If you can, try listening to a pair of vintage, "Polk Audio", (SDA or SRS-type) Polk speakers.
While the SDA-SRS line of their speakers were primarily designed for hard-rock and metal, they are good for all types of music.
If you are near me, you could come listen to both the SDA-1c and also the SDA-2b models. Just make sure that wherever you find (SDA,SRS) systems, that they have the "Interconnect" cables hooked up, "Without that factory interconnect they sound horrible"! It was part of Polk Audio's proprietary tech. that they invented.
By the way, when Polk split up years ago one part of the company became "Golden Ear".
These speakers also worked well when you had limited space. And there was a need to place them close to the walls behind them! "Instead of (4+) feet in front of the wall"!
Also, especially for metal music. To get the most out of your system you will need to have a good subwoofer system. And this is key! The best I have found, "Especially when looking for (Bang for Buck). I use the "Descent" subwoofers from "Martin Logan". With (3) of "Martin Logans" - ten-inch aluminum subwoofers, in a "Sealed, triangular" configuration and a max output (3,000Wpc) of class D power in the built-in amp! (The amps RMS power "I believe", was 1800 watts). And it also has excellent manual controls for the installed "room correction"! One of these sub's is more than enough!
And it is a very, very accurate sub! As it is also a "Laser- Accelerometer/Mirror" - corrected, servo-controlled subwoofer system! This type of correction works off of the "actual" measurements, taken in real-time. "NOT" just a feedback loop running a given "algorithm". Which is what most companies run now (Like REL & Rythmic), because of the high cost of the parts used,
Having a sub like this takes the load off of your primary amplification which will help it too not be "over-driven". When your amp is reproducing the transient, "hi's and lows" so prevalent in metal recordings. It's all in the details!
The MSRP on the subs was ($4800) but you can find them for about ($600) if you are patient! The Polk (SDA) speakers I mentioned? You can find "Usually" for about ($1000) a pair.
And if you find that you don't like them? Just sell them!
As for amplifiers, if you even run across a "Nakamichi Pa-7" amp? You might want to give one of those a shot! (Nelson Pass) designed these amplifiers with the "Stasis" technology that he invented!
Regardless, Good Luck!
