I got these speakers after demoing some others, like B&W CDM 7 and some Dynaudios in the same range.
The CDM-7 sounded far too much in front of the speakers - I always wanted to put my chair 1/2 meter back. I do like speakers that can fill the room with sound, but the CDM-7s just were too annoying. I couldn't imagine listening to them for hours.

The Dynaudio (don't remember the exact model, sorry) were much more laid back, they sounded a lot sweeter, but then they were a little boring after a while. They may be called "audiophile" by some, but they just didn't drag me into the music enough.

With the Take 5 (got a demo pair for about 1400$ at a local shop) I felt a lot better. I especially like the soundstage which I couldn't find better in my target price range. The bass is much better defined than with my previous Cantons, the music extends well before and beyond the speakers and mid/treble is not harsh, much more natural than with my previous set. There's no "boxy" sound to them as the cabinet seems to be very well isolated - probably yielding a quite flat frequency response. I also really like the looks.

There could be a little more air in the image they produce, but again, it's a question of budget. Spikes are a must (but they came with the speakers, at least in my case). If you can get to hear a pair of these, try them. They are out of production I think, so prices may be dropping. I don't regret buying them at all.