Can you get "bookshelf sound" from a floorstander?


Listened to B&W's 6 series and much prefered the 686 and 685 to the more expensive floorstanders. I'm a junkie for clear and coherent vocals and the floorstanders seemed to muddy the sound.
Listened to Dynaudio Focus 110s and loved them. Compared them to the Contour 5.4s and I loved the top end of them even more than the Focus' but was again bothered by what I want to call an incoherence... lack of focus... integration... with the low end.

Owned Totem Arros and Dreamcatcher monitors with Dreamcatcher sub and prefered the dreamcatcher monitors over the Arros and without the sub, too.

Am I just a bookshelf guy? Was it my choice of floorstanders? Setup? Anyone have better words to describe what I'm trying to say? I certainly love the low end and dynamic grunt of the big ones but not at such expense.
128x128eyediver
> Can you get "bookshelf sound" from a floorstander?

Sure, but note that

3-way designs can have double the parts cost of 2-ways since the bass drivers are expensive, the mid-range needs to be a band-pass instead of a low-pass, and the low cross-over frequency calls for bigger reactive components. Where retail markups mean 'decent' but not exceptional parts put a $2K per pair price-tag on 2-ways you're looking at $4K a pair.

A floor standing two way is long enough to have audible resonances from standing waves within it and is likely to have larger areas of unbraced cabinet (Siegfried Linkwitz suggests no more than four square inches of unbraced panel).
Marty: No offense, but unless you've published papers in peer-reviewed journals, I don't think there's a whole lot you can teach me about audio. I've been at this a long time, have heard hundreds of high-end systems and am a trained musician. I have a pretty good idea of what live acoustic music is supposed to sound like.

Your comment about the REL sub is totally unfounded, for example, as REL used to make a fine product. My Von Schweikerts operate full range and have plenty of dynamic capability. REL doesn't use a crossover between the sub and the main speakers. I've gone that route with other subs and hated the results.

My guess is that you prefer a pro audio high impact kind of sound instead of the refinement and purity that I demand. To each his own.

As for Eyediver, the Totem Arro is hard to beat for about $800 used. It is simply amazing at its price and in some ways makes it hard to justify purchasing speakers costing a lot more.
[Editing previous message for typos and adding one clarification:]

Much of this debate is interesting and informative enough in its own right, but please remember that OP's budget is $1K USED. Presumably that means speakers that sell/sold for up to $2k NEW. You can start another thread for other issues, focusing here to help OP and others with similar quest.
9rw, I agree regarding the Arros but poster has already indicated he has owned those and preferred a different monitor and sub combo.
aktchi, you are absolutely right about this. however, i first responded to the string "after" a person made what are imo, incorrect assumptions based on a product that was designed 12 years ago. one that was designed with triodes in mind rather than a broader product mix. a voiced product and not what i call "a neutral concept" approach which i have followed since late 1999. what followed then were mean spirited comments and i simply defended myself and product. once you think you know everything and refuse to consider new ideas, it is really over for you and those around you.
life is all about learning.
best, b