2.5 Tower vs 2 Way Tower vs 2 Way Monitor


I want to upgrade my Dali Ikon 5 MK2 speakers with another set of small tower speakers.  I’ve had these speakers for 7 years and I want to experiment with some other speakers.  I would prefer to buy used speakers, but I would purchase new speakers if I found something that really appeals to me.  I need to find speakers that are less than 37 inches tall to fit with the décor in my living room.  I’ve been listening to and looking at some other similar 2 ½ way speakers from Monitor Audio, Dynaudio and some other companies.  I have also discovered some small 2 way tower speakers from Totem and Proac that are posted in various internet forums.

I live a large metropolitan area where there a several high end stereo stores within 60 miles.  None of them have any 2 way tower speakers to listen to.  Since two way tower speakers have very similar types of driver/crossover setups as monitor speakers, I am wondering what the differences in sound would be between 2 way tower speakers and similar 2 way monitor speakers on stands.  Would I just as well off getting some good monitor speakers and stands?  There certainly would be a lot more choices.  Your opinions would be appreciated.

FYI,  My setup is pretty simple.  It consists of Roon, a Matrix Audio streamer/DAC, and a Rotel 1570 integrated amplifier.  My room is pretty big, 21 ft wide by 24 feet deep with a cathedral ceiling.

flyfish77

@erik_squires 

 

The thing about Dali's is that they are tuned for low level listening

just curious where you get this info ?

Some speakers sound better when set back from the front wall.  Generally acoustic suspension speakers sound better when set against the front wall.    The flexibility of positioning your speakers within the room is part of your requirement to " fit with the décor in my living room".   Wives generally prioritize decor first and foremost.If the wife is happy with your current set up, you are probably better off leaving well-enough alone.  

 

 

Hi @riley804

First, I heard them. Then I saw the review. The measurements and listening experience correspond to each other.

Please see figure 5, this is a classic loudness curve. The curves from model to model are not by any means identical, but the trend for Dali speakers is to have a lot more treble than other speakers, if not both bass and treble.  I'm not making a moral judgement here, by the way.  Buy what you like.  I'm just saying if the OP is happy with this arrangement he may have a hard time finding that in other speakers.

 

https://www.stereophile.com/content/dali-rubicon-8-loudspeaker-measurements

and i had a pair of the dali zensor monitors and didn’t think they were like this it all in the treble.

What is midrange “crunch”?  It doesn’t sound very pleasant. My advice is to go to some stores and find some speakers that are giving you what you are looking for and, even if you don’t buy them, you will have a better point of reference for comparison.