Great question...most of the advantages of a bookshelf design are due to improved imaging(how accurately instruments and vocals are presented)...that is the smaller enclosure does not "smear" the sound as much...(difraction)...that being said...the added bass extension of a floorstander can have a more "seamless" intergration with a sub...however...in near field listening...this is less of an issue...but your right...the hidden costs of stands...which are pricey (for good ones)...can inflate the cost of a bookshelf substantially....hope this helps....
Bookshelf or floorstander?
I'm wondering what are the advantages and/or disadvantages of a bookshelf speaker versus a floorstander... assuming both are run with a sub (and ignoring the need for a speaker stand for the bookshelf speaker). I'm wondering if it is easier to integrate a sub with a more full range speaker, than with a bookshelf that may only go to 40 or 50 Hz. Anyway, I'm curious about what the thoughts are on this. TIA.
Dennis
Dennis