What's best bookshelf speaker for an 8x10 room?

Sennheiser HD800s.

I've heard System Audio Mantra 10 speakers are very special and very musical. You can give Oz a call at Let There Be Sound and he can tell you more about them. I can give you his info if interested (or you can google the store and tell him David referred you). He has been very helpful to me with all my musical gear. The Mantra 10 retail for $1500. Check out the System Audio website. The Aura series is still good but the Mantra are even better. It is a great value from what I've heard.

Nice pair of ATC SCM 19s for sale here now. If rock/hard rock is your genre these will knock you off your chair. In a good way. Read the reviews, but ATCs excel in dynamics, punch, timing, and outright midrange clarity and force. Everything you need if hard rock is your cuppa. A little over your budget, but given what you're looking for they're more than worth the stretch IMHO. Best of luck.

I would not go for a very small speaker in a small room. At low volumes it will sound lean. I use Harbeth C7 and B&W 602 which is a better size for my small (10x12) room than my Proac Tablettes, which I use in my bigger room.

Thanks guys! I now have lots of research to do.