Main reasons for choosing floorstanders vs bookshelf speakers?

TOBYJUG posted:

 

The Wilson Benesch Endeavour is an aesthetic success I think, with its integral stand and with some of its bits hanging out.

I guess beauty really is in the eye of the beholder because these look hideous to me, at least from the posted picture.

fernar posted:

I listened to the WB Endeavour and wanted to buy them - but for some reason WB dont seem to selling their speakers in the UK any more... I originally had WB Curves which were really nice... in the end I ended up buying into Sonus Faber speakers...

If you look at their website under "experience" you will find a home demo is very much an option in the UK, they're based in Sheffield after all and as far as I can tell still made there.

I have just bought another pair of floorstanders after seriously considering bookshelves. The biggest reason to stick with floorstanders was their completeness. I have currently no ambition whatsoever to worry about the perfect thing to go beneath a smaller speaker. Almost none are true bookshelves and different stands lead to different sounds. Others may see this as a way to achieve the perfect sound, but I just don’t want to go there.

 Bookshelf speakers offer superior imaging of the soundstage and better tighter bass. They sound more 3 dimensional to my ears.

Less boomy also due to smaller cabinet.

i love bookshelf speakers since the B&W 805s speakers I used to own.

My own (admittedly unscientific) feeling is that in general floorstanders will have additional bass. Along with additional bass is more critical room interaction. In other words,it is more important to place floorstanders in an optimum position. Both can be made to work well in a variety of situations,but stand-mounts  might be less critcal of the "compromises" most of us make in our listening rooms.

You pay for the box.  It's expensive to to make, brace for vibration, and transport.  The bigger the box the more you pay;  for the price of a floorstander in a particular range you can buy a bookshelf that's from the next range up with superior drivers, crossover and bracing.  Tradeoffs:  they're tougher to drive, and smaller scale.  At any given price the choice is quality or quantity.        

hastings posted:

for the price of a floorstander in a particular range you can buy a bookshelf that's from the next range up with superior drivers, crossover and bracing.  Tradeoffs:  they're tougher to drive, and smaller scale.  At any given price the choice is quality or quantity.        

So would an example be that rather than buying PMC 25 23 floorstanders I can get the PMC Fact 3 standmounts instead? (I hope I am right in assuming that Fact is the next range up from twenty5)

analogmusic posted:

 Bookshelf speakers offer superior imaging of the soundstage and better tighter bass. They sound more 3 dimensional to my ears.

Less boomy also due to smaller cabinet.

i love bookshelf speakers since the B&W 805s speakers I used to own.

I think those are all completely true statements... if your room is difficult.

In my experience, stand mounts are easier to accommodate with less than perfect room conditions to get them sounding really good. Floorstanders, (or more accurately, simply larger speakers) are generally more capable even in terms of soundstage and bass handling but can be unforgiving of environment. 

It is a falsehood to assume the enclosure is just a box in which to place drive units. Speaker designers know that the enclosure is as much part of the speaker as the drivers and how it resonates (or doesn't) is all part of speaker as a whole.

This as I keep finding out has everything to do with the room. I have quite big floor standers in a normal sized room about 16 square meters that are fantastic with Jazz or acoustic music but are prone to boom with rock or reggae and although I love these big speakers there has always been a nagging doubt that perhaps a bookshelf on stands is better.

I have had the chance to try some MA PL00 bookshelf speakers and have been amazed at the bass they through out and of their extra speed after just a few tracks it was clear that these are betterted suited to my room. I'm not entirely sold on these Monitor Audio PL100 but am keeping them and selling my big floor standers. 

Domestic harmony at the removal of the 'coffins' is an added bonus.