Floor standers or Monitors?



I'd very much like to have things simple. simple is best IMO. it's not always that easy though.

I'm finding more often than not so called 'full range' speakers, aren't quite so full range. OK. 30hz is fine by me. Maybe even 40hz. but flat at, not -3db or more off at that point.

Also with Eff in mind I'm about give up on finding reasonably high eff floorstanders to provide full range sonics and am seriously considering going the monitor + sub route. Figuring a pair of 2K - 3K monitors should surpass 2k - 3k floor units, save for the lowest octaves.

Then what have been other's considerations here in selecting monitors vs. floorstanders, or vice versa?

Only esthetics?

I feel personally a set of monitors and sub (s), for the same money being spent on a pair of uprights, should surpass the performance of a pair of floor standers, shouldn't they?

Or am I being too simplistic?
blindjim
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Thanks for clearing that up for me Bob! Sounds like something I should give that a try at some point.

Duke - I'm interested in your input here too. Rather than reiterating it on this thread, would you post a link to the other thread you posted your viewpoints on? TIA.

Marco
Hi Marco/Jax2,

I've talked about scattered multiple subwoofers a time or two on Audiogon threads, but can't seem to find any of them at the moment.

Audio Asylum threads tend to be more, ah, permanent - so here's a link:

http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.mpl?forum=speakers&n=245195&highlight=scattered+multiple+subwoofers&r=&session=

Inmate Richard BassNut Greene disagrees with me, and brings up a number of objections as the thread winds along. It ends up being a very long and boring thread, but he gave me a good work-out.

Duke
As options are truly what I seek now I sure appreciate that one.

Why not climb the Von Schweikert ladder? There's a pair of VR-10's that just came up here on A'gon. You can save $55K on the price of new and get lows down to 10hz and .01% distortion. They oughta' make you real popular with your neighbors. Should be fun to move around and tweak your soundstage too :-)

Seriously, I've been intrigued by a local (to me) independent builder's designs. I've read some good input on his speakers and have corresponded with someone who bought a pair of his smaller speaker, the T-7's. He is Stuart Chapman, and the company is Chapman Speakers. Website sucks, but from what I've read the product is worth looking into as a very coherent full-range design for a reasonable price. Having not heard either these, or your speakers, I'm only suggesting this from the things I've read and nothing more. From direct experience I'd point you to Silverline. Alan Yun cannot seem to do anything wrong in speaker design. I've heard Sonatas, Sonatinas and SR17's. All three are marvelous choices in their own right, and are known for being on the 'warm' side. The Sonatas are most like what you already own in their range and specs. I don't know how they might differ from the VR4 Jr's in sound though. Sonatinas may sound a tad thin compared to what you are used to - they are a more midrange focused floorstander to my ears. SR17s are suberb monitors. I've owned three pairs over the past five years. They do everything a great monitor should: disappear like ghosts, and image like virtual reality. Disclaimer: I am currently selling a pair, though you can read my comments about them in many threads long before this. The DiCapo suggestion is a good one too for monitors. Someone mentioned the Gallo 3.1's, I think. I went and listened to a pair of those for an hour or two at a local dealer, pushed by a pair of Parasound Halo JC1's and a good front end. I brought my music. Didn't float my boat - too clean and analytical for my tastes. Could have been the SS amps though. They certainly did get the lows, even without their sub-amp attached (I heard it both ways). Very neutral sounding speakers.

Just so you know where I'm coming from with my comments: My tastes tend to run toward tubes + horns, and towards what could be considered to be a "colored" sound by some. I tend to like a midrange-centric, warmer presentation I guess. Musical preferences are largely in more simple arrangements of accoustic and vocals. Alt, folk, jazz and classical, and lots in between. Not a big listener of orchestral or heavy rock, or anything heavily layered or complex for that matter - not to say I don't listen to any of that kind of music - it is just a minority in my library.

Marco
Thanks for the link, Duke. Looks like an interesting debate. I'd tried out a pair of subs from TBI that my friend loaned me for a month. They seemed to integrate into the system better than the only other single sub I've tried, but the input was very subtle to my ears, and when I managed to get it to be more authorative, it did not seem to integrate as well. It certainly sounded more natural, which perhaps supports your argument. Could be a whole lot of factors contributing as far as my results are concerned, but it was a better solution as a subtle boost, than was the single sub I've tried (can't recall the brand/model right now, but it had a good reputation as a 'musical' sub). Still, it didn't make me want to go out and buy subs, even though I do have a yearning for a fuller range at times. Perhaps I just didn't know how to best integrate them at the time.

Marco