New house, wife reveals she hates my Maggies- looking for stand mount speaker suggestions

Show your wife the picture of Borensen x1 and diapason adamanttes both are musical and nice looking. I own both.

Use this opportunity to go all in on a pair of Boenicke's! They'll be the nicest looking item in your house. 

Go to the link below and show it to your wife. Ask her to give you an idea of what she would be happy with and go from there.

High End Stereo Speakers

Great suggestions ... especially Joseph! 

Please consider a direct to consumer guy in Holland, MI., Studio Electric!  Really great reviews ....

https://www.studio-electric.com/index.html

I'll muddy the waters with a not so common option - the Nico Evolution by EgglestonWorks. I have the Andre 2 by them and your description of what you love to hear is what my speakers blow my mind with. I'm sure their stand mint option will not disappoint. 

E.

I always felt that a floor stander takes no more room than a stand mount so why bother?  But visually, stand mounts are more appealing and have a much smaller 'visual' footprint.

I had large floor standers in our Kitchen / Family room.  Tried a pair of Dynaudio Confidence 20's in the light grey wood.  WAF is off the charts, and they sound better!  They do love some nice power but fit in the room so nicely and scale amazingly well in the large room.

Response D2 / R / D - ProAc 
Or if you don't want to pay for a stand you could go for its big brother 
Response D20/D/R - ProAc

I know you said Stand Mount but with that budget, I would go with floor standards like the Mofi SourcePoint V10 Master Edition.  Floor standers take only  bit more space then stand mounts.

Joseph’s Pulsar Graphene 2 with a high recommendation. They are phenomenal. Moved to the Pulsars from Harbeth 30.2 and love it.

Another option although unless you know someone who has them you have to buy unheard but with a 30 day return option, the Clarity 6.2 speakers. They get unanimous rave reviews both from reviewers and buyers. I've heard them. They are excellent, small with sub 40 Hz bass, superb imaging and great openness and detail. They are a tad bright but that can be handled by listening a tiny way off axis. And the size is probably wife friendly(8.74 x 14.33 x 10.47 inches.

…a little less known brand but equally well contructed and beautiful.

https://www.chariohifi.com/ACADEMY_SONNET
 

SKC

Always been curious about this speakers.

They certainly looks beautiful.

https://www.canuckaudiomart.com/details/650241346-franco-serblin-accordo-walnut/
Note! Price in Canadian dollar.

I have the Sonus Faber  Guarneri Evolution and I would qualify it as “beautiful”

What you like sonically is a personal choice.

They come up for sale for $7000-$8000 used.

skc

Looks like these guys are selling the Pulsars at the top of your price range so maybe worth a call…

https://nowlistenhere.net/speakers/joseph-audio-pulsar2-graphene

Look at Triangle Duettos 50th anniversary monitors. Read the reviews and see if they fit your brief. Amazing speakers from France and beautiful. Your wife would likely love the looks.

Borrenson X1’s I heard that at RMAF a few years back and they are incredible.

2nd on the Sonus Faber Olympica Nova 1, I am using them as rears but used them as fronts while waited for the 3’s to arrive as wells breaking them in. They do a wonderful job, but incorporating a sub helps.

https://www.sonusfaber.com/en/products/olympica-nova-i
I’ve no idea how these sound, but oh my.  They look fast standing still.  And isn’t that half the fun?  Really, check the WAF box, check the Italian box.  Done.

@ericsch ”I think the SHL would be too much of a good thing” Well said. 10x10 seems to be near field.

@meiatflask I’d review the thought of P3esr. Was that in your current system you heard them?  Sterophile has a 2024 write up on the XD

I have big speakers too and they may not make the move if we downsize. I am looking at the TAD ME1. They might fit your need as well.

So many great standmounts: already mentioned Alta, Joseph…and I’d add Borresen and Marten. 

But…if I were in your position I’d look at the new Virtual Hifi Viper or the upcoming Cobra. Super intriguing. You’d probably have to rethink your amp but you deserve it since you have to part with your Maggies. 

Check out 6moons if you’re at all interested.

Keep us posted.

There are very capable of playing loud. Well beyond 80db. I suspect you  will notice that your eardrums go before the sound distorts. I’ll go into peaks of low 80s without any issues. Near field - sound very pleasurable in the 60s.

You should consider the Alta Alyssa"s

Had detail info then lost it. I’ve had this happen to me before. On IPad switching to something and or walking away for the moment lost it all.

Harbeth Super HL5+ XD   Be careful  of model numbers for there are variations over the years. Very easy to mess up. Looks the new ones on their website are XD2. I’m sure mine were the latest before for XD2 Audiogon, The Music Room and US Audio Mart have them listed. TMR will work with you on price - consider sales tax though. If you’re entertaining the thought of studying Harbeth again study the model numbers.

Hitting the send button now before something comes up.

I sold off all my “high end” stuff besides my JL F113. 
I never ever considered Harbeth as I always thought of them as jazz type only speakers. 
I picked up a local pair of 30.1 last week for a great price figuring I could make 6-700 bucks on them. I have them hooked up to a WIIM Ultra as preamp to a used Harmon Kardon 2 channel I picked up for a 100 bucks. 
I’m really impressed with them! They sound way bigger than they are and I’m getting a delicious midrange even with my cheapo components. I get the Harbeth mid range thing now. If crossed over around 70hz they even do great with metal but the caveat being up to 80db or so. My wife really likes them as well and she normally does not like my speakers. For a small room like that you wouldn’t need a sub. 
They really shine with acoustic instruments and voices but are far from the 1 trick pony I was expecting. I may keep them and maybe not. Texture and tone is just perfect. 

You need to identify the sound you prefer. So far I would say your upstream components would tend toward the warm and rich. 

I am shocked that you were album to get anything out of your maggies with your tube amp. Hard speaker to drive properly.  

Stay small if you buy a Harbeth. The smaller the size of the cabinet, on this type of speaker, the less colored the sound in my experience.  

We had the same issue back in the 1990’s. I wanted the Quad ESL-63s with the Gradient subwoofers below them. An hour later we saw the Sonus Faber Electa Amator (original version/stand-mounted) speakers. My wife said, "Let’s get those". We’ve had them ever since and I doubt that we will ever sell them. Treat yourself, you’ll never regret it!

@foggyus91 never heard of them. They do look beautiful!  Website glitches when I look to find a dealer. Anything else you can tell me about where I might hear them?

I've had the Harbeth C7-ES and currently have the SHL5Plus. In your room, I think the SHL would be too much of a good thing. Listen to the M30.3 and the C7 and see which one you prefer. +1 on rosewood. 

Sonner Legato Unum.https://pt.audio/2020/12/18/sonner-audio-legato-unum-loudspeaker-review/

@goldenways Which Harbeths? Many different models out there. Did not like the P3esr many years ago, but I know they have many larger/better models…

Please your ears- Harbeths  Please the wife-  with Rosewood finish