speakers with balls

Without a budget specified, sky is the limit. Furthermore, in my experience, rock music only sounds good and "rocks" if/when you listen at higher volumes. If your room size is small to medium and you listen to your music at lower volumes, you’re better off with a good pair of monitor speakers and a subwoofer. I recently heard a pair of Tekton Impact monitors at a colleague’s house paired with a Jolida 3502s and I thought it sounded incredibly good. Pink Floyd’s Final Cut sounded crisp, detailed, with a deep and wide layered soundstage. I don’t think a subwoofer was needed at all. His entire system including a Bluesound Node2 was just a tad over $4K.

IMO the 3 most important factors for a convincing rock/metal presentation is great mid bass, good dynamics, a top end that won’t take your head off.
I had some Klipsch Chorus 2s for a while. They were really fun and could definitely rock but need to EQ them fairly heavily in my room. The bass didn’t go real low but it had that punch you in the chest quality. Still at times that tweeter could get pretty piercing even with the EQ. For around a Grand for a good pair I don’t think you can do better for rock. I haven’t heard any of the newer generation of Klipsch Heritage. 
Tekton DIs are great for rock and metal without as many compromises as I heard with the Klipsch. Better mid bass, definitely not as much fatigue. I will say while the Tekton bass goes lower it doesn’t sock you the way the Klipsch did. 

My GE Triton 1 and GE Triton Reference are used 95% for Rock and I am extremely satisfied with them. 

How about an active speaker like Kii 3’s? Increasingly popular with studios as well.

mofojo274 posts03-19-2018 2:33pmIMO the 3 most important factors for a convincing rock/metal presentation is great mid bass, good dynamics, a top end that won’t take your head off.

kalali1,072 posts03-19-2018 11:57amWithout a budget specified, sky is the limit. Furthermore, in my experience, rock music only sounds good and "rocks" if/when you listen at higher volumes.
Amen.  

Nice to see a couple of posters that get it with rock.  Absolutely nothing I hate more than to go into a "high-end" store and almost feel I'm being looked down upon due to my choice in music.

Personally I listen to a fair amount of your basic classic rock, blues, hard rock etc.  Unfortunately there are many bad recordings out there lacking bass, or a "digital remaster" that is cooked so freaking bright that many "audiophile" speakers will take your damn eardrums out past 92 dbs.

Then, I do listen to some metal which frankly is damn hard to reproduce properly.  

It's actually a tough combo.  Horns can provide the dynamics but can be bright, finding a woofer that hits low and can keep up with a horn is also tough.  I've had speakers that hit low and tuneful, but don't provide any OOMPH.  Powered woofers do provide one solution.  Rock lives in the midrange and midbass, so coherance is a key.  Most rock guys want a big soundstage and may sacrifice a bit of imaging/depth to get it. 

I've all but ruled out anything metal dome tweeter wise for what I listen to and how loud I listen.  Yes, the voicing matters more, but by in-large, I just don't like a metal dome (yet some of the diaphrams in the JBL horns are metal and I like them.)

I feel like I'm on my constant quest for the perfect rock speaker.  Some thoughts, observations and sweeping generalizations.

Klipsch - Many go here first, and frankly not a bad option depending on the model.  A low volumes do rock pretty well as they tend to stay dynamic.  But, as the volume goes up, typically the brightness does and many models don't hit as low and move as much air as I would want.  IMO, I would want tubes somewhere in the system, or McIntosh.  People can rip Klipsch all they want, but I'll bet it was many Rock guys first "good" speaker.  RF7 II/III's, old Chorus/Fortes (new fortes), the KLF series ... give them some tubes/mcintosh/Harman Kardon and you could do a lot worse.

JBL - So many models, so many choices.  But typically not as bright as klipsch.  Much of the stuff designed for Japan is light on the deep bass, but damn they are fast.  the 4367, 4700, M2 as far as newer stuff can do a damn good job for rock.  All 3 move some serious air.  I really dig the 4367 or M2 (if you want to deal with pro gear).

Golden Ear - Triton 2+ is the sweet spot IMO, the powered woofers can move some air, they are not remotely bright, they throw a big soundstage. I do think they are a bit lacking in resolution and may not "snap" a snare drum like some others.  The Triton 1's and reference are OK, but really are just MORE of the 2+. No more refinement, just more.  I think in particular the reference can be beat at the price... but it's a fine speaker.  Because of the woofers you can push them with a receiver to ear blisterning levels.  Because of the tweeter you can use bright electronics and not get hurt.

DynAudio - I've got the Contour 60's.  I think the 30's and 60's are damn fine rock speakers.  Both can move a ton of air, the Esotar 2 tweeter is just great as it's detailed without being bright. Big soundstage (but I've heard even bigger).  Downside - you need power, quality power.  Dyn's up and down the line however have the same characteristics.

Ohm Walsh - Ok, I've got some old beat to crap sound cylinders.  They still sound good.  HUGE soundstage, crap to of bass.  Honestly, I really want to hear the new SSC/3000/4000/5000.  Not harsh.  Downside - resale could be tricky.  They are what they are, somewhat similar to Golden Ear in that as you move up you just get "more" though with a few upsides.  Not new, not flashy.  Also like a fair amount of power.  Need to use reflections to sound best (but if you have the right room the stereo image is gigantic).   (the SSC might pack the most punch in a small package of any speaker on the planet)

Tekton - Have had the chance to check out the D.I., D.I. S.E. and the Ulf's lately.  I was very surprised by them.  Dynamic, fast, play deep.  The DI is the true bargain at 3k retail.  They do have their own sound.  They play low.  At times I felt they were absolutely amazing (all 3) and at times I was slightly bothered by them.  Almost like I felt notes were missing, but then I would hear something I had not heard the same way in a recording.  I can absolutely see why people are wowed by them, yet I went back and forth asking myself if wanted to own them.  

Legacy - I've demo'd the Signature SE and Focus SE, liked them both.  I've heard they can be a bit set-up dependent which surprises me, but I've only heard them in a show setting.

JTR - Noesis 210RT - heard them at a show.  Liked them on a brief demo.

Maybe this helps...