AC4L no longer is a distributor. Another company took over and they charge at least twice as much across the board.
That's true, but if this review and measurements are to be believed, the Reference 7K, at $6,995/pair, and its stable mates may still represent a pretty good value for a premium speaker, compared to similarly sized premium models from other manufacturers. For example, similarly sized Focal models in their Kanta and Sopra lines are priced way higher, especially after Focal's recent ~25% price increase.
And B&W is apparently jacking up their 800 series models by ~20%. The similarly sized 804 D4 will go for $12,500/pair and the smaller 804 D4 will cost $8,000.
To me, the 7K competes with those brands aesthetically, so it comes down to whether or not those competitors sound quality is worth nearly twice the price. Also, I like the way the tweeter is placed below the mid driver since my ear level on my sofa is only about 33 inches above the floor.
