Speakers help for a newb...

I would suggest a pair of Magnepan MG12's. These can handle from rock to Classical and all in between. They are clean, pretty accurate but some may need a subwoofer to go with them and some not. You can usually find them here for around $650 to $800. Get the SN's and call Magnepan to see how old they are. Not to see if there are under warranty but some of the current Magnepan models have been on the market over 5 years. Not that it's a problem but My limit (knowingly is about 3 years or so).

Try and avoid speakers with foam surrounds especially if you live in a humid environment and if the speaker sat in in direct sunlight. Both cause foam surrounds to fail quicker. Take the same precautions with the maggies and keep them out of direct sunlight.
It is a very well balanced speaker and it's hard to beat at the used price.

Or opt for a pair of MMG's and a very good subwoofer like a Hsu and there are many others that are good and fit into your budget. The MMG's are smaller and produce less bass. The rest of the spectrum could be in the same ball park.

Good Luck and Happy Listening.

The glue holding the ribbons (? if that is what they are) on Maggies tends to dry out and the loose ribbon can "buzz" when driven. The fix is not expensive (glue-the correct type is readily available from on-line and local hardware stores) but is VERY time consuming, so beware. Personnaly I would recommend that you audition a pair of Vandersteins 2 Ci's. Huge bang for the buck. You will not need a sub, they do everything well, and, new outter "socks" for them are not expensive if needed. Check them out. I think you'll be glad that you did. PS. there is a nice looking pair of AR9's on this site for $600. They are a very nice speaker (my friend owned a pair driven by a Yamaha receiver and they sounded very nice). I don't think you can go wrong on that deal (if you don't like them you should have no trouble selling them). Check them out too, they would be a real bargain at the asking price.

The Magnepan MMG's

von Schweikert VR1's with their stands, around 750 tops....add a sub later if you feel like it, you can't go wrong....your amp has to put out 100 watts a side to power these.

Welcome. Sorry, but your 15 X 15 room (8' ceilings?) isn't the ideal place to start. Furthermore, I'd suggest you find speakers that work for you and then amplification that works for your speakers in your room, not speakers that work for your amplification.