Monitors that compete with quality floorstanders??

Thank to all who have responded so far.. All are interesting suggestions, especially the Sjorn speakers called "The Clue" The press and show reports rave about the performance of this smallish monitor. In particular, the bass is supposed to be amazing. At $999 a pair, it is steal, if they really sound as claimed. However, they are placement dependent, and set-up has to be by the book and accurate to bring the speaker to its full sound potential

The Reference 3A De Capo speakers have been around for at least 12 years have been upgraded several times, but they are somewhat overpriced whether new or used

You might be able to find a used pair of Wilson Benesch Arcs close to that price you are looking to spend.

That is a long list to regurgitate ,with many contenders that can even soundly smoke floor standers , starting with the various Harbeths and the ATC SM 11s new model.

The shorter answer to that question itself is directly dependent on what the rest of your system is, with particular reference to the front end and amp.

$999 is a far cry from $2700!

I got a pair of Tannoy Definition DC8s, and they are tremendous. Best stand-mounted speakers I've heard to date. Doesn't matter if I'm listening to Tool or Jim Evans Trio...they sound fantastic no matter what I throw at them. The only con to them is they are a bit directional. Worth a look.

http://www.whathifi.com/review/tannoy-definition-dc8

http://www.soundstage.com/equipment/tannoy_definition_dc8.htm

Mot