If you want "poor man's Rockport Atrias," you have to seek other speakers with characteristics similar to what makes the Rockports so compelling. I figure it's a combination of very heavy and inert cabinetry combined with well-matched drivers plus a beryllium tweeter on top. You won't get that airy high end without something that has the resolution and rise time of a beryllium tweeter. It doesn't have to be beryllium; it could also be a diamond tweeter, a true ribbon (e.g., a Raal), possibly a quasi-ribbon (Magnepan), or a folded ribbon (Aurum Cantus or Heil-type air motion transformer as used in Martin Logan Motion and GoldenEar speakers.
Unfortunately, beryllium and diamond tweeters are pretty expensive as are many ribbons of various designs.
Perhaps you should audition some speakers from the Focal Electra Be (beryllium) line and see if they get you into the same sonic ballpark. Currently there is a pair of Focal Electra 1038Be's in the classifieds without so much sticker shock. Focal also has great drivers and goes to great lengths to keep cabinet resonances at a minimum. The ones I've heard have great room-filling dispersion.
Personally I'm partial to the Magnepan/premium subwoofer approach. Some people would find a pair of Magneplanar 3.7s plus a pair of JL subs equally satisfying.
Unfortunately, beryllium and diamond tweeters are pretty expensive as are many ribbons of various designs.
Perhaps you should audition some speakers from the Focal Electra Be (beryllium) line and see if they get you into the same sonic ballpark. Currently there is a pair of Focal Electra 1038Be's in the classifieds without so much sticker shock. Focal also has great drivers and goes to great lengths to keep cabinet resonances at a minimum. The ones I've heard have great room-filling dispersion.
Personally I'm partial to the Magnepan/premium subwoofer approach. Some people would find a pair of Magneplanar 3.7s plus a pair of JL subs equally satisfying.