Small floorstander recommendations


I am looking for suggestions for a small footprint, floorstander for about $1000 new/used. Here is what I have to work with:

Musical preferences: 80% old-school R&B, rock, pop, funk, electronic, and hip hop; 20% classical, blues, jazz, vocals
Room: 15' X 17', hardwood floors, typical living room furniture, area rug
Source: Sony DVD player (next component to upgrade)
Amplification: Audio Refinement Complete integrated amp

I am looking to balance out my musical preference ratios, so the speaker should be a good, all-around performer.

Considering the following:
Totem Acoustics Sttaf
Vienna Acoustics Bach
Meadowlark Swift or Kestrel Hod Rod
Spendor S6
Triange Zerius
ProAc Studio 125
Epos M15

All comments/recommendations welcome.

Best Regards,

johnny5
johnny5
Ok here is my problem with your list, You have speakers on your list with silk/fabric dome tweeters and some with metal tweeters. I think you need to decide which type of tweeter, and that will eliminate some of those speaker choices. Speakers with metal tweeters sound different from speakers with fabric tweeters.
Now for some help:
I have a pair of vienna acoustic bach's. I listened to a few of the speakers on your list before I decided on the BACH. But the problem with testing the Bach, is that you need to make sure the speaker has been filled with sand. if the speaker you are demoing has not been filled with sand, then you truly will not hear the full potential of the speaker. When I filled mine I could not believe the difference it made in the bass. It got tighter and lower.
In the end I chose the Vienna because the cabinet construction is beautiful, the level of parts used in the crossover is second to none (usually not found on speakers of this price) and they were able to play all types of music right.
I have listened to the VA Bachs and found them very thumpy and loose in the bass department - not really what I expected from them.

Another one to listen to is the Linn Ninka's - beautiful speaker cabinets!

Dave
That looks like a good list ... I'd go and listen to some and take your amp along. I really doubt that comments from other people using other amps with other tastes will really help you narrow it down. You've got a great list of speakers and now you need to listen to decide which one suits you the best. I'm just being honest, I'm not trying to be clever.
FWIW I've been very impressed with Epos that I've heard, but I've not heard the M15.
2nd the ATC even though they are standmount.
I saw an ad at Toys in the Attic Epos M15 for $799 or so. Epos or Spendors are best on your list IMHO for accurate but musical sound. Bachs are pretty good after that.
I think I would recommend some of the smaller Linn floor standers, I know the older Keilidhs sound very nice. Rega surprisingly makes some very nice sounding speakers as well, I have heard their Juras, and they are a very nicely priced seaker also.

I think in order to get really good sound out of ATC, you need to buy at least 20s to get your money's worth. It seems to me that the speakers smaller than the 20s arent that much better, if any better than their competitors in their price range.