What are the best speakers for 80's hard rock?

Even distortion produced by design in rock music only sounds right when played back accurately. Adding noise and distortion during playback is always bad, even if present in the source material.

No doubt rock music always sounds best played back on the best system, just like all the rest. Best in terms of least amount of noise and distortion, which always sounds the best that is possible given the source material in the end.

Public enemy # 1 in most systems in terms of noise and distortion is amp clipping. Insure against that ever happening, especially at louder volumes often called for with certain kinds of music for lifelike reproduction in particular, like rock, orchestral and big band and chances are the rest will work out a lot faster as well.

If louder listening volume is not of concern, then things get easier, but realize there will be performance limitations imposed upon ones listening choices.

Mapman, I had a pair of pro use keyboard stage use speaker's called the Cerwin Vega V-15E, one of the best speaker's for sound quality for stage, most of the mid's came out the 15" woffer, three way horn loaded speaker's that only did 40HZ to 16KHZ, but man, they were 103 db sensativity, mated with Tara lab's and a Krell FPB-200 amp was music nirvana, talking about great defined bass, these thing's rocked the house down, I modded them too, very awsome back in the day of the 90's, I will have fond memories of that set-up the rest of my life!, The whole rig was stolen by second devorced wife when I was out of town, yes, this had alot to do with me not being with her anymore, needless to say!, I would have loved to keep that system, even today with the one I have now, two is more fun than one, you think?

owned cerwin-vega D-7,(still do)These were made to rock! very efficient, adjustable mid and treble.horn tweeter,12" woofer.

I sold CVs in the 80s and did not like them but they do work with rock so when someone wanted to rock that is what they got.
If you are sitting in a chair listening to them audiophile style with chin in your hand that will not work because they are easy to pick apart.
I still find a pair of Advents (NAL 1978-82)or Polk Monitor 10s to Just sound good I swear I enjoy listening to them more then semi high buck speakers I have tried I am not sure what it is They just get me going because they sound like music, flaws and all.

I've ranted about this a few times...Atmosphere is 100% correct...noting a preferred music type for speaker or system selection is silly, unless some loudness level is required for frequent drunk dancing. Mahler or Medeski Martin and Wood are as, or more, dynamic than "80s rock" which is (was?) generally very compressed. I remember when I bought some Cerwin Vegas from some angry divorced chick who's ex was out of town back in the day...but I digress...I can say that gear made for live sound has similar goals regarding clean headroom, but really can't be compared to well designed home hifi gear which serves a different purpose altogether. Just add a decent sub for drunk dancing.