Can you get "bookshelf sound" from a floorstander?


Listened to B&W's 6 series and much prefered the 686 and 685 to the more expensive floorstanders. I'm a junkie for clear and coherent vocals and the floorstanders seemed to muddy the sound.
Listened to Dynaudio Focus 110s and loved them. Compared them to the Contour 5.4s and I loved the top end of them even more than the Focus' but was again bothered by what I want to call an incoherence... lack of focus... integration... with the low end.

Owned Totem Arros and Dreamcatcher monitors with Dreamcatcher sub and prefered the dreamcatcher monitors over the Arros and without the sub, too.

Am I just a bookshelf guy? Was it my choice of floorstanders? Setup? Anyone have better words to describe what I'm trying to say? I certainly love the low end and dynamic grunt of the big ones but not at such expense.
128x128eyediver

Showing 1 response by knownothing

Eyediver,

You may just be "monitor person"

Some floor standers worth a listen that I thought sounded especially "coherent" and right in the price range you suggest (under a thousand used [or new?]).

Totem Arro (OK, you already rejected these)
Quad 21L2
Dynaudio Audience 72 or 72SE
Paradigm Monitor 9 (new, large, truly remarkable for money)
Monitor Audio RS6