The dealer’s comment seems far too vague for me to feel confident in an interpretation. What was your interpretation? You mentioned in a question that presence can be about a certain frequency range, but is this what the dealer meant? And, if so, what frequency range was he talking about? A member mentioned Sterephile’s definition (1-3khz) and another just added a decidedly different one (4-6 Or, was he talking about a general liveliness to the sound? Was he comparing the sound of your exact towers to a specific smaller speaker or was this a general statement about a universal difference between two types of speakers?
Without knowing the dealer’s meaning, I can offer a cliche: taste is subjective! You may prefer the sound of the smaller speaker. I went from a lifetime of listening to large floorstanders to a petite pair of bookshelves and love the new sound! I demoed three different towers before making my decision and have zero regrets. . If the fellow meant a specific frequency range, can’t some smaller speakers be boosted in that area while some larger speakers are recessed in that region?
For me, regardless of the dealer’s exact meaning, I don’t like his ’truth’ telling. I think a dealer should let a customer arrive at their own decision and not even color someone’s impression with his ’expert’ opinion. Let the customer listen to a few options and arrive at their own conclusions.
Your question's meaning seems easier to interpret and I would say this: Of course! too much is a subjective response. One person's too much can be another person's spot on. A boosted presence (in whatever frequency range is being considered) may be a pet peeve of some while a desirable trait for another. Plus, speaker traits are often amenable to adjustment through positioning, room treatment, etc. That boost may tail off nicely off axis in your room for all we know leaving a nice, wide sweet spot in its wake. Best to demo at your place whenever possible.
