Doug Kanter wrote:
Another vote here against Bose. Advent & Boston Acoustics both make
some very nice small speakers. Keep in mind that bass, when performed
live, comes from instruments (or speaker cabinets) that contain or
move quite a bit of air. Think of the inside of an upright bass, a
long organ pipe, the volume inside a bass drum, and the cabinets that
electric bass players use. When you think you're hearing this
accurately in a small speaker, it's really a form of trickery done
well (hopefully). There's no way a speaker the size of a shoe box can
really create the same bass that you hear live, but in some designs,
it still sounds good.

The variations are very subtle, so the best thing to do is audition
some speakers at a real audio store, not the Circuit City type places
where it's so noisy that you can't hear the subtle differences
between speakers, and the speakers are often incorrectly placed. Find
a store where they'll give you a quiet room to listen, and bring some
of your own CDs.

Excellent advice -- I have nothing otherwise to add.