*QOTD: Which type of speaker do you prefer, bookshelf or floorstanding, and why?* *NEED MORE INFO? ✔︎ THE ⬆︎DESCRIPTION⬆︎* ★ *Love our outtakes? Be sure to watch to the end* ★ *COMMENT RULES:* - No outside URLs, RUclips links or email addresses - Keep it civil. It’s okay to disagree, just don’t be a jerk about it.
Bigger speakers feel like where I want to go decor aesthetic wise. I prefer a minimalist look and abhor flat surfaces. I don’t necessarily want emptiness and floor standers full space.
When i was younger it was all about floorstanding speakers.When i got older i downsized, as i wasn't playing music near as loud. It became more about quality sound, and a small footprint/space they take up. Today i lean towards front ported bookshelf speakers. If i see any front ported speakers, i seem to get that excited feeling of my Cerwin Vega Earthquake stacks from my youth. Kinda rattled the neighbors windows on the weekends in the 80's. This was well done. TY both.
I have a 2.2 bookshelf setup and prefer them to towers. Floor-standers are a pain in the ass. Here are my reasons. FYI, I use two EVE SC208 studio monitors with a pair of Martin Logan 12” subwoofers. In-room, these are flat to 20Hz. 1. Most towers aren’t full range anyways so you’ll need sub(s). To get something close to full-range sound, you need anechoic measurements with a -3dB point below 30Hz so in-room, you’re almost flat to 20Hz. Most floor-standers won’t give you that so you’ll need a sub anyways. Even large floorstanders have drivers no bigger than 8”. My monitors have a 36Hz -3dB point, which competes against most towers. 2. The best location for bass is most often not the location where the speaker is so it’s risky relying on floor standers for all of your bass. In fact, positioning limitations may make the additional low-end grunt of a floorstander a liability. Therefore, whether you use floorstanders or not, you need subwoofers to get coherent full-range audio in your room. And if you use a filter to cut out your floorstander's low end, what was the point to begin with? If you’re someone who tends to move occasionally for work or whatnot and your room isn’t a constant, bookshelves are way easier to deal with in that they integrate sonically well into many rooms- especially in small rooms. Integrating subs into a small-ish room is a bit of a challenge but very doable. Integrating a pair of towers that are near full-range into a room is a genuine pain and often cannot be done properly. I’d wager in most rooms, you could work with my system. But a pair of SVS Ultra towers? Best of luck. 3. If you buy and sell gear, keeping boxes for floorstanders and shipping them is a pain in the ass. It’s local pickup only and even then, it’s a pain. With bookshelves, you can more easily keep the boxes and ship them out. 4. If you’re buying subs anyways, bookshelves are cheaper. Best to just get whatever bookshelves you like that are flat to ~60Hz or below and let the subs take care of the sub-bass. 5. Good stands aren’t that expensive. Beyond ~$200 ($150 used), you’re largely paying for looks.
I personally prefer floor standing, but a lot of that is visual. I don’t want to put my speakers in a cabinet or behind a door. Likewise, I don’t hide my components. That may not be as clean a look, but seeing my stuff is important to me. I like the lights, the dancing VU meters, etc. It’s kind of the same reason I prefer vinyl. I want to hold it in my hand and see the visual artwork of the album jacket. There’s simply something I enjoy about frankly the extra effort it takes. Just me. Everyone’s mileage varies.
@@Ineedtotakeabreak And I totally get that. Music, format, and equipment are not one size fits all. Everyone should listen in the way that gives them the most enjoyment. The hifi world has more than its share of pretentious blowhards, and I try not be one of them.
@@bradhuskers I totally agree with you 100%! I don't listen to them much (besides artists / musicians spotlight segments) but I have to admit their production is good. Their agendas, on the other hand, are very evident.
@@bradhuskers dude if npr is government Controlled... The government was in right wing hands the last 4 years. Either they were left wing during this time or government Controlled. They could not have been both...
This was very insightful. I must know, what are those speaker stands shown at 4:24 of the video. I've been looking for stands with a very small base for weeks now. If these ones In the video aren't available anywhere do you guys have any recommendations. "6 - "8 bases would be preferable.
I am so sorry that I did not see this comment sooner! Those stands came with a pair of speakers that are unavailable to buy independently. My favorite stands are bit.ly/3I9Xa5W and amzn.to/3DD0UJX. The latter is most similar to the ones in this video.
Bookshelf speakers: appear cheaper but when factoring in cost of stands may be as or more expensive than tower speakers. However, they allow you to separate the bass output with a dedicated subwoofer which may be optimal for your space. Tower speakers are typically more power as they are larger and offer the convenience of an all-in-one solution. However, this reduces flexibility of moving the bass around the room. There. That's all the content of this 15 min video in a few sentences. Sorry but this felt reeaallly stretched out for more view time.
Bigger speaker doesn't always mean better sound. A good rule of thumb is: Big space + big speaker = big smiles Small space + bookshelf speaker = big smile Big space + small speaker = back to speaker shopping * speakers having horn-loaded compression drivers for tweeters (and/or mids) are effected much less by room size/reflections/beaming/cancellations, compared to speakers with dome tweeters. Personally, I'll never buy another retail loudspeaker again. DIY speakers built from proven designs gets you WAYYY more for your money. What can be built for $750/pair CANNOT be matched by a retail speaker costing double or triple (as performance goes). I know that's not practical for everyone, but that's my $.02
Thanks for the detailed video. I love bookshelves and separate subs. Current setup: 2 Kef R3 for left and right Kef R2C for center 2 REL HT 1508 Subs Emotiva XPA DR3 amp Expansion when budget permits: 4 Kef in walls for surround 4 Kef on wall for height Emotiva XPR amp to power 8 speakers
I find that when the subject of speakers is being discussed, the room size is not considered enough. Most normal houses rooms are 4m x 5m or slightly bigger (or smaller) ! This means that a majority of tower loudspeakers are too big . They need to be away from walls, and so they are far too close and big to the listener. I read lots of speakers reviews, and the suggested room size is very rarely mentioned.
I owned a set of Camber book shelf speakers for years, had a wonderful cross over in it and served me well. Over the years I changed it up a bit and bought Mission m71i's which are floor standing. Twin 6 inch and a horn. They are very narrow and really deep with a back hole on em. After 10 years I am still enjoying them, be it listening to music or watching movies. Great video and keep em coming
This is the first time I’ve understood the meaning of full range in context of speakers. Yes I’m a hi-fi noob. Thank you for clearing things up for me in this video. 🙂
We were living in an apartment with low budget so I got a 7.1 Onkyo "all in one" system. Fast forward to a few years ago, we finally bought our own house and used the same system. It was a bit bigger room but still tight. I always wanted floor standing speakers thinking it will improve the soundstage and overall performance but sacrifice precious space. Before I could pull the trigger on new speakers, I decided to play with the placement of the speakers and realized how low they were on the ground. After repositioning the three front speakers, wow, what a difference! and I didn't even sacrifice space. as much as I think floor standing speakers look, it is just impractical in our situation. I can't believe that positioning can greatly impact performance, no need to spend more money. Maybe better bookshelf speakers and amp in the future but everybody that comes to our home ALWAYS praises our home theater and turntable. I'm always thinking, it's a cheap system and we invested the money instead over the years but wow, I still smile whenever I turn on our "low end" setup.
Nice video! I actually still prefer tower speakers even in smaller rooms. As long as you don't blast them you do not have to worry about distortion. There are immediate benefits. 1. You don't have to worry about stands. 2. Speaker placement becomes more limited and that's a good thing because it covers more surface area. 3. You can listen at lower volumes without worrying about sound performance loss. There's more but those are my top 3.
@@sashanapalme In my experience, they do. Room acoustics (slap echo)are even more important otherwise you'll get a poor performance no matter what type you use.
I recently swapped my 20 year old floor standers for a pair of Dali Menuet SE bookshelf speakers, and my, how they have not only changed the look of our interior, but more important, the sound! Admittedly, we have a small sitting area, but the sound of these small speakers is really excellent, good bass, mediums and highs. Happy to mention they flawlessly passed the Tidal playlist you shared some time ago :) Thanks for your very informative videos, you both!
The reason why I'm looking at this video is exactly for what you are saying at the end. I always had big floorstanding loudspeakers. Now I'm looking at this video to see if I might miss something if I'm downscaling for bookshelves. Thanks for the video, it's all clear now
I am an older guy that has been around audio gear for a pretty long time and thus have had the pleasure of owning many pieces: Threshold, Conrad-Johnson, Forte, Classe Audio, Meridian, Wadia, Musical Concepts, Marantz, Snell, Thiel, Vandersteen, Wilson, to name a few .... I really enjoy your videos, how you express yourself in them, the information given and the calm, even tone you use ... thank you ... greetings from Texas 🤠
Front towers and rear bookshelves :) Edit: I have two RP-8000fs as my fronts and two RP-600Ms as my rears. They sounds great. Idk if it’s overkill to spend this much on rears - audiophiles may say you only need a smaller satélite speaker because rears are for ambient sounds - but I enjoy them and I have the shelf space to spare at the back of my living room. Air-strikes and missed incoming shots (Warzone) sound amazing as the audio goes from front to back or vice versa. Plus, my gf thought somone was actually at the door when we heard a knock in the fred Hampton film we watched. Best of all I can set my receiver to party mode or music and my place sounds pretty well balanced with the 600M bookshelves as rears.
If you place those bookshelf speakers on stands they will take up just about as much room as the tower speakers you have in the shot. I've used both and I prefer tower speakers but that is just my opinion.
yeah that is my thought too, if you place them on the stand then go for tower, if you place them on shelves and cabinets then bookshelf makes more sense. I dont like the idea of book shelf on stands .. until unless they are surround ..
Great video, Andrew! Man, you’re just on fire. Your format, your balance of reviews vs other topics is excellent, you’re consistency in posting and the production, cinematography and graphics are just fantastic. You’re doing a great job, man. Keep this up and sky’s the limit.
First of all: A very nice presentation, without disturbing background music. Second: I share the opinion that floorstanding is easier to implement if you need seperate stands for your bookshelf speakers. An advantage of bookshelf-subwoofer combination is the tuning possibility to the acoustics of the room. Most people have acoustically very bad listening rooms with many reflections and standing waves. In general the importance of room acoustics is overlooked, but of great importance for listening pleasure.
I do not quite get why you would buy bookshelf speakers, then get stands that take up the same or more floor space as a tower (ex. Q Acoustics) and then still need a subwoofer to get the same amount of bass as the tower? Now I have had and have both, and use book shelves then and now in spaces where towers just would not work, but given the space, I would always tend more to towers. Thoughts?
@@gentilomulmisogin7034 No criticism intended. Towers do not guarantee the deepest bass, just generally speaking they should be better than bookshelves. (I said generally, folks, lol). IMO a good tower also looks better than equivalent bookshelf speakers on stands. That said, available space and what the SO allows are usually the two most constraining limitations many audiophiles have to deal with. I really have to laugh when I see speaker placement requirements where the back of the speaker needs to be 1.5 to 2 feet away from the wall.
@@richgrao indeed speaker designers should start thinking that not all of us live in big mansions etc. In Europe most appartments are pretty small 😅 and to put some speakers 2 feet away from the wall is mission imposible
This ! Ppl buy bookshelf speakers then put them in stands touting a lack of space for a floor stander? Makes zero sense. Had both, not entry level either and floor standers win hands down.
@@gdubyadubya8961 I guess bookshelf speakers with a sub might give a better result to a bass head than many towers. Towers still don’t always go as low as a sub, but the towers I have (Dynaudio Focus 360’s, and old Shahinian Arc’s) are fine for me. The bookshelves I have needed a sub.
I stumbled across your video today after spending two hours in a hi-fi store having exactly this discussion. I am in the process of assembling a set-up for a smaller room and with space being a major consideration, I am having to think quite differently. My main system is very easy to listen to and in a large-ish room with tower speakers and accordingly, my first thought was that bookshelf speakers would save me space... if, in the end, I need to mount them on stands (and perhaps add a sub-woofer), there will be no space saving at all. Hoping to avoid placing the speakers on a bookshelf, I have gone back and forth looking for the best solution. I have come down to either purchasing smaller speakers (which will likely require a sub-woofer) and placing them on a bookshelf, or buying smaller towers. The struggle is real.
Ah, I love this video. I’ve never known the difference when people talk about full range speakers, or why I’d need big speakers up front compared bookshelf speakers. Audio nerds rarely explain things to us noobs 😅
I builded a custom 120w bookshelf speakers for my pc setup And have to say it is perfect for that job If I build a living room setup in near future I would buy a floorstand speakers
Last week I received my SVS Ultra surround sound system (bookshelf) with a SVS SB-3000 sub. This is the perfect setup for my small living room. The sound surpasses the McIntosh system I had back in the 70's. Thank you for an excellent presentation, you have a great channel!
Love this! The Devialet Phantom is great disruptor. Book shelf size but big HUGE floor standing presence, fullness and volume. Only caveat, they really require room treatments due to their insane bass range.
If you somehow have the options to have decent tower speakers and a decent sub (or two), go for it! Add a smashing class a or a/b amp and you're golden. I always hear people say, bigger speakers is more decibels, however I have found that the better my sound system got, the less volume I use because the sound is just that much more pleasing.
I have tried bookshelf speakers, but I came to the conclusion that they are definitely not for me, they lack bass and I don't like to add subwoofer, it simply doesn't go or look well, also I think there's a latency in the sound between the woofer and the soeakers, my pair of speakers are Klipsch KLF -20 they have 2 10' inches woofers each a horn for the mids and a horn for the highs, they sound !! AMAZING!!
I have both.one pair B&O Beovox CX 100,and a pair of Sansui SP 5500X,both sound great. Also FYI I have cut a yoga mat into smaller mats and placed them under my B&O's it helps with vibration into the shelf,or if you have a wooden counter.
I personally prefer my bass to come from a tower.. I have never been fooled honestly, an SVS got close but in my opinion, nothing sounds as good as a full range speaker
Thank you Andrew. Your channel is very neatly structured and produced. And really helpful tips. After your videos, i messed around with my placement of my tower speakers, played with crossover on my amp for each channel, changed my center channel and replaced those nasty full range drivers. it made a world of difference in terms of experience to me , with just some adjustments and a budget replacement of center channel. Already subbed. Wish this channel tremendous subs in the future.
For me, after having tried both, I prefer floorstanders. Bookshelfs on stands take up the same footprint and I prefer the weightier sound of the bigger speakers. Also Floorstanding speakers typically have higher efficiency, which matters to me as I enjoy class A amps. Plus I just don't have room to add a sub.
I always am told that a big advantage of a floor standing model is that the drivers are optimally positioned wrt phasing. If you use a separate base driver at an arbitrary location, how can it ever be in phase with the other drivers? To audiophiles this must be hell, right?
I bought a pair of Optimus STS 100s back in the 1990s. My dudes are still doing their thing. My Optimus Pro SW was bought in the 1990s also. He's still handling his business like a boss.
Floor standing. If one is going to put bookself speakers on a stand, they why not a floorstanding that has broader frequency range. I use a transmission line TMM floorstanding (built from plans) that the sub I use it just to give a little more punch at low freq's for home theater use. Other wise, for two channel audio the sub isn't needed.
The best speakers I've ever heard were in a recording studio. He used large bookshelf speakers but I noticed he also had 2-15" woofers, all mounted on the wall pointing down towards your ears. The best surround sound I've ever heard outside of a movie theater was in either Sears or J.C. Penny in the early 90s when Dolby Prologic was the gold standard. It was a 6.1 setup w/ I believe Bose bookshelf surround speakers in the front, a 10" or 12" sub-woofer, a center channel, 2 surrounds in the back (left/right) and one directly behind my head - the 3 rear speakers all mounted to the ceiling. They played back a Star Wars scene and it literally sounded like I was in a movie theater rather than a department store. In a home setting, I've never heard speakers better than the old school floor standing ones w/ at least 10" woofers. Back in the day there even people w/ doubled 12" woofers in a 4-way system. The quality was superb and unmatched even by today's standards. Nowadays though, the trend is towards "smaller is better" due to aesthetics. My problem is lack of money to buy proper high-end bookshelf speakers. But I'd still insist that if power and quality is what you want, 3-way or even 4-way speakers w/ 10" woofers is the way to go if you have the cash and space.
I've given up on bookshelf speakers for my particular space and the kind of music I listen to. I've gotten such better results from a pair of those cheap Pioneer Andrew Jones towers elevated on some short (rice filled) steel bases. Compared to any bookshelf speaker I've tried (a couple of ELACs, some 5-6 year old Dynaudios, Monitor Silver, vintage Cantons) the Pioneers just sound so much fuller and more musical (to the point where it's actually frustrating, because I've spent all this money trying to "upgrade"). Room size/shape and musical preferences, I would imagine, are 90% of this choice. Somebody else with a different living situation and different tastes in music would likely feel very differently about it.
Its not just you've gotten older and wiser, but bookshelf speakers originally thought of as compromise speakers, are now taken seriously by manufactures and have move up significantly in quality and features over the last couple of decades.
i dont have the best setup as of now but im rocking the klipsch kmc 3 and it has worked wonders compared to any other speaker i have used in years but quite the pay wall
I think another point of floor v bookshelf is the crossover stage of the speaker. With a floor speaker, the crossover has been designed by the engineers to be fluid and smooth between the bass driver/s and the mid-range. With a Sub/Satellite system, it's not only up to the user to place the sub-woofer appropriately in the room, but you also have to be a bit of an audio engineer in picking both a sub that will match your bookshelf speakers and adjust it's crossover frequency to match as well; it becomes easy to Frankenstein a sub/satellite system, leaving a consumer disappointed they didn't get that great sound their buddy has, however for the more engineering inclined this extra work may be preferable as mentioned. It's just reinforcing your comment that the towers are often simpler, unbox them and you're good. I noticed another comment that I'd +1 on in that the stands are not the only addition to the cost, but the sub too. While Towers tend to be more full range, and often don't require a sub, bookshelves (in most cases) do require a purchase of sub as well, so speakers/stands/sub could easily put you in a higher price point for equivalent sound stage. For my part I'm still in the Floor standing camp. I trust the engineers to have a better handle on the crossover of the speaker they designed than I do. I've found more often subs of high quality and response can cost as much as a pair of speakers, so what most people have are muddy and colored. Cheers
I’d say, it all depends on priorities, if it’s decoration and the look makes smaller size important, bookshelf speakers are the winners, if it’s fuller, richer and bolder sound, tower speakers are the winners.
One advantage of book shelves is when buying on the used market you save alot on shopping. Where I am basicly every thing used I buy needs to be shipped so floorstanding is basicly a no
So I need to get some new Bookshelf Speakers and was very seriously considering the Klipsch RP600M , however you bring up a really excellent point about the bass port...in my application I have two issues....1) the shelf is only 9 1/2 deep and I most likely will have to have the speakers back up against the wall.....What do you think? Again, floor standing is NOT an option.
The stands are about 29". I made them out of oak and poured concrete, so they are very heavy. It was a really fun project. If I can get my B&O turntable working again, they do fit in that design aesthetic.
I own both Focal Chora 806 bookshelf and Chora 826 floor standing speakers….the Tower speakers definitely without a doubt in my case, fill the room more with sound than the bookshelf, and I don’t mean bass, I mean with musical notes. Bookshelf’s don’t even come close. My personal experience.
@@nissimtrifonov5314 I asked the wrong question. What I wanted to know is which do they recommend - 806, or 826? Since they have both. Is it better to get 806 and a sub for the price difference, or just get 826?
I have been looking at bookshelf speakers (I already have some stands) but then I took a glance at a local speaker manufacturer here in Michigan (Salk Sound). He has a simple 2 way transmission line floor stander that could be considered almost like a bookshelf speaker with a built in stand designed to augment bass output. Interesting.
Good video. I respectfully submit, however, that there are additional caveats that should be considered when choosing between bookshelf speaker sand tower speakers that have sufficient bass so that a subwoofer is not needed. Getting good bass with a bookshelf speaker typically requires at least one subwoofer, as noted in the video, but the results are sub-optimal without proper time/phase alignment between the bookshelf speakers and the subwoofer. The bass is far from clean in most systems using bookshelf speakers with a subwoofer This is due to time delay (phasing) issues between the bookshelfs and the subwoofer, which muddies up the bass response. Use of ports in bookshelf speakers make this even worse. But, these issues can be addressed. First, what is needed is a subwoofer with variable time delay/phase (not just a switch between 0 deg. and 180 deg.), or an active crossover or DSP with adjustable time delay. Also needed is a way to determine when the optimal time delay is achieved while it is adjusted. I use the Room EQ Wizard (REW) software and a USB microphone for this. REW can be downloaded and used free of charge (I did make a donation to REW, which I encourage others to do). Second, I have found the bass to be much tighter when I completely plug-up the ports of the bookshelf speakers. This reduces the non-linearity of the bookshelf speakers' phase response in the bass region, thus reducing interference between the bookshelfs and the subwoofer due to phase differences. It does mean that you need a higher crossover frequency than if the ports were left unplugged (e.g., 100 Hz instead of 50 or 60 Hz), but in my experience this does not have any negative effects in sound staging, and indeed has several benefits, including the following: (1) Reduced harmonic distortion - a subwoofer's harmonic distortion below 100 Hz usually is much lower than that of bookshelf speakers. (2) The woofers in the bookshelf speakers are not being driven as hard, which increases power handling capabilities. (3) The excursion of the bookshelf speaker woofers is lower, reducing Doppler shift of higher frequencies produced by the same woofers (though I have not read any studies indicating whether this is audible).
Loving my Q Acoustic 3050i floor standers ..... but to be honest I’ve had epic book shelf speakers In the past.... for me it’s all a matter of opinion and practicality . Great topic point .
I just recently found my loudspeaker for me. I chose floor standing. Mainly for the simplicity and convenience. Having to run multiple powered subs require more things to be plugged in. Which could end up adding extra noise to your noise floor. My floor standing speakers are the KLH Kendall. I'm just blown away by the scale of sound that you get for the money. The way they do bass is amazing. I highly recommend them to anyone who can find them in stock.
If you don't care about specific aesthetics, just get a couple cinder blocks from home depot/lowe's and a colored table cloth. Heavy, super solid, stylish to a degree, and should run less than $20?
Two main factors (soundwise) distinguish the bookshelf speaker from the tower speaker: 1. Bass response 2. Maximum acoustic output Bass response - Bookshelves rarely go much below 50Hz while towers can get down in the 30-40Hz region without an internal subwoofer. Given that the low E string of the 4 string bass is 41Hz, for music a sub is really needed for a bookshelf especially in a larger room with less room gain than a small room. Also an advantage of using external sub(s) is that the bass can be optimized with different placements of the sub(s). Maximum acoustic output - Given that the towers generally use more drivers and they are generally more efficient than bookshelves, towers can play louder and/or produce less distortion than bookshelves.
Thanks a lot for solving my shopping dilemma choosing either types for L/R channels. Room size was an issue though.. However, I have decided to go with Towers after seeing your video👍🏼
There seems to be a very casual view about adding subwoofers. From my experience there are significant differences in the match of subwoofers and you have to spend a significant amount of time selecting (and positioning - yes! ). a subwoofer that "works" with your bookshelf speakers
I have a pair of Onix Rocket bookshelf speakers on stands I picked up on a whim. I was really surprised by the detail and clarity. Caveat being that they just don't have the bottom end presence I need from a speaker. So the bookshelf speakers are relegated to my bedroom, while my main listening space gets a pair of well amped floorstanders.
I prefer the speaker that sounds best in that room. Have been really enjoying the Sonus faber Toy Towers in my tall narrow room. Then just for fun tried the Sonus faber Minuetto's (bookshelfs) placed and weighted on top unplugged Vandersteen model 1's as stands. Turned the Minuetto's upside down so wooffer on top and tweeter at ear level. Holy God! Outstanding sound and just right bass for my condo. Also wondering Andrew do you still have and use the Mapleshade plinths from 2013?
Choose whichever one has the most extension and dispersion characteristics you want, that plays loud enough. In some cases it might be a bass light 15" woofer floorstander. In other cases it may be the Devialet Phantom Reactor with 4" woofers that actually does bass.
Due to receiving my 1st noise complaint in my Coop I now chose the Klipsch R-51m's 🤣. I had the Klipsch Towers & forgot how sound travels in wooden floors in a 100 yr old apartment building that is until I recieved that letter. My bookshelves have more cohesion too.
@@rumporridge1 I have 8 of them surrounding me with my dual subs. I finally got my dolby atmos setting to sound great. By putting in 2 surround backs. I thought it would be too much with 2 above 2 behind & 2 sides but it sounds great
@@o.c.g.m9426 haven’t hooked up the backs yet. Moving down south in 2 years. Then will have more room to flex 💪🏽 out a complete Dolby system. NY apartments suck. An arm and a leg for a few square feet. SMH.
Good subject. Unless one needs high sensitivity, a floorstander wont take up more space. A slim compact sealed floorstander is my choice, as long as drivers integrate well
My sound system consists of 6 SVS Ultra Bookshelf speakers (2 for the mains, 2 for the side channels, and 2 for the rears), an SVS Ultra Center speaker, 4 SVS Prime Elevation speakers ceiling mounted for Dolby Atmos and 2 SVS SB-3000 Subwoofers. The system is powered by a Yamaha Aventage RX-A8A 11 channel AVR with an AC Infinity AIRCOM T9 keeping it cool, and all are connected to a Panamax M5400-PM Power Conditioner.
Cyburg Needle, Cyburg Stick, CC46 Lancetta, Zigmahornet, all compact enough to not take up too much room, and yet they are floorstanding. Works great. Then therre is the Metronome, my current rear speakers, bit bigger but not obscene. Also Instead of bass being stuck with a bass port behind it can also get extremely boomy, not desired either. And then there is the part where monitor speakers are not like normal speakers and do not need to be bookshelf models, or if they are, those are some large bookshelves. A nice compact but great sub is the dipole (I think "Ripole subwoofer" should get you results). Not the easiest build though I would say.
Another advantage of buying a pair of floorstanders is that it si more difficult for kids or a big dog to trow them on the floor. Also, from my experience, most subwoofers produce an one bass note without pitch or definition compared to floorstanding models of moderate quality.
I think the key factors are: Room size, music genres preferred and listening experience you enjoy. If you love the 3d imaging/singer there in the room experience, high quality monitors are the way. Some of them truly 'disappear' and become boxless. If you love big symphonic or rock, you will probably be happier with towers in the long run. But speaker quality is the key. Save up a bit longer or buy used, but get something solid and well-reviewed.
Another awesome informative vid tutorial you have made! Thank you for your sharing. It is very comfortable watching your vids as you sound professional yet neutral rather than a marketing man. Kudos!
Andrew thank you. I’ve recently found your channel and subscribed about 10 minutes later. I actually think I understand what you are talking about regardless of the program subject. A few months ago I was given a pair of Infinity CS3008’s from olden times and have them right up front. Your thoughts on continuity in this episode have me asking if I should be looking for more dinosaurs, like the CS3006 which has become available to me if I want them. Smaller but same creator. Would this qualify as matching characteristics? I’d throw them in the back. Using an old Denon AVR 1912. Your opinion would really help me decide on a direction.
That all depends on the tower. Is have a tower system with a 6 inch mid woofer and an 8 inch bass woofer, but it's a sealed cabinet system. So no ports or horns to amplify the bass. Might even add a sub since the bass rolls of very early
*QOTD: Which type of speaker do you prefer, bookshelf or floorstanding, and why?*
*NEED MORE INFO? ✔︎ THE ⬆︎DESCRIPTION⬆︎*
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★ *COMMENT RULES:*
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- Keep it civil. It’s okay to disagree, just don’t be a jerk about it.
Floor-standing loudspeakers look cooler!
Bigger speakers feel like where I want to go decor aesthetic wise. I prefer a minimalist look and abhor flat surfaces. I don’t necessarily want emptiness and floor standers full space.
Floorstanding, because there is no need to worry about having to add a subwoofer and then tune it to the Bookshelf and all that. Plug and play!
When i was younger it was all about floorstanding speakers.When i got older i downsized, as i wasn't playing music near as loud. It became more about quality sound, and a small footprint/space they take up. Today i lean towards front ported bookshelf speakers. If i see any front ported speakers, i seem to get that excited feeling of my Cerwin Vega Earthquake stacks from my youth. Kinda rattled the neighbors windows on the weekends in the 80's. This was well done. TY both.
I have a 2.2 bookshelf setup and prefer them to towers. Floor-standers are a pain in the ass. Here are my reasons.
FYI, I use two EVE SC208 studio monitors with a pair of Martin Logan 12” subwoofers. In-room, these are flat to 20Hz.
1. Most towers aren’t full range anyways so you’ll need sub(s). To get something close to full-range sound, you need anechoic measurements with a -3dB point below 30Hz so in-room, you’re almost flat to 20Hz. Most floor-standers won’t give you that so you’ll need a sub anyways. Even large floorstanders have drivers no bigger than 8”. My monitors have a 36Hz -3dB point, which competes against most towers.
2. The best location for bass is most often not the location where the speaker is so it’s risky relying on floor standers for all of your bass. In fact, positioning limitations may make the additional low-end grunt of a floorstander a liability. Therefore, whether you use floorstanders or not, you need subwoofers to get coherent full-range audio in your room. And if you use a filter to cut out your floorstander's low end, what was the point to begin with? If you’re someone who tends to move occasionally for work or whatnot and your room isn’t a constant, bookshelves are way easier to deal with in that they integrate sonically well into many rooms- especially in small rooms. Integrating subs into a small-ish room is a bit of a challenge but very doable. Integrating a pair of towers that are near full-range into a room is a genuine pain and often cannot be done properly. I’d wager in most rooms, you could work with my system. But a pair of SVS Ultra towers? Best of luck.
3. If you buy and sell gear, keeping boxes for floorstanders and shipping them is a pain in the ass. It’s local pickup only and even then, it’s a pain. With bookshelves, you can more easily keep the boxes and ship them out.
4. If you’re buying subs anyways, bookshelves are cheaper. Best to just get whatever bookshelves you like that are flat to ~60Hz or below and let the subs take care of the sub-bass.
5. Good stands aren’t that expensive. Beyond ~$200 ($150 used), you’re largely paying for looks.
I personally prefer floor standing, but a lot of that is visual. I don’t want to put my speakers in a cabinet or behind a door. Likewise, I don’t hide my components. That may not be as clean a look, but seeing my stuff is important to me. I like the lights, the dancing VU meters, etc. It’s kind of the same reason I prefer vinyl. I want to hold it in my hand and see the visual artwork of the album jacket. There’s simply something I enjoy about frankly the extra effort it takes. Just me. Everyone’s mileage varies.
You lost me at vinyl :)
@@Ineedtotakeabreak And I totally get that. Music, format, and equipment are not one size fits all. Everyone should listen in the way that gives them the most enjoyment. The hifi world has more than its share of pretentious blowhards, and I try not be one of them.
Your production is smooth and relaxing... reminds me of a segment on NPR or something!
Thanks!
Yes it’s like a mate taking about stuff you want to know.
Totally agree with this. Very knowledgeable and helpful to a rookie audio enthusiast like myself.
@@bradhuskers I totally agree with you 100%! I don't listen to them much (besides artists / musicians spotlight segments) but I have to admit their production is good.
Their agendas, on the other hand, are very evident.
@@bradhuskers dude if npr is government Controlled... The government was in right wing hands the last 4 years. Either they were left wing during this time or government Controlled. They could not have been both...
a recovering audiophile? looks like you've relapsed my guy.
Lol
Haven’t we all …
Havent we all my guy…
This was very insightful. I must know, what are those speaker stands shown at 4:24 of the video. I've been looking for stands with a very small base for weeks now. If these ones In the video aren't available anywhere do you guys have any recommendations. "6 - "8 bases would be preferable.
I am so sorry that I did not see this comment sooner! Those stands came with a pair of speakers that are unavailable to buy independently. My favorite stands are bit.ly/3I9Xa5W and amzn.to/3DD0UJX. The latter is most similar to the ones in this video.
Bookshelf speakers: appear cheaper but when factoring in cost of stands may be as or more expensive than tower speakers. However, they allow you to separate the bass output with a dedicated subwoofer which may be optimal for your space.
Tower speakers are typically more power as they are larger and offer the convenience of an all-in-one solution. However, this reduces flexibility of moving the bass around the room.
There. That's all the content of this 15 min video in a few sentences. Sorry but this felt reeaallly stretched out for more view time.
Thanks goat 🙏
I’m writing this 4 years after the event but i only just now viewed and found it incredibly helpful
ALERT: Do NOT play a drinking game where you take a shot every time he says “bookshelf loudspeaker.”
What about when he says "let's face it"
Bigger speaker doesn't always mean better sound. A good rule of thumb is:
Big space + big speaker = big smiles
Small space + bookshelf speaker = big smile
Big space + small speaker = back to speaker shopping
* speakers having horn-loaded compression drivers for tweeters (and/or mids) are effected much less by room size/reflections/beaming/cancellations, compared to speakers with dome tweeters.
Personally, I'll never buy another retail loudspeaker again. DIY speakers built from proven designs gets you WAYYY more for your money. What can be built for $750/pair CANNOT be matched by a retail speaker costing double or triple (as performance goes). I know that's not practical for everyone, but that's my $.02
My polk signature S20's 6 1/2" driver polk hts12 sub does great in a 950 SQ FT basement !!
What can be built for that kind of money?
Thanks for the detailed video. I love bookshelves and separate subs. Current setup:
2 Kef R3 for left and right
Kef R2C for center
2 REL HT 1508 Subs
Emotiva XPA DR3 amp
Expansion when budget permits:
4 Kef in walls for surround
4 Kef on wall for height
Emotiva XPR amp to power 8 speakers
I find that when the subject of speakers is being discussed, the room size is not considered enough. Most normal houses rooms are 4m x 5m or slightly bigger (or smaller) ! This means that a majority of tower loudspeakers are too big . They need to be away from walls, and so they are far too close and big to the listener. I read lots of speakers reviews, and the suggested room size is very rarely mentioned.
I owned a set of Camber book shelf speakers for years, had a wonderful cross over in it and served me well. Over the years I changed it up a bit and bought Mission m71i's which are floor standing. Twin 6 inch and a horn. They are very narrow and really deep with a back hole on em. After 10 years I am still enjoying them, be it listening to music or watching movies. Great video and keep em coming
This is the first time I’ve understood the meaning of full range in context of speakers. Yes I’m a hi-fi noob. Thank you for clearing things up for me in this video. 🙂
We were living in an apartment with low budget so I got a 7.1 Onkyo "all in one" system. Fast forward to a few years ago, we finally bought our own house and used the same system. It was a bit bigger room but still tight. I always wanted floor standing speakers thinking it will improve the soundstage and overall performance but sacrifice precious space. Before I could pull the trigger on new speakers, I decided to play with the placement of the speakers and realized how low they were on the ground. After repositioning the three front speakers, wow, what a difference! and I didn't even sacrifice space. as much as I think floor standing speakers look, it is just impractical in our situation. I can't believe that positioning can greatly impact performance, no need to spend more money. Maybe better bookshelf speakers and amp in the future but everybody that comes to our home ALWAYS praises our home theater and turntable. I'm always thinking, it's a cheap system and we invested the money instead over the years but wow, I still smile whenever I turn on our "low end" setup.
Nice video!
I actually still prefer tower speakers even in smaller rooms. As long as you don't blast them you do not have to worry about distortion. There are immediate benefits. 1. You don't have to worry about stands. 2. Speaker placement becomes more limited and that's a good thing because it covers more surface area. 3. You can listen at lower volumes without worrying about sound performance loss. There's more but those are my top 3.
Do towers sound better than bookshelves at low volumes?
@@sashanapalme In my experience, they do. Room acoustics (slap echo)are even more important otherwise you'll get a poor performance no matter what type you use.
I recently swapped my 20 year old floor standers for a pair of Dali Menuet SE bookshelf speakers, and my, how they have not only changed the look of our interior, but more important, the sound! Admittedly, we have a small sitting area, but the sound of these small speakers is really excellent, good bass, mediums and highs. Happy to mention they flawlessly passed the Tidal playlist you shared some time ago :) Thanks for your very informative videos, you both!
😊😊😊
The way you explain things is very precise and relaxing. You won another follower.
Great job.
Thanks and welcome!!
The reason why I'm looking at this video is exactly for what you are saying at the end. I always had big floorstanding loudspeakers. Now I'm looking at this video to see if I might miss something if I'm downscaling for bookshelves. Thanks for the video, it's all clear now
Just got the Buchard Audio S400 Bookself and I am loving them big time
I almost got em but I went with Harbeths instead!
GREAT!
@@andrewrobinsonreviews those Buchartds do look sexy though. Should I have gotten them instead??????
I am an older guy that has been around audio gear for a pretty long time and thus have had the pleasure of owning many pieces: Threshold, Conrad-Johnson, Forte, Classe Audio, Meridian, Wadia, Musical Concepts, Marantz, Snell, Thiel, Vandersteen, Wilson, to name a few .... I really enjoy your videos, how you express yourself in them, the information given and the calm, even tone you use ... thank you ... greetings from Texas 🤠
Just listen to you talk is such a enjoyable thing.
10 inch Book sleeves speakers?
Front towers and rear bookshelves :)
Edit: I have two RP-8000fs as my fronts and two RP-600Ms as my rears. They sounds great. Idk if it’s overkill to spend this much on rears - audiophiles may say you only need a smaller satélite speaker because rears are for ambient sounds - but I enjoy them and I have the shelf space to spare at the back of my living room. Air-strikes and missed incoming shots (Warzone) sound amazing as the audio goes from front to back or vice versa. Plus, my gf thought somone was actually at the door when we heard a knock in the fred Hampton film we watched. Best of all I can set my receiver to party mode or music and my place sounds pretty well balanced with the 600M bookshelves as rears.
This is THE... best discussion about the differences between these types of loudspeakers that I've ever hear/seen! :)
I’d argue the term “monitor” in this sense refers to a speaker that’s designed to be as flat as possible for music production. Great video Andrew!
If you place those bookshelf speakers on stands they will take up just about as much room as the tower speakers you have in the shot. I've used both and I prefer tower speakers but that is just my opinion.
yeah that is my thought too, if you place them on the stand then go for tower, if you place them on shelves and cabinets then bookshelf makes more sense. I dont like the idea of book shelf on stands .. until unless they are surround ..
Great video, Andrew! Man, you’re just on fire. Your format, your balance of reviews vs other topics is excellent, you’re consistency in posting and the production, cinematography and graphics are just fantastic. You’re doing a great job, man. Keep this up and sky’s the limit.
Thank you. It’s difficult sometimes, as not all videos come together easily or quickly. But I appreciate your comment very much.
💕
Kristi Wright It goes without saying that was a kudos to you too as well, Kristi! You guys are doing a great job!
First of all: A very nice presentation, without disturbing background music.
Second: I share the opinion that floorstanding is easier to implement if you need seperate stands for your bookshelf speakers. An advantage of bookshelf-subwoofer combination is the tuning possibility to the acoustics of the room. Most people have acoustically very bad listening rooms with many reflections and standing waves. In general the importance of room acoustics is overlooked, but of great importance for listening pleasure.
I do not quite get why you would buy bookshelf speakers, then get stands that take up the same or more floor space as a tower (ex. Q Acoustics) and then still need a subwoofer to get the same amount of bass as the tower? Now I have had and have both, and use book shelves then and now in spaces where towers just would not work, but given the space, I would always tend more to towers. Thoughts?
Damn I run tower speakers and subwoofer 😅
@@gentilomulmisogin7034
No criticism intended. Towers do not guarantee the deepest bass, just generally speaking they should be better than bookshelves. (I said generally, folks, lol). IMO a good tower also looks better than equivalent bookshelf speakers on stands. That said, available space and what the SO allows are usually the two most constraining limitations many audiophiles have to deal with. I really have to laugh when I see speaker placement requirements where the back of the speaker needs to be 1.5 to 2 feet away from the wall.
@@richgrao indeed speaker designers should start thinking that not all of us live in big mansions etc. In Europe most appartments are pretty small 😅 and to put some speakers 2 feet away from the wall is mission imposible
This ! Ppl buy bookshelf speakers then put them in stands touting a lack of space for a floor stander? Makes zero sense. Had both, not entry level either and floor standers win hands down.
@@gdubyadubya8961
I guess bookshelf speakers with a sub might give a better result to a bass head than many towers. Towers still don’t always go as low as a sub, but the towers I have (Dynaudio Focus 360’s, and old Shahinian Arc’s) are fine for me. The bookshelves I have needed a sub.
I stumbled across your video today after spending two hours in a hi-fi store having exactly this discussion. I am in the process of assembling a set-up for a smaller room and with space being a major consideration, I am having to think quite differently. My main system is very easy to listen to and in a large-ish room with tower speakers and accordingly, my first thought was that bookshelf speakers would save me space... if, in the end, I need to mount them on stands (and perhaps add a sub-woofer), there will be no space saving at all. Hoping to avoid placing the speakers on a bookshelf, I have gone back and forth looking for the best solution. I have come down to either purchasing smaller speakers (which will likely require a sub-woofer) and placing them on a bookshelf, or buying smaller towers.
The struggle is real.
Ah, I love this video. I’ve never known the difference when people talk about full range speakers, or why I’d need big speakers up front compared bookshelf speakers. Audio nerds rarely explain things to us noobs 😅
I builded a custom 120w bookshelf speakers for my pc setup
And have to say it is perfect for that job
If I build a living room setup in near future I would buy a floorstand speakers
Nice nod to John Darko, Andrew!
It's a big deal. Very happy for him and his team.
Probably missed by too many. Nicely done.
Last week I received my SVS Ultra surround sound system (bookshelf) with a SVS SB-3000 sub. This is the perfect setup for my small living room. The sound surpasses the McIntosh system I had back in the 70's. Thank you for an excellent presentation, you have a great channel!
Does anyone know the speaker stands shown at 3:27? They look incredible, but are not featured in the description
Love this! The Devialet Phantom is great disruptor. Book shelf size but big HUGE floor standing presence, fullness and volume. Only caveat, they really require room treatments due to their insane bass range.
Damn, man, from 53K to 172k in a year - well done. Good content, nice edit and soothing voice...only.
Stumbled on your channel the other day.. I have to say your content Is awesome. Very laid back, unbiased, and entertaining to listen to. Keep it up!!!
Welcome aboard!
If you somehow have the options to have decent tower speakers and a decent sub (or two), go for it! Add a smashing class a or a/b amp and you're golden. I always hear people say, bigger speakers is more decibels, however I have found that the better my sound system got, the less volume I use because the sound is just that much more pleasing.
large bookshelf speaker + a sub any day...using Klipsch RP600M & SVS SB16 Ultra. Hits right on spot !
Great pairing if you ask me!
I have tried bookshelf speakers, but I came to the conclusion that they are definitely not for me, they lack bass and I don't like to add subwoofer, it simply doesn't go or look well, also I think there's a latency in the sound between the woofer and the soeakers, my pair of speakers are Klipsch KLF -20 they have 2 10' inches woofers each a horn for the mids and a horn for the highs, they sound !! AMAZING!!
I have both.one pair B&O Beovox CX 100,and a pair of Sansui SP 5500X,both sound great. Also FYI I have cut a yoga mat into smaller mats and placed them under my B&O's it helps with vibration into the shelf,or if you have a wooden counter.
I personally prefer my bass to come from a tower.. I have never been fooled honestly, an SVS got close but in my opinion, nothing sounds as good as a full range speaker
Thank you Andrew. Your channel is very neatly structured and produced. And really helpful tips.
After your videos, i messed around with my placement of my tower speakers, played with crossover on my amp for each channel, changed my center channel and replaced those nasty full range drivers.
it made a world of difference in terms of experience to me , with just some adjustments and a budget replacement of center channel.
Already subbed. Wish this channel tremendous subs in the future.
It's always defend on what type of music and how you want to listen to a certain music. I have both floor standing and bookshelf speakers.
And what do you prefer more ?
For me, after having tried both, I prefer floorstanders. Bookshelfs on stands take up the same footprint and I prefer the weightier sound of the bigger speakers. Also Floorstanding speakers typically have higher efficiency, which matters to me as I enjoy class A amps. Plus I just don't have room to add a sub.
I always am told that a big advantage of a floor standing model is that the drivers are optimally positioned wrt phasing. If you use a separate base driver at an arbitrary location, how can it ever be in phase with the other drivers? To audiophiles this must be hell, right?
I bought a pair of Optimus STS 100s back in the 1990s. My dudes are still doing their thing. My Optimus Pro SW was bought in the 1990s also. He's still handling his business like a boss.
That's great!
Floor standing. If one is going to put bookself speakers on a stand, they why not a floorstanding that has broader frequency range. I use a transmission line TMM floorstanding (built from plans) that the sub I use it just to give a little more punch at low freq's for home theater use. Other wise, for two channel audio the sub isn't needed.
Price
The best speakers I've ever heard were in a recording studio. He used large bookshelf speakers but I noticed he also had 2-15" woofers, all mounted on the wall pointing down towards your ears. The best surround sound I've ever heard outside of a movie theater was in either Sears or J.C. Penny in the early 90s when Dolby Prologic was the gold standard. It was a 6.1 setup w/ I believe Bose bookshelf surround speakers in the front, a 10" or 12" sub-woofer, a center channel, 2 surrounds in the back (left/right) and one directly behind my head - the 3 rear speakers all mounted to the ceiling. They played back a Star Wars scene and it literally sounded like I was in a movie theater rather than a department store.
In a home setting, I've never heard speakers better than the old school floor standing ones w/ at least 10" woofers. Back in the day there even people w/ doubled 12" woofers in a 4-way system. The quality was superb and unmatched even by today's standards. Nowadays though, the trend is towards "smaller is better" due to aesthetics. My problem is lack of money to buy proper high-end bookshelf speakers. But I'd still insist that if power and quality is what you want, 3-way or even 4-way speakers w/ 10" woofers is the way to go if you have the cash and space.
I've given up on bookshelf speakers for my particular space and the kind of music I listen to. I've gotten such better results from a pair of those cheap Pioneer Andrew Jones towers elevated on some short (rice filled) steel bases. Compared to any bookshelf speaker I've tried (a couple of ELACs, some 5-6 year old Dynaudios, Monitor Silver, vintage Cantons) the Pioneers just sound so much fuller and more musical (to the point where it's actually frustrating, because I've spent all this money trying to "upgrade"). Room size/shape and musical preferences, I would imagine, are 90% of this choice. Somebody else with a different living situation and different tastes in music would likely feel very differently about it.
They are great bargain and from all the positive review how can you go wrong. Unless it's not your sound liking.
You have an amazing voice and delivery(not to say that the content is any less, but your delivery is very crisp)
Thank you so much! We appreciate you watching.
Its not just you've gotten older and wiser, but bookshelf speakers originally thought of as compromise speakers, are now taken seriously by manufactures and have move up significantly in quality and features over the last couple of decades.
They are better in my opinion less large and gives a great sound if you buy the right ones
i dont have the best setup as of now but im rocking the klipsch kmc 3 and it has worked wonders compared to any other speaker i have used in years but quite the pay wall
What was that small white subwoofer displayed at 3:22? 🤔
Found it in the description. Kanto - thank you! 😊
I think another point of floor v bookshelf is the crossover stage of the speaker. With a floor speaker, the crossover has been designed by the engineers to be fluid and smooth between the bass driver/s and the mid-range. With a Sub/Satellite system, it's not only up to the user to place the sub-woofer appropriately in the room, but you also have to be a bit of an audio engineer in picking both a sub that will match your bookshelf speakers and adjust it's crossover frequency to match as well; it becomes easy to Frankenstein a sub/satellite system, leaving a consumer disappointed they didn't get that great sound their buddy has, however for the more engineering inclined this extra work may be preferable as mentioned. It's just reinforcing your comment that the towers are often simpler, unbox them and you're good.
I noticed another comment that I'd +1 on in that the stands are not the only addition to the cost, but the sub too. While Towers tend to be more full range, and often don't require a sub, bookshelves (in most cases) do require a purchase of sub as well, so speakers/stands/sub could easily put you in a higher price point for equivalent sound stage.
For my part I'm still in the Floor standing camp. I trust the engineers to have a better handle on the crossover of the speaker they designed than I do. I've found more often subs of high quality and response can cost as much as a pair of speakers, so what most people have are muddy and colored.
Cheers
I believe I've watched this video for the 12th time or so, but it's the first time I noticed the subtle editing @ 7:53 - cheerio!
Stand mount speakers plus a pair of subs are perfect choice for my small room
I’d say, it all depends on priorities, if it’s decoration and the look makes smaller size important, bookshelf speakers are the winners, if it’s fuller, richer and bolder sound, tower speakers are the winners.
My solution. Have both. Floor with sub, zone 2 with bookshelf and totally separate amp. Use av hdmi, rock with rca.
What is considered a "large" room where larger speakers would be more appropriate?
Love your content. You’re opinions are always so helpful. ❤️Thanks
Can you talk about listening environment/room in terms of size, layout, perhaps even furniture and materials that could affect sound?
We're working on an episode like that. It's early in the process but it's coming.
Thank you, very timely. My brother and I were literally trying to figure this out last night.
Glad I could help!
One advantage of book shelves is when buying on the used market you save alot on shopping. Where I am basicly every thing used I buy needs to be shipped so floorstanding is basicly a no
I don't understand how this is relivent to shipping costs?
@@kimbosplice6762 ahh my mistake i meant to reply to someone else
Apologies
So I need to get some new Bookshelf Speakers and was very seriously considering the Klipsch RP600M , however you bring up a really excellent point about the bass port...in my application I have two issues....1) the shelf is only 9 1/2 deep and I most likely will have to have the speakers back up against the wall.....What do you think? Again, floor standing is NOT an option.
I definitely prefer bookshelf speakers. When I built the stands for my vintage KEF C55s the improvement was dramatic.
Those speakers look like Bang & Olufsen models from back in the day. How high did you build the stands?
The stands are about 29". I made them out of oak and poured concrete, so they are very heavy. It was a really fun project. If I can get my B&O turntable working again, they do fit in that design aesthetic.
Very good explanation, thanks, I use Floorstanding for front and bookshelf for surrounds........
Sounds great!
Really appreciate your content and knowledge. My education in all things audio starts with you. Thank you.
My pleasure! Thank you for watching and have fun along the way!
I bought Mission m74i's 15 years ago and still makes my ears happy!
My new bookshelf speakers absolutely crush my old floor standing speakers. Plus I like how they image and "disappear" better.
if u dont mind sir may i knew what is your bookshelf speaker currently using today
@@ok5563 I just got the Harbeth 30.1s. (I know, they're stupid expensive but I've been lusting after them for years!)
@@ok5563 Calling the Harbeth 30.1s bookshelves is a bit of a misnomer, they are huge!
Hey, you get what makes you happy!
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Thank you! I drive myself crazy second guessing myself!
You nailed it sir ! I never thought i could watch a video of someone speaking for so long would seem so short and informative.
Same here.
I own both Focal Chora 806 bookshelf and Chora 826 floor standing speakers….the Tower speakers definitely without a doubt in my case, fill the room more with sound than the bookshelf, and I don’t mean bass, I mean with musical notes. Bookshelf’s don’t even come close. My personal experience.
I am thinking about getting one of those two most probably. Which one would you recommend?
@@Draxlar If your room isnt really tiny you should get the towers
@@andreasenstrom7911 I am thinking about towers, but which ones is the question. Chora 806, or 826? Becauise Luis has both.
@@Draxlar The 826 are towers, 806 are bookshelf. This is how Focal naming works. The second digit signifies the speaker configuration.
@@nissimtrifonov5314 I asked the wrong question. What I wanted to know is which do they recommend - 806, or 826? Since they have both. Is it better to get 806 and a sub for the price difference, or just get 826?
I have been looking at bookshelf speakers (I already have some stands) but then I took a glance at a local speaker manufacturer here in Michigan (Salk Sound). He has a simple 2 way transmission line floor stander that could be considered almost like a bookshelf speaker with a built in stand designed to augment bass output. Interesting.
Good video. I respectfully submit, however, that there are additional caveats that should be considered when choosing between bookshelf speaker sand tower speakers that have sufficient bass so that a subwoofer is not needed. Getting good bass with a bookshelf speaker typically requires at least one subwoofer, as noted in the video, but the results are sub-optimal without proper time/phase alignment between the bookshelf speakers and the subwoofer. The bass is far from clean in most systems using bookshelf speakers with a subwoofer This is due to time delay (phasing) issues between the bookshelfs and the subwoofer, which muddies up the bass response. Use of ports in bookshelf speakers make this even worse. But, these issues can be addressed.
First, what is needed is a subwoofer with variable time delay/phase (not just a switch between 0 deg. and 180 deg.), or an active crossover or DSP with adjustable time delay. Also needed is a way to determine when the optimal time delay is achieved while it is adjusted. I use the Room EQ Wizard (REW) software and a USB microphone for this. REW can be downloaded and used free of charge (I did make a donation to REW, which I encourage others to do).
Second, I have found the bass to be much tighter when I completely plug-up the ports of the bookshelf speakers. This reduces the non-linearity of the bookshelf speakers' phase response in the bass region, thus reducing interference between the bookshelfs and the subwoofer due to phase differences. It does mean that you need a higher crossover frequency than if the ports were left unplugged (e.g., 100 Hz instead of 50 or 60 Hz), but in my experience this does not have any negative effects in sound staging, and indeed has several benefits, including the following: (1) Reduced harmonic distortion - a subwoofer's harmonic distortion below 100 Hz usually is much lower than that of bookshelf speakers. (2) The woofers in the bookshelf speakers are not being driven as hard, which increases power handling capabilities. (3) The excursion of the bookshelf speaker woofers is lower, reducing Doppler shift of higher frequencies produced by the same woofers (though I have not read any studies indicating whether this is audible).
Nice writeup
Loving my Q Acoustic 3050i floor standers ..... but to be honest I’ve had epic book shelf speakers In the past.... for me it’s all a matter of opinion and practicality . Great topic point .
Lots of info given which I needed to know.
Thanking you wholeheartedly 🥰
I just recently found my loudspeaker for me. I chose floor standing. Mainly for the simplicity and convenience. Having to run multiple powered subs require more things to be plugged in. Which could end up adding extra noise to your noise floor. My floor standing speakers are the KLH Kendall. I'm just blown away by the scale of sound that you get for the money. The way they do bass is amazing. I highly recommend them to anyone who can find them in stock.
The best observation and most professional I have seen! I totally agree with everything you spoke about. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it!
If you don't care about specific aesthetics, just get a couple cinder blocks from home depot/lowe's and a colored table cloth. Heavy, super solid, stylish to a degree, and should run less than $20?
Two main factors (soundwise) distinguish the bookshelf speaker from the tower speaker:
1. Bass response
2. Maximum acoustic output
Bass response - Bookshelves rarely go much below 50Hz while towers can get down in the 30-40Hz region without an internal subwoofer. Given that the low E string of the 4 string bass is 41Hz, for music a sub is really needed for a bookshelf especially in a larger room with less room gain than a small room. Also an advantage of using external sub(s) is that the bass can be optimized with different placements of the sub(s).
Maximum acoustic output - Given that the towers generally use more drivers and they are generally more efficient than bookshelves, towers can play louder and/or produce less distortion than bookshelves.
All decent points.
Thanks a lot for solving my shopping dilemma choosing either types for L/R channels. Room size was an issue though.. However, I have decided to go with Towers after seeing your video👍🏼
If you put your bookshalf speakers on stands, then you have also space for big floorstanding loudspeakers.
There seems to be a very casual view about adding subwoofers. From my experience there are significant differences in the match of subwoofers and you have to spend a significant amount of time selecting (and positioning - yes! ). a subwoofer that "works" with your bookshelf speakers
that's because instead of the logical facts,the focus is on comparisons...That is not how you choose great audio..
Bookshelf speakers clear sound.Floor standing speakers for big rooms😊
I have a pair of Onix Rocket bookshelf speakers on stands I picked up on a whim. I was really surprised by the detail and clarity. Caveat being that they just don't have the bottom end presence I need from a speaker. So the bookshelf speakers are relegated to my bedroom, while my main listening space gets a pair of well amped floorstanders.
I prefer the speaker that sounds best in that room. Have been really enjoying the Sonus faber Toy Towers in my tall narrow room. Then just for fun tried the Sonus faber Minuetto's (bookshelfs) placed and weighted on top unplugged Vandersteen model 1's as stands. Turned the Minuetto's upside down so wooffer on top and tweeter at ear level. Holy God! Outstanding sound and just right bass for my condo. Also wondering Andrew do you still have and use the Mapleshade plinths from 2013?
Choose whichever one has the most extension and dispersion characteristics you want, that plays loud enough.
In some cases it might be a bass light 15" woofer floorstander.
In other cases it may be the Devialet Phantom Reactor with 4" woofers that actually does bass.
Gat a good amp first, so your floorstanders can have good drive at lower volumes.
How do you define small, medium, and large spaces? Is there a standard square footage measurement for defining each when discussing home media?
Due to receiving my 1st noise complaint in my Coop I now chose the Klipsch R-51m's 🤣. I had the Klipsch Towers & forgot how sound travels in wooden floors in a 100 yr old apartment building that is until I recieved that letter. My bookshelves have more cohesion too.
Great speakers. Works as surrounds in my apartment.
@@rumporridge1 I have 8 of them surrounding me with my dual subs. I finally got my dolby atmos setting to sound great. By putting in 2 surround backs. I thought it would be too much with 2 above 2 behind & 2 sides but it sounds great
@@o.c.g.m9426 haven’t hooked up the backs yet. Moving down south in 2 years. Then will have more room to flex 💪🏽 out a complete Dolby system. NY apartments suck. An arm and a leg for a few square feet. SMH.
Good subject. Unless one needs high sensitivity, a floorstander wont take up more space. A slim compact sealed floorstander is my choice, as long as drivers integrate well
My sound system consists of 6 SVS Ultra Bookshelf speakers (2 for the mains, 2 for the side channels, and 2 for the rears), an SVS Ultra Center speaker, 4 SVS Prime Elevation speakers ceiling mounted for Dolby Atmos and 2 SVS SB-3000 Subwoofers. The system is powered by a Yamaha Aventage RX-A8A 11 channel AVR with an AC Infinity AIRCOM T9 keeping it cool, and all are connected to a Panamax M5400-PM Power Conditioner.
Must sound pretty incredible
Cyburg Needle, Cyburg Stick, CC46 Lancetta, Zigmahornet, all compact enough to not take up too much room, and yet they are floorstanding. Works great. Then therre is the Metronome, my current rear speakers, bit bigger but not obscene. Also Instead of bass being stuck with a bass port behind it can also get extremely boomy, not desired either. And then there is the part where monitor speakers are not like normal speakers and do not need to be bookshelf models, or if they are, those are some large bookshelves.
A nice compact but great sub is the dipole (I think "Ripole subwoofer" should get you results). Not the easiest build though I would say.
Another advantage of buying a pair of floorstanders is that it si more difficult for kids or a big dog to trow them on the floor. Also, from my experience, most subwoofers produce an one bass note without pitch or definition compared to floorstanding models of moderate quality.
No way ,subs these days are musical, and would amaze you ,two bookshelves and two subs would sound better than a lot of floor standers
REL's are very musical Subs
@@shaundavidssd Would you care to name a few for our inlightenment?
@@yvesboutin5604 Listen to some Rythmiks
I think the key factors are: Room size, music genres preferred and listening experience you enjoy. If you love the 3d imaging/singer there in the room experience, high quality monitors are the way. Some of them truly 'disappear' and become boxless. If you love big symphonic or rock, you will probably be happier with towers in the long run. But speaker quality is the key. Save up a bit longer or buy used, but get something solid and well-reviewed.
Recovering audiophile? Stay strong man. Sorry about your daily relapses. You'll make it through this.
Have you met any habitual gamblers
Another awesome informative vid tutorial you have made! Thank you for your sharing. It is very comfortable watching your vids as you sound professional yet neutral rather than a marketing man. Kudos!
Glad it was helpful!
Andrew thank you. I’ve recently found your channel and subscribed about 10 minutes later. I actually think I understand what you are talking about regardless of the program subject. A few months ago I was given a pair of Infinity CS3008’s from olden times and have them right up front. Your thoughts on continuity in this episode have me asking if I should be looking for more dinosaurs, like the CS3006 which has become available to me if I want them. Smaller but same creator. Would this qualify as matching characteristics? I’d throw them in the back. Using an old Denon AVR 1912. Your opinion would really help me decide on a direction.
Question: place bookshelf speakers ON open shelves versus wall mounting them?
Some speakers may have a sweet spot for volume and tower may be too loud for the room when hit that sweet spot.
That all depends on the tower. Is have a tower system with a 6 inch mid woofer and an 8 inch bass woofer, but it's a sealed cabinet system. So no ports or horns to amplify the bass. Might even add a sub since the bass rolls of very early