Quote Originally Posted by soundslike
Well I found the local hi-fi store. They no longer carry Energy because of the companies shaky economics. In my price range they carry Pardigm and B&W. After a little hearing test with Tim Reynolds "Stream" cd (hdcd) the salesmen thought my hearing was too sharp for what floorstanding models were in my price range. We listened to Paraqdigm studio 20s and 40s and the B&W 705s. They all sounded really good. The 20s seemed like the music was in the middle ground, the 40s were right in front of me, and the 705s were in the back (almost too polite). The 20s seemed like the best choice, but they are lacking at low volume. So now I'm really confused, should I be looking for bookshelfs (on stands) in my price range?
Absolutely! In my listenings, there are very few floorstanders in the under-$1,000 range that did not have significant issues like cabinet resonance and diminished imaging, compared to the bookshelf versions. The only drawback with the bookshelf models is that they won't give you the bass extension that a floorstander will, but they typically present advantages in every other area. I've given the Paradigm Studio series models a good listen (I own a set of the v.2 Studio 40/CC/20s) and will attest to how well done the new Studio 20s are. Their imaging is excellent for a conventional box speaker in that price range, and I'm very impressed with how versatile and balanced the overall sound is.

If the 20s are lacking at low volume, that's probably the bass. Keep in mind that our sensitivity to low frequencies is different from the midrange, so at low volumes the lack of bass will seem more acute. Most receivers/processors will let you boost the bass, and if you do that only when listening at low levels, that should help remedy that issue. The other approach of course is to go with a subwoofer.

All of the speakers that you auditioned should be good choices, although they're all well above $600 a pair (unless your dealer still has a stock of the older Studio series models). The B&W model in that price range is the DM602, which is another well regarded all around speaker that you should give a listen.