This is my first system based in europe. I started high end audio with grado sr 225 headphones and its very hard and expensive to get that direct sound with speakers.
This energy veritas - mastersound setup is the best i ve found after i´ve heard of over 100 speakers up to 10k - in a very dissapointing search - so much money for such a little performance - yeah, resolution,naturality soundstaging - and if you are lucky a litte prat - but no weight and snap. ML Vantages were nice but also couldnt deliver the sense of weight and focus i was looking for (big speakers and ss amps also couldnt do it, most presentations were proud of producing the "beeing there in a unplugged concert in the 20iest row" - again - not the weight i was looking for).
i chose the energys cause i always preferd the imaging capabilities of monitors. And very important - they have the best tweeter / hihat-cymbal presentation i´ve heard to this date.
My goal : the system should play instruments - just like a drummer does. with the energy that you get when a band (amplified) is jamming in a small cellar and you are just 10ft from the instruments away. its not loud volume - its concentrated forceful energy. mass, weight, image density, instrument separation, low distortion. highest weight/volume ratio.
now i am aware that i have to move to a bigger room so i can use bigger speakers - and pump as much as possible concentrared energy into the room - moderate volume levels. to this date i havent heard a bigger speaker that does those things right (say - leans in that direction - i know that no speaker could do 100 % live). as i prefer the sound outside the sweetspot in the reverbant field i think that ohm walsh speakers could do what i want - omnidirectional - coherent - concentrated power at moderate levels. sp tech timpiece 3.0 and gradient revolutions are also on my list to try when i come to ny next time.
It sounds like you know precisely what you're looking for. It also sounds like, to me anyways, that what you're trying to describe is a speaker that is very acoustically efficient. Have you thought about going with horns like Avantegard Uno's or maybe some Duevel horn-loaded omni's?
I like Energy too - great speakers - great "you are there" midrange - so fwiw you may want to try and hear an ATC three way - who knows it might be up your street (live realistic sound) - it does it for me (most realistic drums I have ever heard in a speaker) and I am a long time admirer of Energy Veritas as well as the older Pro 22.
You may want to improve your speakers next, and then maybe your source. Your Mastersound amp is a great piece and you are not hearing its best with the rest of the equipment.