steve_1979 said:
Small standmount speakers tend to sound better than big floorstanders over the crucial mid-range frequencies. This is due to the way our ears and brains have evolved over thousands of years which mean that sounds (especially vocals) originating from a head sized speaker sound more natural to us.
Now it's my turn to mostly agree with you.
I have never heard the above theory before, which doesn't necessarily mean it's wrong. Are you saying the mid-range "appears" better because its coming from a head sized object, even though it may not be.
I have to say I've never found this, in fact very often I find that the mids sound better when "in balance" from a speaker with a fuller range...subjective, I know.
The sub issue is not straight forward as integration can be problematical - even when you have a sub good enough for the job. Saying that it can be done, but care is needed to make sure the speakers and sub are completely in phase and any extra bass issues are dealt with.
Other than that, I'm in complete agreement. Standmounts are usually better at imaging, timing and speed. They can often sound more intimate and real due to these qualities, as one's ear and brain are more discriminating than is often realized (imo).
Floorstanders do scale, but it is much harder to make a good one cheaply, due to the problems/compromises you mentioned. At equivalent money, the standmount is usually better, as the money it costs to make, goes further.
Generally speaking room size ends up being the key...for obvious reasons.