What about the Kanto Tuk?
Kanto tuk are very feature rich but imo there is better sound for the price like a pair of vanatoos or something like the s3000, or some Adam monitors.
Something like the Klipsch rp600m and a nice amp will also outperform the tuk in sound
With that all being said, the look and feature set of the tuk justifies the price imo. But I think that TeaJay might be looking for a higher tier of sound quality
you’ve heard the Tuk’s?
Yeah. I was talking about it in idk what thread at one point. A friend bought a pair for his kitchen and they look awesome there and it has all the features he needs. But imo the sound is a bit overhyped
oh yes, I remember that comment now too.
I’d care to wager that a kitchen is not the best spot to setup speakers due to all the points or reflection to ruin the sound.
Entirely true, but he did arrange it for nearfield listening at one point so I could test them out which lessens the effect of the room, but still not the best spot
I actually considered the Tuks at one point as a middle upgrade so to speak. Just dump what I have and slap those on my desktop. Continue to save up for bigger things. To be honest, I still haven’t completely tossed the idea. Doesn’t hurt they look gorgeous.
they are quite gorgeous! and the savings would let you buy a REALLY good headphone system…or at least premium DAC for the speakers you get. 
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I was planning putting a similar budget into my own desktop setup. I kept putting money aside waiting for a move that never came. Where I’m currently living, I can’t play music/game at loud volumes. At least as loud as I’d prefer to. When I resigned myself to staying where I am, I got tired of waiting and ended up dropping a good chunk of that budget on a headphone focused desktop. What I’ve loved about that choice is the fact that I have a ton of variety for a lot less money that allows me to mix things up.
That said, I still plan on eventually going with a nice near field setup in the next year or so. I still haven’t worked out my components, but I’d be leaning towards the KEF LS50s for the speakers. I like the design more than the Tuks
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The ls50 is great on a desk, the coaxial design makes them pretty nice for nearfield
can you define what you mean by ‘coaxial design’?
The tweeter is in the center of the woofer, and that can sometimes change how the sound is presented
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Tweeter in the center of the mid range driver instead of on a separate location on the speaker box. A super cool design!.
Based on your initial request and budget here are some good ideas that follow your living restraints and also a retail (think warranty and guarantee stuff works) place that sells good used stuff to maximize your dollars.
https://www.psaudio.com/product-category/sprout/
I also happen to be a Klipsch/Monolith fanboy and use their products. Good luck, let us know what you get.
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Aren’t those pretty big? Pretty nice speakers but imo might be kinda large on a desk
I have a big desk so my opinion might be biased towards them. I also have towers next to my desk. It can be done if you have the room. I was under the impression he had enough room.
Actually what about the Falcon LS3/5a? Classic speakers
@Nick_Mimi thanks for the suggestions. Those tektons look intense. Floor standings I suppose could be an option. In your case though, do you think you think the imaging or response you get at such a wide speaker position suffers as a result?
@M0N Not sure why. I have room for floor standing towers, but I just like the look of bookshelves. My desk is 72x30inch so space for the speakers isn’t too big of a concern. I’m more concerned with a visual space that a bulky integrated amp or separate would take. Really want the speakers to shine. Haven’t heard much of falcon though. I’ll look into it now. Any experience you can speak to?
The LS3/5a is a bbc monitor design that was manufactured by a couple of different companies over the years. They have great vocal performance and a really good sense of space. Something different. I would see if you could hear them first though since they are not everybody’s cup of tea, and overall I still like the 40 better
TeaJay, 6ft is almost a bare minimum to get excellent soundstage from many speakers. I have an old pair of Klipsch WF 34 tower speakers tucked up tight next to the desk and they sound incredible to me. I never got them to sound this good when i had them in my HT set-up. This realization opened my eyes to endless possibilities and i experiment more judiciously now. You have a really good budget, take your time in picking and choosing. It also sounded to me like the desk was open to the rest of your apartment which is why a thought you might appreciate the idea of the towers. Also, consider your own musical preferences, some speakers are more analytical than others, this should play a role in your decision. Don’t waste good money on trying to find the “best” speakers, try to find ones that will satisfy your listening style!.
Don’t forget there is synergy between your speakers, amp, DAC, source and any other components you put in line. Some equipment mates well better than others. I am really just now starting to understand and hear the difference in how i pair my gear.