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Anyone Successfully Go from Floor Standers to Bookshelf Monitors w/ Subs?

My system is in a Large Living room which opens to dining room & Kitchen. I figure about 6k cu ft. I have Silverline Sonata speakers now with subs. Unfortunately I did not build my addition when I should have 10-15 yrs ago. Now I'm not really up to the task. Too old & wore out. So I'd love to make the LR a prettier room for my wife. One thing we talked about was the large speakers, and possibly using Watkins Gen 4 monitors. But as good as they sound, I am concerned about the ability to fill the room, or at least my listening area. As I understand, it is about moving air. I cannot see how a 6.5 & 1 inch speaker can move as much as a 10, 7, 3 & 1 inch. So I am quite concerned about that. Right now, the system sounds very pleasing to both of us. We don't want to take a backward step but can live with a sideways step if it is more visually pleasing.

Has anyone made this kind of a step from floor standers to monitors, both with subs, in a large room, with success? Or am I thinking correctly about the small speakers inability to move the proper amount of air for the room size? Thanks for your help.

OH, FWIW, The addition may not be completely out of the picture. But it depends on whether I can get one of my previous sub contractors to do a large part of it. 
128x128artemus_5
allenf1963
371 posts
 
@artemus_5 , I grew up in Kingsport, TN, and have been in and out of Watkins Stereo Center since 1978.  Bill Watkins makes incredible speakers -- always has.  His original WS-1A speakers are highly coveted and hard to find nowadays.  You will love the Generation 4 speakers, they sound incredible and have more bass than any Bookshelf Monitor speaker I've ever heard.

Watkins Stereo Center sold a popular Hi-Fi package in the late 1970's -- a Dual turntable, a Kenwood receiver, and a pair of WS-1A's.  If you were in high school with this setup at home, everyone knew where the Friday night after the football game kegger was taking place!
psychranger
17 posts
 
Sometimes you have to sacrifice in life, and moving from a fine floorstanding speaker to a fine bookshelf speaker with subs in a large room is going to be a downgrade imho. I sadly have had to make that exact move due to health issues and wife’s requests, and there simply aren’t any bookshelf speakers that can replace PSB Synchrony Ones. You’ll still enjoy the music, but you wont be sitting in the front row anymore. 
rajugsw
222 posts
 
While I love Tower Speakers. I have a soft spot for a pair of good quality (north of $1k) Bookshelf Speakers on Stands with Dual Stereo Subwoofers. Integrated properly, they will disappear  into the room much easier IMHO.

Price is also another consideration.
mitch2
4,082 posts
 
I did but calling them monitors is hardly accurate.  Aerial LR5s with dual Aerial SW-12 subs.  The "monitors" are each 105 pounds with dual 9-inch woofers.  On their Signature Sound Anchor stands each speaker/stand weighs about 175 pounds.  The subs, also on SA stands, weigh 157 pounds each.  With enough power, the sound is dynamic, clean, and tonally rich.  
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dbphd
1,631 posts
 
I replaced older KEF Reference 107/2s with newer KEF Reference 1s supplemented by a pair of Velodyne HGS-15s.  The sound was superb for smaller orchestrations, e.g., the jazz and baroque I prefer, but disappointing for large orchestrations until I raised the crossover from 40 to 80 Hz.  That transformed the setup, making the soundstage seem larger and deeper, and large orchestrations as enjoyable as they were with the 107/2s.  I use a SMS-1 bass manager that provides acoustic room correction, and plan to add a third HGS-15 diagonally across the room, behind the listening area. 
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