I agree with Dave99 that the Sttaf's bass can be a bit boomy at times. When the music is "boomy" I simply stuff the ports to tone the boominess down. In my opinion this works quite well. I use a piece of rolled up foam sill sealer to plugged the ports.
I think all will agree that the Hawk is a more refined speaker. I had the Hawks for about two months and spent a fair amount of time comparing the Sttafs and the Hawks. Although I heard a bit more detail at the high end and a tighter bass with the Hawks I never got that "goose bump" or "wow" factor with them. The Sttafs may not be as accurate as the Hawks but they sure get my toes a tapping. As far as the midrange, I found just the opposite, that is, the Hawk and not the Staff to be thinner.
Oh well, to each his own and in my case I would rather sacrifice refinement for my musical involvement and satisfaction. The bottom line is let your ears and your personal preferences be the judge.
My system - Blue Circle BC21 preamp, Musical Fidelity A3cr power amp, Arcam FMJ23 C.D. player, Adcom GFT 555II tuner.