At $1,800/pr, Bowers & Wilkins 603 is their least expensive floor standing speaker. Read our full review to see what Bowers & Wilkins can do at such an accessible price bracket and how it performed.
www.audioholics.com
www.stereophile.com
Neither review really bags on the speakers... but look at the measurements with a critical eye.
FWIW, I did not buy the Monitor Audios... but I would have been a happy owner if I had, I think. *shrugs
Cheers!