny bit of room off the back and side wall, and there would be a little space available to work on placement.  

Considering the sound profile you're looking for, perhaps you should consider the KEF LS50 Wireless - which have a good reputation for detail and clarity.  

The KEF LS50w's are active speakers, so you would no longer need the Marantz AVR. Your TV would connect to the KEF's via optical.

A small sub might fit in that space under the marantz.

The non-active LS50's I guess would be an option, too - but I'm not sure how well they would mate with your Marantz. Might be something to try first, though.

I think the Paradigm Persona range is exactly what you want. Just make sure it is demo’d with gear on the warmer side. Devine with Luxman gear

I went through this for awhile. I think most of us do. Depending on price point and whether you have size/aesthetic constraints, there are a few things you could do. 1) Buy what most approximates what you want and wait until the more desirable speaker eventually comes your way. 2) Find two sets of speakers you like that do different things well and run them together...I did this for years using paradigm and polk. Paradigm added body to low to mids, Polk upper mids to highs. 3) Try headphones.

My final speaker at a price point was Focal 807W (at a price point). They do almost everything better than most speakers I have heard (for me) and I prefer the older tweeter over the newer Poron, but they are metal tweeters. The AA with Raal seem to be as you describe, lacking a midrange punch or excitement, comparatively speaking. My suggestions for newer equipment would be Triangle Borea 3 at $600ish,a speaker which has received alot of attention, Monitor Audio Silver 100s at $1200ish which has become more dynamic than previous models were..so maybe more forward rather than laid back. Above that, the Sky’s the limit. The sweet spot has to reside somewhere between 1-2 grand but there are some performers for less.

What I look for is clarity with dynamic reach or "exciting clinical". Not too airy, too large a soundstage (stretched) or too small. Something that adds depth of sound rather than flat wall so more 3D vs 2D.
Let your brain adjust. The brain is like an infant, you’ll eventually desire the taste for what’s on your plate. Don’t forget, amps and sources can make a difference too regardless of what some people say.

Your problem is probably related to eletronics. Thinking about sound systems you should always consider the pairing eletronics with speakers.
i will tell my story so I can express myself better.
i bought a few years ago a set of B&W diamond series. Supposed to be top of line. Paired with I could afford at that time. A Yamaha 2030. It was good. But is was not good enough for what I have payed for. Experts were saying to me that the problem was power. That I should buy an amplifier do push the speakers. I went then to listen to many amplifiers with the same speakers and same processor. I’ve got the NAD M25. It was a great upgade to my system. But then again... I was not satisfied. It was pricy but far pricy for what I have payed for. Then I changed my processor. Now I am satisfied. So, thinking about sound you should consider the whole system and not only the speakers. Start upgrading your processor, then your amplifier so you can match great speakers 

If the Tannoy XT6Fs sounded dark in your system, I suggest looking into a different amp. These are anything but dark.

Try the Cerwin Vegas XLS 12 or the Fyne 500 series

“If the Tannoy XT6Fs sounded dark in your system, I suggest looking into a different amp. These are anything but dark.”

Only a 10 minute audition and they went back in the box. My Tannoy's took 100 hours of break in before they were decent, and it was 200 hours to bring them to full potential - both for the diaphragms to loosen, and the caps to break in. It was worth the wait.

You seem to know all the buzzwords regarding speakers, but as many have pointed out you are only focused on the transducers (speakers).  Especially with higher end speakers, garbage in and garbage out.  The electronics and the room are key to get all the qualities of a good pair of speakers.  I have had many different kinds over the years.  I currently have B&W 802D's and an older pair of Paradigm Studio 100 V3.  Pound for pound, dollar for dollar, the Paradigms sound the best with a wide range of music.  That said, they will never reproduce a "high quality" recording as well as the B&W's.  Poorer recordings will almost always sound worse on the B&W's because they reproduce the recording better than the 100's.  Find a speaker you can afford (think used) that makes you emotional about the music, get a better preamp and amp (Rotel is good value for the money, but no where close to say McIntosh) and forget about the various adjectives used by the audio geeks, and crank them up!

First off no speaker is going to do everything perfect can't be done.  If you expect something to be perfect it simply won't happen.
A question when you are doing the demonstration are you doing it with loaners?  If so are they new in the box?  If they are most speakers have a substantial break in period usually 50 hours or more.  Only manufacturer I know of that solves this for you is Zu Audio in Utah.  They break all of their drivers in before installing in cabinets.
The shape of your room is not a good thing for speakers.  I have a  square room and it tends to reinforce bass waves.
Also early in my audio journey I went to a local audio shop and they had an interesting demo.  They would play some music and midway through the track the salesman would take a tapestry off the wall between the speakers and the treble would come alive.  (This was because the tapestry absorbed the reflected sound).  I found that very informative.
It may seem far fetched but sometimes carpets can absorb sound because it will not reflect it back into the room as well.  Same for stuff on walls.
Last, life is a compromise if you expect any audio system to sound the same as a musician playing acoustic guitar in your room it siimply will not happen.
Good luck on your journey

     I tried out a top Marantz AVR.  It was practically free if I wanted it.  I hooked it up to my B&W 803's, and guess what?     " Various B&W- Metallic, boring, no dynamics"  Your words.
     Yep! They sounded just like the electronics.  I immediately re-boxed it.
 That is the problem with accurate speakers. They require big power supplies for dynamics, don't add sounds, and can reproduce the gratingly bright sounds of cheap transistor circuits and computer chips used in AVR receivers.  Admittedly, I do use separate, matching amp and pre-amp for subs, but that is required for my fairly large (700 square feet, average 12' tall) listening room, which is most of my house.  With normal ceilings in a Tennessee 400 Square foot, half basement, subs were a luxury, not a requirement.  Martin Logan's are pretty good for AVR's, because, like all electrostatics without added tweeters, they lack treble  AVR's do not have the power supply required for bass (or dynamic range on inefficient speakers).  That is why they have sub outputs..

STOP!!!!
Do NOT spend any money on gear yet. You are showing us all that you are an audiophile in pursuit of great sound. You will have marginal success at best with your current layout. It just won't happen. The speakers will need to be brought out into the room at least 2-3 feet to get the bass to clean up, and imaging to appear. Period. Even if you do this only when listening to 2 channel music, and put them back for use in a Family Room environment, you will be happier. Try this first. beg forgiveness for the wife, and spend some hours experimenting. This will give you an education about the speaker/room interaction. 
Next. If possible, spin the room 90 degrees. Put curtains on the window, and maybe even use a blanket on the TV if it must be on a stand in the center.

If you are stuck on the long wall try covering the TV with a blanket and moving the speaker out into the room at the same time. Prepare for an experience!
Now, in the present situation, some great stand mounts with a subwoofer will probably be the best solution, but the sub may need to be across the room or off to the right side to get a good integration.

Everyone is different, but I had the Focal 936 tower(similar to the 948 you mentioned). I upgraded to the Focal Kanta 2 and finally got that extra thing that I was looking for. A great all around speaker with the detail in the top end with sounding harsh or brittle.

Hi mjt8,

Simply Put  - You Have Out Grown Your System !

IMHO start to strategically put together a budget / foundation to grow from to accomplish your goals. You may want to check out some Virtual Systems on Agon as a guide. As others have pointed out - Take into consideration, Amp/ Pre Amp / Integrated/ Power Delivery, Cabling etc. 
The best bang for your buck will be the used market.
Take your time, Plan 3,5 - 10 times, spend once.

This should not be frustrating. It should be exciting. You are at the very beginning of a great journey ahead. Throw everything out, especially preconceptions and brand biases and try to find what really floats your boat. Find it outside your house first if need be, then try to bring it home, there is likely one or two or three gear combos out there that will really be magic for you. Don’t worry that must stuff sounds unfulfilling to you. Your taste is that specific, just like all of us. Enjoy it, indulge it and be patient with it. It’s very possible that nothing you’ve tried so far is the solution (and having heard many of those options, I’m not surprised). Do heed all the comments so far re: the marantz and room setup. Everything must be in play. One other note of caution: you may have more expensive taste than your budget permits right now. That’s fine too.

I don’t think any speaker would sound good in that setup. Start with some wall treatments, going to have to rearrange the room. Also figure out if you want cinema setup or 2.1 and AVR’s generally are not great for anything but loudness. Surround sound might be your ticket to the system your looking for.

Here’s an idea ~ get a good pair of headphones. Your room arrangement stinks, your amp is sub-par, you’ve rejected all sorts of GREAT speakers because of [at least] these two factors, as several have already pointed out. You can get a great pair of headphones for less that what you’ve burned through on speakers, like perhaps the Focal Stellia. Then trade everything else for a decent headphone amp.Yea, guys, I realize it’s not the answer he’s looking for, but it seems to me his best solution if he wants good sound. A lot of wonderful recommendations have been made, but I don’t think any of them will fix his problem. Short of room mods and power upgrades, and a pair of speakers that has that magic synergy w/his amp[s] and other equipment, he’s doomed to spend more and more money and never get there. None of you who made these legit observations have your hi-fi setup in a closet or a bathroom or the family "junkroom" ~ right?

Hi mjt8,
I have a simple and clear suggestion. After almost 50 years getting my first system when I was 18. Constantly upgrading, especially speakers. TetraSpeakers.com.
I didn’t need to hear them after I looked at this website. An amazing group of famous and great musical artists all owners who would only  use Tetras for life. And they all say the same superlatives. Like Herbie Hancock: “Whenever I play Tetra 606s for people it stops them dead in their tracks. They can’t speak for a few minutes and then all they can say is ‘Wow, unbelievable,’ ... I’ll try to get Quincy over to the house to hear them. Stevie Wonder needs to hear them too.” And Keith Richard, “The’re not just ANY pair of speakers!”.Who am I to disagree. I own the entry level $1500 120 Us and the $16K Phoenix TXs. The Phoenixs have a fuller, more complete sound but the house sound is there in the 120u. They just sound right. I lived for 10 years happily with rebuilt Quad 57s. I still miss them but I will never own any other speaker than a Tetra. Once you hear the unique truth of music it grabs you and doesn’t let go.

These things tend to degenerate and keep going long after the OP has bailed, which at 5 days since his last post seems to have happened. On the off chance he hasn't, I notice he loved everything about the ML bookshelf speakers except for their lack of volume and bass. Other than that they would be ideal, and a lot easier to position than bigger speakers. All he needs is a way to make them sound a lot bigger than they are. 

The obvious solution is a DBA. The four subs can be as small as 8" and placed just about anywhere. A perfectly fine sub could be made with an 8" driver and a length of ABS, just look up enclosure info to determine the length to tune to the frequency you want. These would lay on the floor along a wall behind a sofa or whatever. Or stand upright in a corner. Whatever. Point is location is not fussy when you use four like it is when using only one or two.

That's it. All the rest is details, same as we all have. It will never be a dedicated room but it will be pretty darn good for what it is.

Speaker placement and room set up is a science.
The best thing to do right now is stop talking about components for the time being...and focus on exploiting the best layout based on what you have. Understand and solve that now. It will give you a reference point for new amps and speakers when you do upgrade.

Ask yourself where you will be listening from? Pick one listening spot. Then arrange furniture to satisfy other guests but defer as much as you can to that listening position. It's a compromise when you don't have a dedicated listening room.

It's tougher with newer homes because the trend is to no longer build formal rooms...nowadays rooms blend into other other rooms to create open layouts that are all the rage these days. 

I tried to like the Focal Aria line, but even the 948's lacked bass.  I think these are designed for classical and opera.  I also thought the B&W's were lacking in the bass.  Two REL subs would help.  However, I felt they were over priced.

I actually ended up with a pair of Paradigm Prestige 85F towers and liked them the most.  They were neutral and still produced enough bass.  However, everyone needs to think about adding a pair REL Subs to be able to hear more of a recording.  I would have liked to hear a pair of Paradigm Prestige 98F towers.

I still think the SALK Song3 Encore towers are incredible and they only cost $6,000.  You will think they are at least $30,000 when you hear them.  Only problem they are sold direct.  Jim Salk is able to put much higher drivers in his speakers because he doesn't have to discount his speakers to a dealer who will make all of the profit.

You really just can't pull out speakers 2-3 ft. in a room like that. Where's the room for that?

You might want to consider keeping your rack and TV in the existing spot and having smaller speakers fire lengthwise in the room.

Have you tried paper dolls? Make cut-outs of all your furniture and place them on graph paper with the walls of your room laid out.  An see what you can do with that first.

I just moved into my home in October 2019.  But I used a computer program to build all my furniture pieces and equipment racks to determine layouts that would appease my wife and the audio gods.

I chose to defer to my wife and the picture window and went with the 2nd best room layout I drew up. After moving in...I tweaked.  It's May and I'm still tweaking. One of my wife's concessions is that there will be no framed artwork/pictures that us glass.  Family pictures are in the dining room and hall. For those of us without a dedicated listening room, we need to make and accept compromises.

For use in home theater and music you might look at RBH. Hard to demo though.

I second the Magnepan 3.7i. with 2 subwoofers  However they only sound as good as your power conditioning, gear and cables. 
Or consider an open baffle speaker.  For me I tire of the box sound of box speakers under  $12-15,000.

You probably like your Logitech because your ears are within 18" of them and you are not getting any room interaction.  

Forget speaker, amp, DAC and whatever else upgrades. Get an EQ! learn to use it, and play with your speaker placement and room treatments, if any.  

I have three systems and each has an EQ.  Yamaha 10-band, DN360 31 band, and a miniDSP 2x4hd.  In all three cases the system sounds better with the EQ than without.  

I guess the upgrades business are the reason EQs are frowned upon. 

Gato fm50

So I see this thread has been beaten to death and the waters muddied to an extreme but this hits home as I have had similar issues with a very strangely shaped and small room. I have two set ups that I suggest you give a listen to.

1: small monitors on desk / stands. I am using the Elac Navis monitors in my very small unusual shaped 5 sided room. Despite all of that it sounds incredible. To be fair I have used Dirac through an NAD C658 to help dial in the sound. If you go with a powered monitor like the Navis you can afford a nicer front end because you aren’t paying for amplification. I have currently removed the NAD and added a Topping DX7 Pro which is there because this is also a headphone set up for me and the synergy is wonderful. Sub isnt required but a small fast sub in the future like a REL would certainly be welcome.
 - as an aside I also have a rather rare studio monitor set up that I swap in when mood strikes. They are Gibson Les Paul 8’s. This is Gibsons first and only studio monitor and they are gorgeous. They have the sunburst finish of a Les Paul guitar and some very revealing highs. I use them primarily for acoustic music as it just gets the guitars right. Im am an amateur guitarist and a classically trained upright bassist so I have an ear for stringed instruments. However I find them a bit too forward for music that is more digital like todays popular styles. They have adjustments on bass and treble so you can tailor the sound, but it seems obvious these were built for the sweet sounds of rock and acoustic music more than the electronic types.

My second system that regular leaves me in awe was mentioned by another member here: Revels. I demoed their towers and bookshelves and settled on the M106 Bookshelves for my needs. Their sound is sweet but precise. The treble is lerfect even off axis, and they fill my room (19x12 open on 2 sides to other rooms) with beautiful music. I use them daily as my TV speakers as well. They are currently IN a bookcase. They come with foams for the ports and I have them installed. Bass response is effected in the lower registers this way but it works perfectly with a small subwoofer I have installed. Im driving these from an NAD M10 integrated which is small and attractive and works perfectly with everything else I have going on. (Streaming, etc,) it also has Dirac built in which helps to fix resonances and issues with their poor placement. Given I have 2 1/2 year old twins the bookshelves and having the speakers out of the way was just a requirement. The runner up in my demoes was the Kef R3’s but I found the form of the Revels more attractive.

both of these systems are around $3-4k in price. Speakers are both $2k a pair and the electronics on the elacs with my Topping Dx7 Pro is certainly much lower in cost (but not in features or performance!). For the moment I am now a happy cat and looking at exploring headphones more for while the kids are sleeping. Loving my Focal cans right now.

I'm a late poster here, so forgive me if I'm repeating others.  I've found that allowing speakers (and all components for that matter) to break in makes a huge difference.  The difference in speakers is largely in bass, but in some speakers tweeters also smooth out with use.  Tannoys in my former listening room (a very lively one) were too bright--the opposite of dark.  I'm not sold on a single brand, but I have found Tannoy Revolution XT8Fs are incredibly flexible--tight and deep bass with good highs that accurately reflect their source (for better or worse).  I have now moved and my room is far less reflective; my Tannoy XT8Fs have settled in while also coming alive.  As I audition new components, they never fail to reveal differences--including that of breaking in new components!  I would not say they are the most involving--that honor goes to Sonus Faber Cremona Ms, though likely many others too.  Best of luck in your search--it's worth it!

1. Electronics need to match the speakers. In fact, the entire system, cables and all, needs to work together. But the ’wrong’ power or pre-amp and great sounding speakers will suck.
2. Once you've selected the speakers and electronics, the room makes a huge difference, size, shape, treatment, furniture, speaker location and sitting position, and bass traps are worth every nickel, particularly in a typical box of a room with standing wave issues. For example, too, speakers are likely happiest when a few feet from the back wall and at least a few of feet from the side walls.
2. I noted before seeing your budget, $3000, that there are three brands worth looking at, each quite different, but each stunning in their own way. (a) Wilson Audio (pick your range, a good used selection are around), (b) Sonus Faber Amati Anniversario or Stradaveri ((these will be used, the new models miss the point), though the gentle high end and overall warmth may be too much for your taste, I recommend they are worth a listen) and (c) as others have mentioned, Magnapan (pick your range, add subwoofer to taste). Maybe $3000 is not sufficient for your objective. I say this because you will need to improve your pre-amp and amplifier to match the speakers.

I’ve had the Sonus Faber, both models noted above - these speakers are like bringing the symphony orchestra home (or Van Halen, or Miles Davis, or really - anything you could pump through them) all musicians came home in that set up. At first I was using Audio Research Reference 210 monoblocks and LS-27 preamp for electronics. Since the fireworks of tubes giving up the ghost isn’t very family friendly, I’ve moved to the Audia Flight Strumento #4 v.2, with the Audio Research LS-27 preamp. I miss tubes, but the Audiaflight is stunning. 

I have the Marantz 8801 multimedia preamp (11.2 channels, balanced) and would use it only for AV, running it through the LS-27 for the front L/R. It's not really THAT good for music.

All this is to say, you have the right idea. Just keep at it. there has been a lot of good advice here.

It seems amazing to me that for a guy who is admittedly a neophyte in the stereo listening hobby you seem to be amazingly insightful into the shortcomings of an Andrew Jones designed pair of highly acclaimed Elac speakers. Hmmm...