Suggestions in upgrading from a Dynaudio 1.8 MKII?


I’m looking for:

• A much bigger sound stage.
• More impactful bass.
• Greater clarity at low volumes.
• Greater dialogue intelligibility while playing TV/Movies.
• Not fatiguing.
• Not more than 50” tall.
• Not weird looking.

Budget: About $5,000

Physical set up:

My set up is in the main living area of the house. The room opens into the kitchen and so the speakers immediately “see” about 368 square feet/3300 cubic feet. There is a 6 foot opening into another large room and a sliding glass door facing the opening which extends what the speakers “see” still more. The room is used and seen by all visitors, young and old.

Electronics: Wyred4sound preamp and amp. Cullen modified PS Audio III dac. Source is a Windows 7 computer using JRiver for music management.

Music:

Primarily all things acoustic with occasional forays into 60’s rock. Large and small scale classical pieces, smaller jazz-Krall, Armstrong, Sinatra, Buble, Karyn Allison, fiddle (Macmaster and Rideout being favorites), Celtic, folk.

What I’ve kinda listened to recently:

B&W: Sounded harsh until I got to the 804D, which I haven’t heard in a good setting.
Revel: All models sounded metallic.
Monitor Audio: Sounded harsh. I heard one of the Silvers.
Martin Logan: Model not recalled-priced about $2500 pair. Mids were good, jury out on the uppers. Thin? Bass seemed disproportionately heavy. Heard with a receiver. Loved the open sound of them.
Magneplanars: The 1.7 was played with a receiver. Sounded a bit sharp. The larger Maggies were played with McIntosh tubed gear. Sounded a bit thick in the mids. Loved the open sound with both of them. The bigger Maggies would be too large for me.

What speakers should I research and listen too?
oldnslow
I was going to recommend the C1s but that is out of your budget. Other speaker lines I would suggest: Verity Audio, Audio Physics, Harbeths, Sonus faber to name a few.
Boy a whopping 77 views so far! I'm disappointed. Anyway, here is what I've identified so far:

Dali 300
Dynaudio 3.4
Gallo Classico CL-4s
Merlin
Salk
Selah
Vandersteen 3A’s
VMPS RM30
VonSchweikert

I included the Vandersteens in spite of the poor looks. I almost bought a used set years ago and my wife gave her reluctant OK.