monitor or floorstander?

monitors tend to give you more detailed fast and tight mids than floorstanders. if you add a woofer you'll have a full range.

I would go with the best sound (to YOUR ears) that you can find for the $ you have available. Keep in mind that this is probably not going to be a short-term purchase, I kept my last set of speakers for almost 20 years (!!), and I plan on doing the same with my new (to me) speakers. You will, most likely, change listening rooms in that time period, don't sell yourself short now.

As for new vs. used, unless you can get a smokin' deal on a new or demo pair, go with a lovingly used pair - I found a set off the 'Gon last year that were absolutely perfect and I saved big bucks doing it. There is SO much good, used equipment out there, it seems silly to me to pony up for new. Let somebody else take the depreciation, a quality two year old speaker still has 90% of its life to go...

I vote for the Merlin TSM-M's (or buy used SE's & have them upgraded). They are fairly efficient & sound great with tubes. Awesome speakers! Good luck .

Greetings Fujindemon,

You raise some interesting points in your post.

First let me say that your dealer has some very nice speakers in his lineup.

I used to design and build speakers as a hobby (almost went commercial once), and I've been a dealer for a couple of years now. To design a speaker to compete at a price point is quite a challenge. To design a speaker to compete at a price point with a size limitation is an even bigger challenge. It's nice to be able to work with the larger internal volume a floor stander gives you.

I wouldn't say that a monitor is necessarily better designed, dollar for dollar. The limited size puts an added constraint on the bass system, but on the other hand may make it easier to achieve very good imaging.

Personally, I would say the execution is vastly more important than the specific configuration.

If you are looking for speakers that will work well in your 10 by 11 foot room, then your problem really isn't monitors vs floorstanders. Your problem is to find speakers that will work well in a small room.

You need a speaker whose bass response won't be bloated by the nearby walls, whose tonal balance isn't the slightest bit harsh (which would be particularly annoying in a small room), and whose drivers integrate well at close range. Since there will be lots of nearby reflective surfaces in the room, you want a speaker whose reverberant field response won't color the tonal balance of the first-arrival sound, so that you get natural timbre. And, ideally, you'd like a speaker that's somewhat directional and therefore puts out a bit less energy into those early reflections - too high a ratio of reflected to direct sound in a small room can be detrimental to clarity.

I carry a line of speakers that are specifically voiced and uniquely configured to address these issues, namely the Gradients. But rather than try to sell you on auditioning what I have to offer, let me try to give you some ideas to help you make the best possible choice among the speakers your local dealer has to offer.

Of course bring some music you are familiar with. You want to listen to the same piece of music on each speaker.

Let's assume you've narrowed it down to two or three speakers whose sound you like, and now you want to get an idea of how each would work in your room.

Start out with the speakers close to the wall. This will approximate the situation in your room where the walls are inherently close by. Have them spread apart about as far as they'd be in your room.

First, listen from close up - maybe five or six feet away - at moderate volume levels. This will let you home in on the first-arrival sound of the speakers. Are they still enjoyable from this close up? How's the imaging? Move your head around a bit to see if the imaging and tonal balance change as you do so. Are you aware of the different drivers, or is the presentation coherent? Can you easily pick out and follow a single voice or instrument?

Now turn the volume way, way down, until you can barely hear it. How does it sound? This will unmask midrange peaks and resonances, which might otherwise be hidden by the bass. Passing this test is a predictor of long-term listening enjoyment.

Now turn the volume up louder than normal, and walk into the next room, leaving the door open. What you're doing now is isolating and auditioning the reverberant field. Do you get the same tonal balance from outside the room as you did inside? If so, that bodes extremely well for long-term listening enjoyment.

Finally, return to the close-range listening position you started with, leaving the volume up higher than normal. Any harshness? Is the bass still distinct? How about the clarity of voices - do they get congested? If so, that congestion will be amplified by a small room.

These tests are no substitute for an in-home audition, but they may help you decide which speakers to take home for that audition.

Best of luck to you in your quest!

Duke

Fujindemon,

I have to applaud the advice of Audiokinesis. This is knowledge and experience that is worth paying for and a great example of what a good retailer can offer. If only one had been around when I was starting...

I would certainly be in contact with the gentleman. If you follow the advice on the speaker, you will have something that will provide long-term enjoyment. Lastly, it is my understanding that the Gradients are very accurate in the right ways.

Best regards and applause for Duke,

Mike C.