1st, if you are in Australia, while the AU $ might be close to the US$ in theory, in reality, AU electronics are far higher priced than US versions. I don't know why this is so, but it is, and has been for as long as I can remember. I have had friends in AU PayPal me $ so I can post electronics like digital cameras over to them. You can easily pay near 2x the $ for the same item in AU as compared to the US. So be prepared.
Well, I heard a person say it's all about one's personal 'taste' earlier in this thread. Really, that is not so, as perceptual studies have proven again and again, when knowledge of the brand and model is hidden behind acoustically transparent curtains, almost all listeners pick the same speakers in a single acoustical environment, and the preference is predictable even, according to measured behaviors and examining the acoustical environment the speaker will used within.
Do you want the best performance for your money? Or are looks/prestige also important factors? Are you willing to use some acoustical hanging panels in your room?
You mentioned B&W800D speakers - this will of course radically go over your $10k budget you inititially mentioned - but later you stated you would go over this budget. But by how much, and for what specific reason?
The B&W802D is a better speaker than the 800D. The 802D has all of the positive traits of the 800D(no resonance what so ever - very rare even in high end speakers - and critical to top performance level), but has an even flatter frequency response as compared to the 800D. The 802D is considerably lower in cost as compared to the 800D.
Ideally, if you want to achieve the best sound quality for music listening also, you would employ precision DSP crossover/equalizers into your system. These allow you to integrate a sub perfectly, and to change the tonal response of the speaker to suite your specific preferences -- making the 'specific speaker for your taste' point moot. The 802D is not substantially outclassed by any monopolar speaker at any price, of which I am aware; combined with it's relatively linear response, and combined with a precision DSP unit, it is near the ultimate in sound quality so far as monopolar speakers go.
For a sub - I don't know of a better retail offering than the SVS top of the line 13 ULTRA for the price. One or two of these, crossed/integrated with the DSP crosover system I referred to, at 50-60Hz, and you will have more clean low bass than you ever need in a normal size room.
-Chris
