Can you get "bookshelf sound" from a floorstander?

Certainly, if they are good florrstanders that are set up properly, just as you might similarly with monitors on good stands.

For coherent sound top to bottom, I like as few transducers as possible and for the configuration of those drivers present to approximate a point or line source and a neutral timbre overall.

Small 2-way monitors tend to approximate a point source better than most floorstanders, though not always, so I tend to prefer those monitors over floorstanders in general in most rooms.

In larger rooms listening from a greater distance, I can get on better with some well designed and constructed floor-standers otherwise in that the sonic radiation pattern of these in larger rooms is more like that of 2-way monitors in a smaller room.

EyeDiver,

OHM Micro Walsh are floor standers using a Walsh driver configuration that meets those criteria in your price range.

I use slightly larger and more costly versions of these in my system, but the Micros come pretty close to these from what I have heard.

Totem Arros also but you've already eliminated those.

Agree with TVAD.

You've had some good speaks. Sounds like maybe they were not matched to amp well or there was some other poor synergy going on.

9rw, I agree regarding the Arros but poster has already indicated he has owned those and preferred a different monitor and sub combo.

I was glancing at the Merlin web site and noticed that the BAM device as described sounds very similar to OHM's "Sub Bass Activator (SBA)" circuit employed in most all of their more recent designs, including all WALSH designs, I believe.

Both appear to provide a boost to the low end while concurrently providing subsonic filtering.

Very interesting...

BTW I ordered the SBA kit for my OHM Ls and did the mods myself on those. So I believe all 3 pair of OHMs in my system utilize the SBA.

I'd be curious to learn more about how BAM + SBAs work and wht are the similarities and differences in more detail.

Bobby,

Thanks for your kind offer, but there is not much technical info available that I know of for the OHM SBA other than some tidbits on the OHM site that describes what it does for the listener with specific speaker models in very general terms.

The SBA is a circuit board that inserts inline between crossover and woofer and provides a combo tailored boost and filter there as I understand it.

The kit also comes with a port adapter that you insert into the built-in port to tune it to a somewhat lower frequency, I believe.

OHM sells this as a low end enhancement for most every speak they've ever sold, both conventional and Walsh, plus use it in most all newer speaks out of the factory as well, I believe. There have been dozens of models of OHM speakers sold over the 30-40 years they've been around I'd say. The kit cost me ~$70 dollars for a pair of OHM Ls that listed for about $500 new 30 years ago.

I suspect the exact technical specs of the SBA device might well vary by model in terms of the boost, filtering and frequency the port adaptor is designed to tune the specific model to, but I do not know this for fact.

Bobby,

Yes, Merlin BAM and OHm SBA do appear to be very similar in concept.

Cheers!

"m, is the sba passive or used in the line level signal path like the sbam?"

It is mounted within the speaker box and connects inline between the crossover and woofer, so I suppose it would not be considered line level.

"m, is the sba plugged into the wall (ac) or is it passive?
thanks, b"

It is passive, not plugged into the wall.