Speakers for metal, hard rock ... also SS amp

match krell with a pair of wilson sophia's

Mcintosh Amps with horns or most speakers recommended for rock will definatley render the better results over most other amps without a lot of screwing around..

I second that recommendation, for everything from Bjork to Pantera.

thanks for all the great recommendations ...

anybody used the Dali Helicon 800's ????

After recent audioning I'd add Vandy Quatro to your list. For a normal sized room, I wonder if you can beat the room equalized bass performance at any price. Also the Quatro and 5A are much less polite on top than other Vandy designs I've heard. Definitely worth a listen.

May be tough to find used, but a new pair falls into the high end of your stated range.

Marty

JBL is the right speaker for you. Go for models with 12 inch woofer to get the right oomph at mid bass and the feeling of concert.