Speakers - Your "Safest" Choice

I'd take a trip to FLA to shop $40k speakers selling for $15k, in fact I'd make it an annual event.

What I did was shopped the market to get a feel for actual value, read all the reviews of the speakers in my price range and then shopped used so I could get my money back if my ears didn't hear what everyone else did. 

I learned that when a reviewer says a speaker needs 100 watts it usually means 500 watts and while measurements may show ports extend measured bass more often than not I can't hear it. Metal tweeters are much smoother than they were in the 90's...Stepping up my speaker game required me to step up my component game to really appreciate what was capable in home audio.

Spend around $1000 on a pair of VA Beethovens. The ones in the slightly taller box with 2 woofers, 2 mids and a soft dome tweeter. I sold mine in 2016 and went on a journey starting with $10k and after 4-5 different speakers I repurchased the VA's. 20 years old now and still love them in my 2nd system. They have a restricted SPL so wouldn't satisfy for end of the work week hard rock listening, but everything under 95 db these speakers define the line for the law of diminishing returns. I found speakers are much like beautiful women. The better they are the more they cost to make happy.