Bookshelves vs floorstanders

[Deleted member 38504]

Yes,I know it's a very old debate

But I'm going to be very specific.

80% movies and 20% music.

I want to get the Dali zensor 3 and put them on nice stands.

And I want to get a decent subwoofer.

How will this compare to my current setup which is my Polk TSX 440?

The polks currently are lovely for movies,really like them a lot. But I just want to get something new now,tired of looking at the polks.

Will the Dali and a sub be good enough for movies? I have read up quite a bit on the net and most of the data says bookshelves in this price range are good for music not movies.

Any advise or suggestions?

 

[Sumanta]

Yes,I know it's a very old debate

But I'm going to be very specific.


But I just want to get something new now,tired of looking at the polks.


Any advise or suggestions?

Do you really need any suggestion now? Go ahead, it is your money, enjoy spending it and having a new speaker set at home.

 

[Deleted member 38504]

Yes I need suggestions. It's a forum right? Imagine if all questions were answered with,it's your money do what you want with it :-;

Come on I'm sure you have more to offer,what do u suggest? Would the above combination be good for movies?

 

[nipunkx]

Yes I need suggestions. It's a forum right? Imagine if all questions were answered with,it's your money do what you want with it :-;

Come on I'm sure you have more to offer,what do u suggest? Would the above combination be good for movies?

Exactly, we will only benfit in sharing our knowledge.

 

[Naturelover]

Why another thread? You could continue in the other one.
Anyway, give your amp, room details and budget.

 

[regeHA]

For movies I've always advocated spending the most on a good center and sub and in that case satellites.

However, if you don't plan to have a full blown 5.1 or 7.2 setup then go with FS, at least I'd do that.

But it's a trick question. For the same money, buying BS is advocated over FS, deemed better quality, less spending on multiple components, etc. For music I've always preferred BS as in the same budget they've always scored over FS at least in my auditions. Of course in an unlimited budget the Magico behemoths would crush everything else.

However, movies are a different ballgame. For instance I've a 32" monitor and I do the bulk of my TV and movie watching (Netflix) on it and not the 65" TV. It's just easier/convenient for me, I pause and play in between work and calls, etc. In that context PC speakers are what I use, though I also have an Onkyo and a proper 5.1 setup connected to the PC. But I seldom use it or even switch it on... its just easier to use the 2.0 monitors for nearfield listening. I'm seated a max of 3 feet from the monitor and speakers. An AVR and 5.1 would be an overkill.

As you can see a trick question indeed and its hard to say without knowing your room size, what you will watch primarily, how much space you have to play around with, etc.

Unlimited budget obviously FS. Limited budget for music BS, and FS for movies and TV.

PS: Given your usage, I'm not sure the Dali will perform better than the Polk. Perhaps you can try to change the furniture or decor or move things around. I believe you'll be better served by sticking with the Polks.

 

[Deleted member 38504]

Wow naturelover, sorry to upset u

But anyways, budget is about 30k for the dali, another about 25k for a sub and about 8-9k on stands for the bookshelves.

The amp is a denon 520BT. Room size is average about 15*20 feet.

@Rege....thanks so much. From whatever I have read, the bookshelves are obviously for music. However if I add a sub to it, maybe I thought it would add to the listening pleasure for movies.

Thank so much for ur informative post! Thumbs up!!

 

[afj]

if youre going for a 5.1 (including a sub), then bookshelves would suffice. esp considering your main usage is movies. it also decreases the cost of your amp, since you can go in for something thats lower in wattage. FS typically would require something higher.

though also take into consideration that the dalis may be more of a lateral movement (give or take). do you want to spend a considerable amount for a small improvement in the sound?

 

[Deleted member 38504]

Thanks afj,I get what ur saying.

I don't plan to have a 5.1 at all. Only two fronts speakers next to my tv.

I had heard the Dali zensor 3 in chennai about two years back and they blew my mind.
But it was music. If my main priority was music,I wud not even be asking this question,I wud have just got the Dali cause I heard them. But movies,different ballgame as you know

Thanks again.

 

[regeHA]

@Rege....thanks so much. From whatever I have read, the bookshelves are obviously for music. However if I add a sub to it, maybe I thought it would add to the listening pleasure for movies.

Thank so much for ur informative post! Thumbs up!!

The problem with adding a sub is always going to be matching it. It just doesn't compare to a single box (rather stereo 2.0) setup especially for music. If you really want bass for music then go with speakers that go very low in BS or go with FS. Adding a sub has never panned out well in my experience.

Movies are a difference experience so it might work out using BS + sub, but an FS with dual 8" woofers works out so much better.

Also, keep in mind that home theater is the larger market, stereo not so much. So subs are designed for the mass market of home theaters and that's why they sound so much better for movies, but not so much for music. Look at any big manufacturer, they make subs for movies and the home theater segment, nobody has any subs on sale specific to music.

 

[elt93]

If you're firm one sticking to 2.1, why not keep the polks and get a better stereo amp? As others have pointed out, a move to the dalis may be a sideways move. An upgrade to the amplification would certainly help more IMHO.

 

[afj]

Thanks afj,I get what ur saying.

I don't plan to have a 5.1 at all. Only two fronts speakers next to my tv.

I had heard the Dali zensor 3 in chennai about two years back and they blew my mind.
But it was music. If my main priority was music,I wud not even be asking this question,I wud have just got the Dali cause I heard them. But movies,different ballgame as you know

Thanks again.

celester what are the sq problems you are facing with your current setup - what areas do you want to improve. list for movies / music separately

 

[efernand1]

Hi Celester340...

You are using a 520bt which is entry level avr from denon..this is driving your power hungry tsx440s which are sounding a bit better than your old stereo Cambridge amp as the speakers are getting some more power (rms)..

What you are essentially missing is the kick or punch in music or movies...

If you want to somehow achieve those loud bangs, deep bass and punch, you need to look at subs which have minimum 100w rms power continous and definitely look at 12 inch subs as they can achieve the lowest frequencies....key is to audition subs which can go as low as 22hz....

Once the sub is connected, adjust the bass crossover on the avr so that the tsx440s blend well in harmony with the sub...no muddy distortion only clear sound....

If you sell your tsx440s, you can go for a 2.1 system based on good bookshelf speakers and a decent sub...

Else you can still go for a 5.1 speaker system and place all 5 speakers in front if you wish as some don't want wires running behind etc.

The key is to audition the different systems out there...you will be surprised to see that there are systems which are cheaper and perform like expensive ones..example: BIC America, Pioneer AJ series, Boston Acoustics etc.

All the best!

 

[Deleted member 38504]

Hi thanks guys.

I don't listen to techno or EDM. I'm a boring old fart. I listen to a lot of Latin music ,and I listen to music from the 50 and 60's. Occasionally I listen to slow rock like November rain or estranged from guns n roses :-D

I watch all kinds of movies from Star Trek to mad max to fast and furious and also romantic comedies lol (with my wife)

Current setup,no problem at all. Why I want a change? Because I'm bored at looking at two black floorstanders for two years ,that's all. Maybe with bookshelves I might get a different kind of sound?

Note: 80% of my watching/listening is movies and only 20% is music.

I'm not any expert but I was just thinking that with my entry level denon 520bt, maybe the bookshelves like Dali would sound better cause ,like efern said, the polks are a bit power hungry. Is my thinking correct?

 

[afj]

Hi thanks guys.

I don't listen to techno or EDM. I'm a boring old fart. I listen to a lot of Latin music ,and I listen to music from the 50 and 60's. Occasionally I listen to slow rock like November rain or estranged from guns n roses :-D

I watch all kinds of movies from Star Trek to mad max to fast and furious and also romantic comedies lol (with my wife)

Current setup,no problem at all. Why I want a change? Because I'm bored at looking at two black floorstanders for two years ,that's all. Maybe with bookshelves I might get a different kind of sound?

Note: 80% of my watching/listening is movies and only 20% is music.

I'm not any expert but I was just thinking that with my entry level denon 520bt, maybe the bookshelves like Dali would sound better cause ,like efern said, the polks are a bit power hungry. Is my thinking correct?

if youre looking for the big dramatic sounds from a movie point of view, changing the speakers wont help that much. from a musicality point of view, im not sure, but it can.

this is a difficult one - youre mainly looking to change the speakers for aesthetic value. perhaps you should think of going full surround - some nice cube speakers with a sub - 5.1 setup. atleast while changing you should get a better SQ output. apart from that im lost for ideas

 

[elt93]

Why I want a change? Because I'm bored at looking at two black floorstanders for two years ,that's all.

How about getting rid of the grills? Those drivers will offer a better view than the boring black floorstanders
Ok on a more serious note, entry level avrs are poor. I still believe you'll be just spending money and not gaining much by changing the speakers. I am not a fan of subs (but then I have 15" woofers).
My opinion: stick to the polks (get rid of the grills), get a good integrated amplifier and then if you feel it's needed, get a sub. You won't be disappointed. I for one use my stereo setup and enjoy movies more than I used to with a couple of avrs (decent middle level) I had before.