best "bookshelf" speakers for nearfield listening

I hesitate to dabble in "The Best" discussions as I typically prefer to address individual applications and tastes, however, you owe it to yourself to add Neat Acoustics to your research/audition list. If you like the Totem, you'll love the Neats. (Disclosure: Yes, I am a dealer and somewhat biased, but I do know many of the speakers listed quite well and carry several.)

Depending upon budget, The new IOTAs, Motive 3s, Petite SX, Momentum 3i, and Ultimatum XLS are all high performance monitors with uncanny timbre, timing, pace, and accuracy.

Best of Luck!

I would put the JM Labs mini-Utopia on your short list. It sounds excellent, especially for the types of music you mention. The Coincident Triumph I believe is Coincident's only monitor, and I used to own it. It has a good, solid fullness to the sound and is great for the price, but not the last word.

Michael

ProAc D2's should be auditioned in your room, with proper stands.

I recommend saving some money and hassle by purchasing a set of audioengine passives, the P4. For $325 shipped, they offer a beautiful solid bamboo cabinet, quality drivers (no bright-sounding metal dome), superb assembly quality, and a quality set of single-wire binding posts--no hassles with getting good bi-wire cable or with finding quality jumpers. These speakers are the best I have had in my system--period. The midrange and treble are astoundingly natural and realistic, and if you are okay with 58Hz at the bottom end, then these little gems are for you. I have been listening nearfield for more than a decade, and these mini-monitors are my favorites. My Cambridge S30s are also very nice (and even less expensive), but the P4s are just more vivid and convincing...though the S30 has a tad more extension in the bass.

I understand that the Lipinski 707 was designed for console top (nearfield) use. I thought that they sounded very good when I heard them set up in that fashion.

I'm using Shelby + Kroll Nano Monitors. They are designed to be used as sound board monitors and sound awesome in the nearfield. If you do a search and go to the web site scroll down the home page and use the menu at the bottom. I bought these to replace a Lowther Medallion horn system. The imaging and sound stage is that good!
Good-luck

I listen to Volent VL-2s in my 10x12 office, sitting 5 feet away, and they sound like a huge, full range planar speaker in there. Transparency, bass power and soundstaging that must be heard to believe. I run them with a Magnum Dynalab receiver. Best I've ever heard in my office, by a mile.
The VL-2s are very good in a larger room as well, but for some reason they light up my small office to an amazing degree.