Bookshelf speakers aesthetically look right in your space imo (space to breathe, etc.). Is the preference or improvement worth it - only you know. Best.
Do you mean “Standmount”. The ES14’s are standmount.
Actually, would say the Epos ES14 open frame stands should be considered an integral element of an overall “Epos system” that works well together. Other stands work less well with this speaker.
On speakers…
Again, another room is the answer.
Yes, agree, only we might know. But can confirm additions to the other system are worth it for SQ.
It’s defiantly worth it to have great music in different rooms around the house. In our case, a ground floor living room as well as an office, working space. Hope that explains the context for you.
It’s all about the joy of music 
Thanks
R
@Tapp
edit : noticed you have D20R, which we auditioned along the journey. Brilliant passive speaker, really liked them and might have gone that way. But since decided to go active. (For the other room).
The open nature of the stand looks good to me in your listening space although if the new speakers are going in another room it’s irrelevant!
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Thanks.
Yes, the boss would probably agree. ( That’s the “in house design guru”, my best friend and wife).
We set this room up for records, a record player, Naim Olive and Epos speakers.
The real stars ( in the room) are all the lovely vinyl records. Made easy to pick out an album, plonk it on the record player and just play and enjoy.
Music is also for sharing. We often have friends in here - this room - and just play records all night. ( Drinks 
might be involved too).
Best wishes
R
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Morning ratrat have you come to a conclusion on speaker choice or are you still undecided.
Reading through your last few posts I get the impression you are moving to an active setup and it sounds like it’s a case of deciding which option to go with, looking forward to how you move forward.
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Yes indeed, the rest of my Naim in the living room has remained unchanged since they replaced previous various Leak amplifiers in the late 1980’s, and the system remains in place to this day, still satisfactory, though may well be able to be replaced with something “better” - whatever that means.
I think maybe there has been a change in the hifi industry, and in much the same way the Amerian auto industry introduced fashion change to get folk to change cars every few years, the presentation of music through hifi had changed to promote changing systems and current “sound” from speakers is rather different these days. Certainly a change in the industry regarding affordability of so called “high end” (whatever that means).
I have another system that has developed round the pc sound, and as these days I spend more time at “my desk” in the dining room, I have made the changes, adding the ATC speakers last year (exceptional second hand price). At one time I had extension speaker leads through the wall from the Naim, but I had to swap the speaker plugs at the back of the amp which was hassle. Later then the tv changed from a crt to a flat panel I put the sound into the Naim, (so much better than the teeny tv speakers).
My comment about speaker changes was meant to be a general comment rather than directed at you, so apologies if you thought I was getting at you, I really was not.
I have just read your bio, and you have a much more developed and thought out system than me, and are clearly in a good position to know what you want from your systems, so again apologies if I seemed dismissive of you and your changes. Nothing intended.
I accept I am quite the exception on the forum, and my views are mostly at odds with general hifi thinking, and you will see from my comments, I put a Naim system in the house in the 1980’s (when I had some spare money, not the case now I am just on the UK OAP (state pension), and it has stayed in place ever since. Some of the previous older stuff was passed down to my son, and apart from the extra stuff to improve the sound from the pc, nothing has changed over the years.
I could never have started with Naim these days, and as I once said on here I really am rather fraudulent adding any comments here anyway.
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Latest update…
“Project Going Active” is now a go.
Past few weeks, maybe months - in parallel - been studying Naim pre-amplifiers. As well as listening to speakers, thinking about system options, paths forwards, budgets and also working with Tony @BasicallySound.
At the recent point we kinda committed mentally to “going active”, another conversation was already underway about pre-amplifiers too. Tony, the music making magician he is, came up with an amazing solution that worked perfectly for us…
So, a NAC282 is now in the house…
Image : Our nearly new NAC282, arriving with us during June, following on from the month of its birthday and so just a year old.
Not quite minty fresh, but nearly so, as it’s only just a year old. Perhaps one of the last 282’s to come out of Salisbury HQ in 2023.
Really pleased with this addition into our musical life.
Currently using the 282 just with one HiCap DR ( we already had partnered with SN3) and through our SN3 as power only. So all passive again for now. Hooked up to our Epos ES14’s, its been a real treat past few days.
Two immediate observations.
- Enjoying the additional details, clarity, nuance and sound stage from recordings. ( Think we are now at the stage that can discern a decent studio recording from an average one).
- It’s nice to have the ES14’s rocking again. Every time we have added something new or better into the house, they have always - without exception - risen to the occasion and given more. It’s maybe a mark of how capable they really are.
The 282 is one piece as part of a decision for “going active” with a separate stand alone Naim pre-amplifier now sorted.
A few other things are moving around and in progress right now.
More on “Project Going Active” in time.
R
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March '74 was 50 years ago! I’m only saying cos that’s when I was born, I suspect your speakers are holding up better than I am 
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Not surprised you have gone with the 282 for your future active setup.
I can mirror your findings SQ wise, for me the sound stage opened up nicely and everything seemed much easier to follow, some tracks sounded so different to when we had the 202 in the system and to be fair to the 202 it’s no slouch.
Happy that it’s working out, be interesting to see how it all pans out for you, in the meantime enjoy the new addition.
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Well the speakers still sound good, but they have some fading…
I have more wrong than just some fading from the sunlight, and I sound more grumpy than when I was new…
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With speakers almost inevitably being visible and in prominent positions there is often a trade-off between sound and vision, and in most cases a balance struck somewhere on the scale between best possible visual aesthetic and best possible sound, influencing speaker choice. It all depends on personal priorities/preferences.
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Yes the Epos es14 speakers are staying in that room, I believe, which they suit, aesthetically speaking, very well imo so that decision you refer to is to be made in another listening space.
35ish years service and OP still rates them versus c£5k newer models is worthy praise - hope the actives do as good a job when they land for them in the other room.