@vthokie83, "here in Chicago" you say? If you're in Chicago, surely you must have heard of Music Direct? They may not have exactly the pieces of equipment you have in your system and, admittedly, auditioning equipment at home is always the best scenario. However, I'm certain, with the proper preparation and communication prior to an audition in one of their sound rooms, they could come very close to replicating the sound characteristics of your equipment in order to provide you with a fair audition of the speakers they sell. They also have a very generous return policy. If I lived in or anywhere near Chicago and was in the market for new stereo toys, that would certainly be one, if not my first, stops. I would communicate with one of their salespeople prior to scheduling any audition, describe your intended listening room with them in detail, including your intended speaker placement options, and tell them what you're after. I'm certain they could provide your ears with quite an education. If you've over researched, then I assume you are aware the speaker stands will be almost as important as the bookshelf speakers themselves, assuming you plan on placing them on stands. If not, this presents a whole host of other variables. Also, as jss49 points out, why dismiss the possibility of slim or any other floor-standers? Bookshelf speakers on stands take up virtually the same space. Is this a WAF aesthetics concern? If so, I fully understand the futility of negotiating on this with SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED!
For the type of musical preferences you've disclosed, some of the bookshelf speakers I would recommend serious seat-time with are Aerial Acoustics; Dali; Revel; Wharfedale; JBL; McIntosh and Martin Logan, just to name a few.
Good Luck and Good Hunting!