Best stand mounted monitors


I need your help please as I'm replacing my floor standing KEF Ref. Series 104/2 speakers with stand mounted monitors and probably a subwoofer due to the wife-acceptance-factor. I'm looking for comments from people who have listened to and hopefully compared the following monitor speakers that I'm considering:
(1) REFERENCE 3A - MM Decapo i
(2) PROAC - Response One SC or Tablette Ref. 8 Signature
(3) VON SCHWEIKERT - VR-1
(4) REVEL - M20 or the new M22 due out Q1 '04
(5) ATC - SCM 10-2 or SCM 20-2 either active or passive.

Other things you need to consider before offering your advice:
--> I will be replacing a very old Sherwood receiver with a new tube preamp and either tube or SS amp. I'll get the speakers first and then match the amp to it.
--> my room is about 4,800 cubic ft (40*15*8) and is average "aliveness" so having a higher sensitive speaker (e.g. >89dB) is desirable as it'll will mean less power required. I listen mostly to jazz with some R&B and classical.
--> budget is around US$2K-$3K (new retail price)
--> Id like to buy a REL subwoofer to match (e.g. Stadium II or III)

Many thanks.
kevinzoe
I'm going to throw one more in, not that you need it. The challenge may be in WAF, but here goes -- without knowing what your musical tastes are I would take the time to listen to Reynaud Trentes. They retail for $2495 but you can find them for less (much less) here on the 'goN. I've heard th ProAc's and the VonSchweikerts and to my tin ears they don't match as well -- particularly with tube gear (which is where I am and how I auditioned). Placement is not as critical with these as with some others and the soundstage is wonderful. There are a couple of "tricks" to optimize them that you need to know. They sound at their best with the JMR HP-216A wire. They work well on any good stand so you don't have to look for the now discontinued JMR Magic Stands that were made for these.

Regardless of what you get, just take the time to listen, ideally after you have identified the amp and match the auditions up. As I once read: What's the Best Speaker? Mine.

Anyway, I found the musicality of the JMR's to be wonderful. YMMV. As for the WAF issue -- there is the "eyeball" on top that has caused issue in the past with other spouses so -- a word of caution there.

Free your ears and your ass will follow.

F7
If you have the opportunity to hear Silverline SR 17's do it. They offer the imaging that you buy monitors for and are satisfying at every volume level, something that not all monitors do well Mine are mated with a REL but except for orchestal music, I don't know that it is even necessary.

Best is an impossible quest, electronics matching, room matching, and personal tastes will make anything on the list somebody's best.
The SCM-20 would work quite well and you won't need a sub ( unless you prefer huge amount of bass.) The Proac SC and Tablet will not do the job in your space. Even the SCM-10 is too small for the room. The B&W 805s is also too small for the space.
Everything you listed and suggested by folks here requires a sub to go along with it. I personally don't enjoy music with sub because it is very hard to get them in-sync. I'm very picky about. It will sound un-nautral and muddy on the low end. Without the sub, they'll sound too thin in your space.
However, there is a catch with ATC SCM-20. You need a good amp to go with it. I personally think the passive sounds better with tube amp when compared to solid state amp or the active version. A good matching amp under $1000 would be a Harmon Kardon Citaiton II or a Lafayette KT-550. For over $1000, you can get a pair of McIntosh MC60, Heathkit W-6M, or the McIntosh MC-275 $$$, Fisher SA-300... For Solid State, $$$$ ... anyway, just my 2 cents.
Speaker efficiency won't be too much a problem since you are getting speakers FIRST and a power amp afterwards to fit. In light of that, I highly recommend you try Dynaudio they make probably the best monitors around. If WAV is important, try out Special 25's (87dB) with gorgeous birsch finish, also you can consider 1.3SE (86dB) or the new 1.4S. If you don't care too much about looks, consider Dyn's pro version of the 1.3SE -- BM6 which can be got online brand new for $800 shipped!

Try audition Dynaudio at dealers if possible.