For those still following this thread ( if any ).  I managed to get myself a Marantz 2252b receiver for 250, was thinking of pairing it with Monitor BX2 speakers. How would this combo likely be?  Also, would the headphone out on the amp be good enough so as not to bottleneck some HD555s...

I was thinking of doing:  1) Monitor BX2 http://www.monitoraudiousa.com/products/bronze-bx/bx2/ speakers.  2) Cambridge Audio Azur 351A http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/products/azur-351a-integrated-amplifier or     Harmon Kardon...

Any recommendations for speakers under 500? I really have no idea what to look for and there doesn't seem to be any remote consensus in this department. Unfortunately, I don't really have the time to go "auditioning" them. 

Hey all,  Long time lurker in college when I was broke and now I finally have about $1000 I would like to put to advancing my audio setup. Right now I have:  1) Asus xonar essence stx -> HD555s, love the sound / experience, very pleasant. Would upgrade headphones though, I've definitely...