Bookshelves or Towers ?

[druk2004]

How do we decide whether to go for Bookshelves or Towers ?

From sound output perspective, is there any major advantage with towers ?

Bookshelves are cheaper but you need to add cost of stands. Is Tower cost still significantly greater than Bookshelve + stand ? Are stands easily available ?

Please post your views !!

BR
Roy

 

[Decadent_Spectre]

Home audio bookshelves typically are a tweeter and mid/woof, while floorstanders can have a dedicated midrange and often 2 or more woofers, the floorstanders are also of course larger.

The floor standers should have more sensitivity and output and greater LF extension while the bookshelves often being a 2 way would have greater coherency at short distances.

 

[Love4sound]

How do we decide whether to go for Bookshelves or Towers ?

From sound output perspective, is there any major advantage with towers ?

Bookshelves are cheaper but you need to add cost of stands. Is Tower cost still significantly greater than Bookshelve + stand ? Are stands easily available ?

Please post your views !!

BR
Roy

For small rooms bookshelf is good enough. Branded stands are expensive and I know few who have built good stands for a low cost using a carpenter. Hifimart sells sound foundation stand which I find it reasonable to invest if you plan to get a bookshelf speakers. What is your room size and layout. And what purpose? Stereo or home theatre? More details will be helpful for others to guide you better

 

[druk2004]

For small rooms bookshelf is good enough. Branded stands are expensive and I know few who have built good stands for a low cost using a carpenter. Hifimart sells sound foundation stand which I find it reasonable to invest if you plan to get a bookshelf speakers. What is your room size and layout. And what purpose? Stereo or home theatre? More details will be helpful for others to guide you better

For a Living Room. Music 70%, HT 30%

 

[Love4sound]

For a Living Room. Music 70%, HT 30%

Ok so more of a stereo person. How big is the room and the distance to the speaker from your seating position? Are you planning a 5.1 setup or a 2.1 set up? Or just 2.0?

 

[OM_2K19]

Bookshelves are cheaper but you need to add cost of stands. Is Tower cost still significantly greater than Bookshelve + stand ? Are stands easily available ?

Not always true... The selection of speakers depends on various factors like room size, type of music, audio chain, to name a few...

edit:- typo

 

[bornfi]

How do we decide whether to go for Bookshelves or Towers ?

From sound output perspective, is there any major advantage with towers ?

Bookshelves are cheaper but you need to add cost of stands. Is Tower cost still significantly greater than Bookshelve + stand ? Are stands easily available ?

Please post your views !!

BR
Roy

If you like to keep it less complicated in future, towers are the way to go. Bookshelves will always leave you wanting for more.

 

[heliumflight]

For a Living Room. Music 70%, HT 30%

Take a demo in a showroom

 

[heliumflight]

If you like to keep it less complicated in future, towers are the way to go. Bookshelves will always leave you wanting for more.

I would agree with this statement.

 

[fLUX]

Some highly generalized thoughts,
i) For a budget of X , you are likely to get better sounding bookshelf than tower speakers in most cases (not saying the FS version of a BS will be better )
ii) The Floor standers will dig deeper than the bookshelfs in most cases , just as an example a bookshelf might go upto 45hz in most cases whereas a FS will likely go to 37/38hz. However for both you will need a subwoofer if your genres have predominantly bass below that particular frequency range.
iii) The Floor standers will occupy more space as bookshelf stands are narrow in between, not a deal breaker but a point to consider

What this means as a buyer for you ?
i) With a limited budget bookshelfs are a better choice. Lot of options for good bookshelfs under 50k vs floorstanders.
ii) Many people end up buying a sub to compensate for the lower frequency (even with floorstanders), integrating subs and bookshelf's/floorstanders to sound like one single full range speaker is not an easy task hence I believe the recommendations of towers being less complicated as you might not necessarily go for a sub
iii) Placement is important for both, so make sure you can afford some distance from back and side walls.

Audition both and see which brands you prefer and which models you like be it BS/FS, also keep in mind the environment when you are auditioning too as more often that not it will be well treated rooms. If you hear deep bass with lot of quantity in such a room and plan to use that in a small/medium room at your place you will find the bass to be too much. This would mean investing in room treatment and/or active dsp to control the boominess and can get expensive and complicated.
Also goes without saying , listen to songs/genres which you like and see if the speaker makes you hear new things/present certain things in an enjoyable manner for music you listen to be it bookshelf or floorstanding speakers.

 

[prateekatasniya]

Home audio bookshelves typically are a tweeter and mid/woof, while floorstanders can have a dedicated midrange and often 2 or more woofers, the floorstanders are also of course larger.

The floor standers should have more sensitivity and output and greater LF extension while the bookshelves often being a 2 way would have greater coherency at short distances.

Right..
That's why choose bookshelf if listening position is close, irrespective of room size.

 

[Decadent_Spectre]

Right..
That's why choose bookshelf if listening position is close, irrespective of room size.

High "quality" point source speakers alleviate this problem, giving you coherent and powerful sound. Also to consider are coax speakers, whether cone or CD.

Tradeoff: cost.

 

[prateekatasniya]

High "quality" point source speakers alleviate this problem, giving you coherent and powerful sound. Also to consider are coax speakers, whether cone or CD.

Tradeoff: cost.

Yeah... Good coax are my personal favourite because the give most realistic sound.

 

[Decadent_Spectre]

If you like coax, you MUST try a well done point source.

 

[raghupb]

How do we decide whether to go for Bookshelves or Towers ?

From sound output perspective, is there any major advantage with towers ?

Bookshelves are cheaper but you need to add cost of stands. Is Tower cost still significantly greater than Bookshelve + stand ? Are stands easily available ?

Please post your views !!

BR
Roy

I would go about choosing speakers in this manner:
1. Hear them out at a dealer or FM's place. If the exact model is not available, a similar one in the same family at least.
2. The speaker should satisfy your listening tastes, genres and SPLs
3. Give FS and BS in the same lineup an unbiased listen
4. Don't look for great bass or lush vocals or high detail only. The entire presentation must click on a wide variety of music.
5. Try for a home demo (tough with dealers, may be possible if FMs oblige)
6. Don't worry about subs for now. If needed a sub can be added later.
7. Choose the amp carefully to drive whatever speakers appeal to you

My personal choice:
BS or stand-mounts; 2 or 3 way (maybe coax); with proper stands
With a bit of patience in this hobby, have built my rig over a span of 5 years around KEF R300s

Cheers,
Raghu