dim_span:
matthewpiano:I'd say go for the MAs as an absolute minimum, but the Regas would make an excellent purchase. Also well worth looking at the Quad 11Ls. Beautifully finished, detailed, natural sounding and full of life - though they need plenty of power behind them for these attributes to shine through (and I mean power/current rather than sheer volume).
have never heard the Quad 11's but many people who have owned them have stated that bass is almost non-existant?
The problem with the Quads is that they need very careful matching. They are very revealing speakers and need plenty of good quality power delivery from the amplifier. I've noticed that they work best with amps that have a decent sized toroidal power transformer (like the 650A or the Rotels).
The problem with bass is that many systems completely over-blow it and add bass that just isn't there in the original recording. The Quads reproduce bass notes cleanly but, to my ears, just the right amount of weight. What really makes them special is the midrange and treble. Not only are these beautifully integrated but vocals sound absolutely superb. They aren't bass monsters, but the Quads are just that bit more refined than most speakers at the price point so I guess it comes down to personal preferences in the end.
To establish some context to my comments, I'm not a bass head really. I like to hear what is under-pinning the music and I like it to be tuneful and reasonably weighty, but most music happens in the mid-range and if that isn't right it becomes impossible. I think that is why I like NAD gear so much. The bass performance tends to fit my requirements perfectly, whilst their fluidity in the mid-range and the excellent current delivery of the amplifiers helps to make music effortless.
The other speakers that really have to be heard are the B&W 685s. Again, they need very good quality partnering electronics, but they can sound very involving indeed, though with a darker tonality than the Quads.