Bookshelf Speakers with “Big” sound?

You can get big sound from the right monitor (and the Totem recommendation is spot-on), but you're not going to get there with modestly powered Rega electronics. A Brio or Mira won't be enough power to get the little Mani's to energize a big living room. Rega won't get you there unless you're bi-amping with a pair of Exon power amps.

Thanks everyone for the great recommendations and considerations. A few of you asked about placement; yes, they will be on stands to “clear” furniture obstruction (and therefore the pursuit of monitors). Floor-standers would be partially “blocked” by furniture.

Thanks again, now the fun of investigating the options presented!

I would also take a look at the Dynaudio Focus and Contour series great with all kinds of music and excellent reputation and reviews to boot.

06-11-09: Rbschauman
A few of you asked about placement; yes, they will be on stands to “clear” furniture obstruction (and therefore the pursuit of monitors). Floor-standers would be partially “blocked” by furniture.

But there are also 2-way floorstanders where the drivers are at the top, and would be above any furniture, just as if they were minimonitors on stands. The difference is that the woofers in these configurations benefit from the larger cabinet to improve sensitivity and bass extension. They take up no more space than monitors on stands, while filling large living areas more easily.

Examples include the Totem Arro, Sttaf, Hawk, and Forest, the Acoustic Zen Adagio, Silverline Prelude, Wharfedale Diamond 9.4, Zu Presence, Essence, and Druid, Thiel 1.6, KEF XQ30 and IQ50, Tannoy Revolution DC4 T, B&W 684, and many others. The Merlin VSM is also of that configuration but is quite a bit pricier. But there are used ones. The Acoustic Zen Adagio lists at about $4500 but can often be found at around your budget.

Dynaudio Special 25's. They need some power though.