low end floorstander or high end bookshelf?


i'm currently running a pair of b&w 683 floorstanders with a large velodyne hgs-18 sub. would a better quality bookshelf like a b&w 805 diamond with the same sub be an upgrade? i've heard that even with a sub, the bookshelf doesnt sound quite as "full" as a floorstander with the sub.

im about 50/50 music and home theater. i'm more critical of the music tho. thanks.
alf_89
Quantity vs Quality. Only you will know. Everyone will have their preference. I personally have always preferred Quality over Quantity.
The 805 Diamond will not have the scale and big sound presentation of the larger 683 even though it is supplemented by a sub. If you listen to a lot of music with thumping bass lines or favor a large scale and deep bass presentation, you would be better off sticking with the 683. If you prefer more refinement and poise and an overall higher quality sound, the 805 Diamond will be a better choice(though with reduced scale and frequency response at the lower spectrum).

Apart from that you didn't mention the size of the room. In a small room the 805 Diamonds will be more appropriate than the 683s. These monitors also demand more from partnering equipment and are not as forgiving as the 683s.

As a separate note, just like Wslam I would choose quality over quantity anytime although the speaker may not be full-range. In my view the overall presentation is more important than ultimate deep bass performance.
Does it have to be B&W?
You may find a good compromise with high-quality floor standers at the price of the 805.
I agree that it is a matter of Quality vs Quantity, I would always go with quality.

At one time I had a large room (24x13) and had my two Rel Strata's hooked up to LS3/5a's, even though I had my main speakers which were Kef Reference 2 (excellent speakers in their own right), it was musical bliss when it came to the Ls3/5a's!

YMMV
Would you lose anything without that dedicated midrange driver in the 683? Or can single drivers in bookshelf speakers sound pretty darn close?