@torontoelectro - I am a n00b as well. I feel your pain. I was excited to make my first dive into hifi. A few weeks later, I found frustration in the huge amounts of data I had to digest and understand. Options, brands, sizing, placement, and on and on. I was very excited to get my system going, despite my zeal, it still took me 4 months before I felt confident enough to pull the trigger. I agree with folks that are telling to you take your time and listen to as much as you can. It can be somewhat exhausting, and very confusing, but you want to be "mostly" sure about what you’re doing when you shell out all that dough. I went and listened to several pieces 3 times before I decided which way to go.
Regarding speakers in your $$$ range... I too play a fair amount of rap and old school R&B, so I brought along some of that stuff when I was demoing gear. One speaker that I liked was the B&W CM10S2. You might try that one. There is the synergy aspect that others pointed out. Speakers alone don't account for the sonic result that you hear. It's also about how the speaker behaves with the amp. Don't make your choice just on speakers alone, probably need to consider the system as a whole.
Regarding speakers in your $$$ range... I too play a fair amount of rap and old school R&B, so I brought along some of that stuff when I was demoing gear. One speaker that I liked was the B&W CM10S2. You might try that one. There is the synergy aspect that others pointed out. Speakers alone don't account for the sonic result that you hear. It's also about how the speaker behaves with the amp. Don't make your choice just on speakers alone, probably need to consider the system as a whole.