Can you get "bookshelf sound" from a floorstander?

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.

Bobby: Aren't your speakers using the same drivers -- or drivers that are extremely similar -- to the ones I had in the late 1990s? If not, how are they different? And aren't the cabinets pretty much identical? If not, how are they different?

Also, when I purchased a pair of VSM SE's from one of your dealers, you both knew what preamp and amp (ARC -- hardly garbage) I was using and didn't bother to tell me that it wouldn't sound good. I'm not sure who you're referring to when you say "mean spirited comments." It certainly isn't me, and none of this is personal.

9rw, you jump in with both feet and say a bunch of nonsense pertaining to a situation you had with a 4th geneation discontinued product (from 10 years ago) and make it appear like it still has bearing today. this is both dishonest and confusing to those who read this forum.
then when i try to tell marty in an understated manner what the history is, you start to lose your cool and said mean spirited things. the one person who could have explained the difference bewteen the se and the mxe (marty) you blew off like a pompous know it all. well, 9rw, you are not the only musician who comes here, you are not the only one who has heard 100s of systems, read tecnical journals or even worked in recording venues. some of us even have a very significant technical understanding of this sound thing. we just use these experiences and knowledge differently than you appear to. sound is not a contact sport, it is about the joy of music and the effects on your heart and soul.
lets just say we agree to disagee and leave it at that because you are so closed minded you won't even allow yourself to see another way or learn something. one concept does not fit all.
i can hear you rationizing how different can the sound be with so many things looking so similar? the proof is in the listening and then, with first hand knowledge you can say your peace.
to many, the arc pres are known to have a recessive mid band. think about their reference speaker of years gone by. in a situation where the speaker is as linear as the vsm is, this would tend to stratify the treble and bass as your friend found. you called it garbadge, not i.
and your room may be damped pefectly for your vrs and sub but it is way over done for the merlins. i have been through this with you before, have you forgotten?
best, b

Bobby: You're incredibly defensive for having done this for such a long time. I would think you would have developed a bit thicker skin. Besides, I'm certainly not being mean spirited, and you're certainly not answering my questions about the drivers and the cabinet. So it must be a new crossover that has dramatically changed the sound of your speakers, right? While you are convinced that the sound of the latest generation -- how many iterations is it again, I've lost count? -- is a night and day improvement, many trained ears probably wouldn't hear much if any difference.

I've been out of the house where the Dunlavy SC-IV/A stomped the VSM SE for many years. The Von Schweikerts have sounded fantastic in two houses, as did the Dunlavys.

If you reread my posts, you'll see that I have not made this personal. I just think your product costs too much for what it delivers, plus it takes at least $20,000 to $30,000 in associated gear to sound "right." These days, that's difficult for some people to justify.

By the way, is the recessed midrange of the ARC preamps something that you have measured? I'd like to see those measurements. You didn't like the ARC VT100MKII amp, either. And I guess the Rowland Models 2 and 10 and the ARC 100.2 were at fault, too.