Best small 2-way floorstander?

i have noticed on a couple other threads that Tm12 seems to have more negative comments about folks that happen to like gear he either can't afford/hasn't heard/doesn't like. all i know about tm12 is he likes (& owns) coincident & rogue. well, tm12, much as i tried to give the rogue audio 99 preamp w/magnum upgrade a fair shot in my system, it's just way too coloured - if it kills the cj/krell/ar/ml/etc., as you say, perhaps you'd like another for a second system? meanwhile, yust cuz someone traded merlins on kharma's does *not* mak them an idiot. and, re: meadowlarks, i auditioned the kestral hot-rods - both in my system x'd over to subs, & in a stand-alone system - nice, but veiled - i'd surely go w/proacs - even the small tablette 50 signatures were more musical, imho...doug

Loudspeakers tend to be the least consistent devices (from brand-to-brand) of all the categories of audio products, and therefore will generate wildly different reactions from different people. In my experience, Avalon Acoustics, specifically the Eclipse and Arcus models, represents a nearly perfectly executed two-way design. The accuracy (in both measured and listening comparisons) is very impressive. This is a brand that certainly deserves consideration by any prospective purchaser striving for a reference class of product. Kevin Halverson

I've never heard an Avalon that I liked and I've never heard a Muse product (other than the subwoofer) that I liked. Different strokes....

I'll second on Tyler Acoustic's Tylo! Also, i believe the Tyler Acoustic's is one of the best loudspeaker manufacturers!

Thanks for keeping the comments constructive, everyone. I'm picking up some good feedback here. Saturn99: Those are good suggestions, but I already have a minimonitor. Inscrutabl: You ask a very good question, and it's one to ponder, especially after reading the thread on price/performance. I think that the $2-3k monitor is probably near the "knee" of the performance curve, and the extra bucks are mostly going to adding maybe 10-15 extra Hz lower and improved decor/WAF. I am still considering integrating a good small sub (Sunfire True Sub or Mirage Substrata 1500) if I just want to add the bass, although the bass from one sub might not be quite as coherent and seamless compared to a high flying floorstander. If I was going to spend the big bucks on a floorstander, I guess I want more than just a plain rectangular column. I suppose they don't strictly have to be 2-way as long as they aren't too big either. Anyone like Silverline Sonatina? Kevin: thanks for the suggesting Avalon. I've checked their website and they do look like something I would consider. I guess you would probably suggest that Muse electronics work well with Avalon speakers, right? (heh)