Best floorstanders under $600


I'm looking at Monitor Audio BR5's and Wharfedale 9.6's. I like Evo 30's but can't afford them. I know both of these are mid-fi speakers but all my budget will allow. Has anyone heard both? Can you pass on stregnths + weakness?
Are the BR5's worth $100 more?
If you know the Wharfedales, how do 9'5's compare to 9.6's?
I can't audition so I'm collecting as much info as possible.
I would also listen to any other brand suggestions for towers under $600.
I listen to mostly rock, some jazz and classical.
I have a sub but would like the towers to be able to stand alone. 60% music/30% movies/10% admiring.
Many thanks
griffinconst
Well, I can't speak for the Wharfedale 9.6, but i've had a pair of Wharfedale Diamond 7.3s for ten years. They are good at doing the intimate thing--almost as fast and transparent as an electrostatic, but even though the 7.3 is a mass-loaded floor-standing version, it's pretty thin on the bass, so I couldn't get excited about it. That doesn't say anything regarding what they've done with subsequent generations (the 9.4 is closest to what the 7.3 was). The 9.6 is a 3-way with twin woofers and twin ports, so it probably has significantly more bass than my 7.3's.

I still think you should check into the Canadians--PSB, Paradigm, and Energy. They are all based on research done at Canada's National Research Foundation, and all are reasonably sensitive, have wide, even dispersion, a transparent natural-sounding midrange, and good, extended, clean bass for a given enclosure size.
There is a pair of Sound Dynamics 300Ti on the GON right now for $225.00. I don't know the seller but I know those speakers. I first heard about them in The Absolute Sound mag when the editor (HP) flipped over them. Then I found a used pair for a friend and got to hear them in his system and couldn't believe how good they were for what he paid for them ($350.00)! Do a google search on them and you will find nothing but praise. Good Luck
Big +1 on the Sound Dynamics 300ti! I don't know how many pairs of those I recommended to friends when Audio Advisor was closing out the last production run at $500/pair. Every single buyer (and there had to be about a dozen) I know who bought was absolutely ecstatic about what those speakers brought to the party.

That also says something about how amp-friendly they are. Most of these people plugged them into mass market receivers. For one guy, however, it sparked off a complete system upgrade and overhaul, with new (closeout) Counterpoint electronics, upgraded CD player, new cartridge, etc. I heard the 300ti's at his house and a couple pairs at another house, and they simply sound right with no obvious weaknesses: Smooth even in-room power response, wide, uniform dispersion, frequency extension at both ends with smooth treble and clean tight bass.
Upscale Audio is closing out the Triangle Heliade @ $700/pr new. This is a little over your stated limit, but the speaker was competitive at its list price of $1400/pr, so it's worth at least thinking about. It's a good looking, good sounding, easy to drive tower speaker with a smallish footprint. The only real downside in that response below app 40hz is MIA.

Good Luck

Marty