The OP here. I appreciate and have enjoyed most of the posts. However, a few kind posters have misunderstood the nature of my question, so I would like to clarify it. I am not seeking a speaker for myself here. The post was inspired by a NY Times article I read about Charles Shaw wines. The point was, at $2-$3 these wines are truly inexpensive, yet they have beaten $50-$80 wines in blind tastes. This is different from merely "good value" which many $15-$20 wines might be said to represent.
As the analogy should make clear, the question was: Which truly inexpensive loudspeaker today would beat much, much more expensive ones in blind listening tests, when brand loyalty, snob appeal, and other psychological issues are not in the play?
(I am a great fan of the speaker that Advent was, but would like to focus on models that are currently in production, just like Charles Shaw wines are!)
As the analogy should make clear, the question was: Which truly inexpensive loudspeaker today would beat much, much more expensive ones in blind listening tests, when brand loyalty, snob appeal, and other psychological issues are not in the play?
(I am a great fan of the speaker that Advent was, but would like to focus on models that are currently in production, just like Charles Shaw wines are!)