Best speaker for songs like Heart - Alone

Rockpanther , Are you looking for a complete new system starting from scratch , or do you already own some equipment??

Also , do you have any local audio dealers near where you live to audition a different mix of speakers and associated equipment?

No one can really answer that question in any meaningful way. We all like different things. Why are you only considering the amp and speakers? Your preamp and source is just as important. If they're not to your liking and/or well matched to your other components, it won't matter what amp and speakers you use.

Here is the trick . Buy a speaker that will pressurize the room with bass at low volumes . You will find yourself listening to music at lower volumes and not driving your speakers to distortion . Also speakers that do bass well at lower volumes tend to sound better as you turn them up anyways. Take the two way Proac Response 2.5 for example . When i had this speaker i tried several class a/b and class d amps . Then i used a thirty watt class a amp and it was a match made in heaven . It just gripped the driver without distortion .

your source can be tailored for Heart music as well . You will have to experiment with dacs and pres and cables too . everyones system is different . But there is enough universal advice that is not personal preference ,laws of physics to get you in the right direction

I know precisely what you are indicating, and I know the answer.

I happen to like that song as well, and I often play it on systems to determine how much high end energy a rig is producing. If the piece is too piercing I know I have to adjust the system.

It is an older, not so well recorded album, a product of its time. It will never sound the same as recent recordings, and will always carry higher upper end energy. I do not suggest lowering the definition of any system - ever. Instead, work to achieve a beautiful tonality, which you can get through selection of components/speakers/cables. You may love tubed audio gear, and I suggest you consider, at least initially, a soft dome tweeter in a speaker as they are generally considered more forgiving in the Treble (high frequencies).

You need to trust me on this; to move toward better sound you must seek more definition, not less, than a boombox. Extreme systems have amazing detail retrieval, but are not harsh, even with less than perfect songs. However, you will need to "adjust" the system to suit your ears. When you have done so, the sound will be far more pleasing in every respect.

http://www.axiomaudio.com/distortion

some good reading on distortion findings