Can a monitor sound like a floorstander??


Don't know if I should put on a flame suit before I ask such a question..but is there? Classical music is my preference and I'm currently using Focus Audio FS688 monitors- they're very good at what they do--obviously better for chamber music than orchestral. I've heard that the Harbeth monitor 40's are great, but they are about the size of a floorstader. Can one get full sounding classical music through a speaker like Sonus Faber Guarneri, Dynaudio C1, or is a floorstander really the only way to go with classical music. I can really only bring my speakers out @ 3feet from the wall. My equipment is:
Ayre V-5xe
BAT VK51-SE
Ayre C-5xe
Running Springs Jaco power conditioner

Thank for your help and suggestions!


classical1
If you don't need to go absolutely to the very rock bottom on the bass, then I'd check out the Intuitive Design Summit PSL 624. I owned Paradigm Studio 100 V 3's before that (for about a year), which are floorstanders. I think the Summits have better bass than those did, and that's quite respectable. Their bass rolls off around 40 hertz, and that's very similar to all but the largest floorstanders. If you really, absolutely MUST have a totally full range system, which is what I insisted upon for myself, then adding a sub-bass unit is a consideration. The best one of those I've heard is the one I own, a Rel Storm 3.

At any rate, I've posted an extremely detailed review about the Summits, complete with photos, just a couple days ago. It's under "Loudspeakers" in the "Product Reviews" category. These are fabulous for ALL program material, including classical, as I describe in the review.

The shortest answer is that these go very, very low by themselves, especially for a monitor, and yet the midrange doesn't suffer at all. Getting the best bass out of these does require a good amp with lots of current, but that's really true of just about ALL speakers, except PERHAPS the ones with extremely high efficiency.
Monitors can sound as good or better than floorstanders, but you have to buy really good stands to get the most from monitors. I use Focus stands in my office system and they are awesome, strongly suggest you get a pair.
Alot of floor standers take up no more room than a monitor on a stand, why not think about going that route?
I would love to find monitor that sounds like my 800's.
You can't break the laws of physics you must move air to make a large sound so monitors will never sound like floor standers. Nrchy is right there are some things monitors can do that floorstanded speakers have trouble doing & vice versa.