I hope "mants" was able to decide which speakers to choose w/ the budget mentioned last April 2012.
For the benefit of all, here are some facts about the brands mentioned/not mentioned in this topic.
1. All "major" brands have China "OEM" contacts to do "some" product lines for them specially the entry and lower end ones.
2. Some "minor" brands have a "SALES" office and "Warehouse" in the US or Europe or wherever and have "all" their product lines "designed" and "made" by these China "OEM" contacts who "sometimes" "lends" the technology from their "major" brand clients but tweaks it a bit and not 1:1 copies w/c can cause them $$$ for patent infringements. These "minor" brands claim they are "made in USA, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, or wherever" but in reality they are just good "marketing" companies.
3. The websites tells it all. "True" branded one's always put a lot of history into their info, about the piece of "legacy" you buy when you buy their product. The historical stuff is usually not mentioned in the "so-so" brands, just because there aren't any in the first place.
How do I know this? I've been to some of these China OEM's (audio/lighting/LED wall, etc.) and saw their huge fascilities, even bigger than those in Laguna Economic Zone.
Am not against "China" or "DIY" stuff, in fact I have been using them together w/ the "branded" one's for almost three decades now, for personal (rental) and as well as for projects too.
There are "MANY" ways to make a "CHEAP" speaker "SOUND GOOD" but there are also "MANY" ways to make an "EXPENSIVE" speaker "SOUND BAD". It really depends on "WHO" is going to use it.