Advice for killer desktop speakers


I am looking to upgrade my desktop listening experience and could use the advice of the community. Is there anything in the same price range as the Audioengine 5+ that I should consider? The Audioengines seem to be the consensus choice, but am unsure if this is just online hype and inertia. I do not want a subwoofer and I do not have enough desk space to go any bigger than the Audioengine 5. I tried using a pair of Kef Q150 speakers paired with a Dayton Audio APA 150 amp, but the speakers are just too big for my desk.  I think i would prefer to have powered speakers for the simplicity and utilize the Dayton in another room. I  normally listen at moderate volumes and need them to sound good at relatively low levels.  Any suggestions?
jplunkettj
The blumenstein orcas are very nice if you get the ones with the limited edition drivers - fostex fe83 SOL. They need bass support below 100hz so an 8 inch REL sub works well. These have much more resolution than the A5s and no crossover to smear the sound. 
GENELEC - used by professionals as studio monitors for accurate sound at near field listening. 
+1 for the JBLLSR305s.  I have them on my desk at work and they are beautiful, non-fatiguing speakers.  Three years in and it's still a pleasure to turn them on. (I've got a Coincident system at home)