P and C wrote:
I hope I'm not being presumptuous by posting my question here, but I
didn't find a rec.audio.mid-end and the other rec.audio.* groups don't
appear to have much hi-fi discussion.

Nipe. That's 'cause they're not moderated. Amazing what a group is
like when they are forced to behave and the spam and flames are filtered
out.

I am looking for a pair of speakers in the range of $1,000-$1,500. I
will only be using these for stereo music only, as I am now building a
dedicated system for music. What is the best pair of speakers you can
get for this much dough?

I have listened so far to the Mirage OMNI 260, and Martin Logans
Scenarios ($2,000 speakers reduced to $1,200 for clearance).

Um - nice price. Seriously. They require big amps, though - like
cinder block sized monoblocks or simmilar to drive properly.

Want 90% of the ML sound? Magnepan. That would be the #1 choice
in that price range. Of course, they require a decent sized room
and aren't terribly kid and cat friendly.

I found the imaging of the Mirage not as focused as I am used to,
probably as a result of its omnipolar tweeter technology.

It's overrated, IMO.

Other speakers I'm considering right now are Joseph Audio RM7s (a
little outside of my budget, but hey, no harm in listening to them,
right?), and perhaps Paradigm.

Check.

I listened mostly to vocals accompanied by orchestra (Sarah Brightman,
Charlotte Church), jazz vocals with accompaniment (Diana Krall, Jane
Monheit - so ability to reproduce jazz piano accurately and a dynamic
bass (for the double-bass) are important attributes). Needless to
say, natural sounding voice is of paramount importance.

Take a look at Magnepan and also Tannoy. Their Saturns are about as
good as conventional speakers get in the $1200-$1500 range.(Saturn 8)

Or, you can look at a pair of JBL 4410A monitors. Big, accurate
tanks just like you remember. I own a pair and they are very good
for the price.

I also listen to some classical piano and classical orchestra.

Jazz. Check. Vocals. Check. Bit of rock and classical and such. Check.

Magnepan. Clarity in the midrange that most speakers wish they could
match. The Martin Logans are better when properly set up - especially
at that insanely low price - so get them to set them up correctly.
Have them add in a subwoofer as well - blend it in as seamlessly as
possible.(same with the Magnepans if the smaller MMGs)