RJ,
I've used Crate products for 12 years. Crate speakers sound good and handle highs and lows very well.
I've got an upper end guitar amp with 2 15" speakers, and an extra Crate cabinet with 4-12" speakers. Crate products are TOUGH. You can drag them anywhere, bounce them around, put them through hard high volume use, and they just keep working.
My son has a hard rock band, most of which uses Crate - they're LOUD and HARD on equipment but none of them have had an ounce of trouble with their Crate equipment. They're the most popular band in our area.
Presently, I'm using two Samson EX20's. I like them a lot. They have great sound, a lot of punch and can really crank at high volume. I'm sure the Mackie SRM450's are better than the EX20's but they cost twice as much. If I had to have the VERY BEST, I would get either the new JBL G2's or the new Yamaha self-powered speakers (can't remember the model number now) or the Mackie SRM450's (in that order). But sometimes you've got to draw a DOLLAR BILL in the sand and say, "I'm not spending more than that!".
You can get two Samson EX20's for $650.00 at
http://www.pulseonline.com and they ship fast. I think they're the best you can buy in that price range (Uncle Dave suggested them, so I tried them out. Thanks, Dave.)
Regards,
Steve