This might have been mentioned (I just skimmed the thread), but have you considered used speakers? Although I haven't seen any for the past two-three months, NHT 2.5i and 2.9 pairs show up on eBay from time to time in excellent condition. There's a pair of
2.5i on Audiogon for $400 right now, and they look to be in excellent shape (I'd inquire about the surrounds on the woofers, just because they aren't shown). The 2.5i are the tower version of my 1.5 bookshelves, and I love mine. Outstanding for music, IMO, and also for movies when paired with a sub. I've considered jumping on some of the 2.5i pairs that I've seen, but I'd rather move up a notch to the 2.9s. The 3.3s are the cream of the crop, but I think that they'd be just too physically deep for your room.