Best Bookshelf/Sub Combo for Loud Rock


I’ve got a pretty small listening room (12 x 15) loaded to the gills with music/computer equipment. Here’s my current system:

Rega P3 Turntable
Rega Elys cartridge
Monolithic PS-1 Phono Stage
Jolida 302B (w/ Svetlana EL45s)
Monitor Audio Gold Reference GR10 speakers
NAD CD player

For music that has ‘less going on’ like simple vocal tracks and some jazz the system is great.. nice soundstage. But for louder rock music (which, frankly, is the bulk of my collection) this just isn’t cutting it. Sometimes I need not only to hear the music, but to feel it in my gut. At even moderately loud volumes the instruments kind of blur together and the volume just isn’t there. I’m not sure if what I am encountering is a limitation of the amplifier or the speakers – but I’m tending to think that it might be both. The Jolida is only 50wpc… Now I know someone is going to write and say I need Klipschorns… but there is really no room to put them…..

Anyway, I need some advice on speakers for under $1,000 that would work better for rock and roll (and bookshelves would be a BIG plus – as there is really no place for floorstanders (though, I suspect I could completely move all of the furniture around to make room for smaller floorstanders – maybe)… if bookshelves, then I probably also need recommendations for a decent musical sub (also under $1,000). If I go the bookshelves/sub way then I need a stand-alone crossover, right
zenguy
I think it would be pretty hard to beat a Paradigm combo: Studio 20s (bookshelf) or Studio 40s (big bookshelf) mated to a Servo-15 subwoofer (comes with X-30 crossover).

This system would ROCK YOUR WORLD and is within your budget...

-RW-
I would have to second Rwainwright's recommendation. Powered sub is a must for you.