???YOUR Personal Favorite???Why???

I have on order a pair of Dynaudio Confidence 20 speakers which will be the centerpiece of my new "End Game" system that I am currently assembling. The Conference 20s sounded amazing with all genres of music I threw at it (Rock, Jazz, Folk, New Age) and had better highs and mids IMO than the Contour 30i, the only other speakers I auditioned. I also have on order, the Luxman L-509z integrated amp which will drive the Confidence 20s. 

One more vote for the Joseph Audio Pulsar.  I owned a pre-graphene pair for several years and they were an excellent speaker across all types of music.

MBL 126 are pricey at just under your budget of $15K but the price includes the stands and they're an omni.

I can only say KEF Reference 1’s because that is what I have. I am open to new ideas though not sure what would beat them. 

I am very pleased with my pair of 15-year-old PSB Image 2Bs for which I paid $200!!!! My top 2 replacement choices are the Goldenear BRX and the Genelec G3 based on numerous stellar reviews I've seen and read.