Neat Petite or ACI Emerald

gradient prelude..an end all true bookshelf speaker. no more expensive than the petite

Emeralds all the way. The Neat stuff is OK, but IMHO, the current verion of the ACI Emerald is the best speaker that ACI has done (dollar for dollar, anyway). Kind of a sleeper from a sleeper company. Unless I'm mistaken, Neat doesn't offer the 30 day money back deal that ACI does. Not much to lose.

The Neats are one of the most musical monitors you can buy. Ive owned several Neat speakers and they always serve the music first. Another very good option are the Stone Image Audio Rothlischilde A2, one of the best monitors I have heard to date. I tend to view the ACI stuff as more hi-fi, good from top to bottom, good soundstaging but not as involving musically, at least the way I listen. I've owned briefly the Emerald and Sapphire III the latter compared directly with Neat Mystiques. The ACI do width well but the Neats have center fill and balance the music better IMO.