Audiobeer -
It sounds to me like the kind of voicing you are looking for, particularly in the bass, might be best rendered by a transmission line speaker. Two lines come to mind - Meadowlark and Buggtussel. The Buggtussels are the more lively while the Meadowlarks are more forgiving and laid-back. The Buggtussels in particular have a very tight, solid bottom end.
The little Cliffhanger Bulldogs are also very good at the things you place a premium on. They are also voiced lively and have tight bass, and convey emotion particularly well.
The Heil Kithara will give you a wide range of listening positions since the radiation is virtually omnidirectional. They need to be far from room boundaries to soundstage well, and the bass isn't as solid as the others mentioned here, but they are a very relaxing speaker to listen to long-term.
The Gradient Evidence has excellent imaging due to its point-source concentric mid/tweet, and also has bass tuning optimized for good transient response rather than maximum extension. The Evidence is voiced slightly warm.
A different approach is represented by the InnerSound Isis, a hybrid electrostat which has a relatively narrow sweet spot with superb imaging and very tight (but not terribly deep) bass.
Disclaimer - I sell some of the speakers mentioned here.
Best of luck in your quest!
