Wow,
Lots of great suggestions here! I’m just now chiming in, but have to say I’m in a similar boat. Also a jazz musician who loves an engaging listening experience. Totally respect where you’re coming from and am very happy for you!
My room is a bit bigger with 10x14, but 8 ft ceilings. Your having that extra height in the ceilings is definitely a plus. Just for reference, I’ve got a couple of small Spendor Classic 4/5’s and also a Rel t/7x and I get so much immersion that I don’t feel I really need to go any bigger on my speakers. But if I did, it would be the Spendor 3/1’s already recommended a few times here. And I think they would still play great in your small room matched with your sub.
Im also pretty sensitive in that frequency range, already am combatting some tinnitus from many many years of tenor saxophone playing. But the Spendors are amazing. Never course or fatiguing, and I’ve got very revealing digital front end. Even with that, they play/sound so natural - uncanny realism and stage. But still super detailed, great transients. Chose the 4/5’s as they are sealed, which also lends to great imaging and micro”feels” in any acoustic recording. Plus, room boundaries not as much an issue with sealed designs. Spendors also respond very, very well to power/high current amps. But aren’t particularly hard to drive. They are dynamic enough to punch when needed. These 4/5’s can sound way bigger than their diminutive stature, and never distort (measured up to 95db peaks in my room without wincing).
Regardless, kudos to you. Your later years will be better years with a good system in your life!