I suppose it depends on where you are on the "diminishing returns" curve for mids/highs.
Their height has presumably been engineered by the manufacturer for a standard range of seated listeners, so why would it need adjusting?
Along with airy, tinkling highs with a naturally sounding dispersal pattern, it’s been said that much of music “lives in the midrange”. Certainly, the midrange band is where normal human hearing is most sensitive. No wonder many spend all kinds of money on 300B SET amps which are often said deliver a “magically” 3D and textured midrange. So, if a two-way stand mount speaker’s drivers, crossover parts, box build quality and engineering know-how can deliver that level of high
and midrange performance-plus equally good midbass quality-wouldn’t it likely cost a lot more to do so in a tower format?
After all, since towers are expected to deliver below well below ~ 70Hz, most include third, fourth or more drivers. And the sheer extra size and weight of a tower will demand a price likely well in excess of the ~$2K I’d pay for each of the stand mount surround speakers I need. In any case, what the stand mount speakers lack in bass response would easily be provided by my subs.
OTOH, you assert that tower speakers are designed to provide good off-axis response within some average range of (seated) distance from ear level. But where’s the proof that most tower speakers use drivers, installation geometries and cabinet designs that can deliver off-axis response as good as could most stand mount speakers-whether or not the stands have adjustable height?
Furthermore, manufacturing economics would dictate that only apparent scenario where both stand and tower speakers would be priced around $2K each would likely be with the larger tower speaker having a lesser design and/or parts quality, in which case HF, MF and/or midbass performance will suffer.
Thus, what seems a valid assumption is that if the goal is as much sonic realism across all performance parameters down to the midbass as ~ $2K to 2.5K per speaker will buy, you’re likely to get more value for your money from a stand mount speaker than a tower speaker.
Of course, while the requisite subs are no biggie for most users, the downside is that I’ll have to buy or build stands for each speaker, which likely won’t come cheap or take planning and know-how to build. And as I don’t want to extend the speakers too far into the room to achieve ear level the stands would have to be height adjustable. Furthermore, as I my floor is carpeted there are safety issues. So, I thought of those Konig & Meyer adjustable stands with the round base sunk into a round plastic mold of ~ 55 pounds of concrete. There are plenty of contractors in my area but how much it would cost to do four stands I don’t know.
Could be invisible though, perhaps?
