I've heard many reports of people preferring floorstanding speakers for music because floorstanding speakers tend to go to lower frequencies than bookshelves and integrate the lower frequencies better than a bookshelf + subwoofer combination. For music reproduction that may be a big deal to some, but it's not like a properly integrated/crossovered bookshelf + sub combo will necessarily sound "bad."
-
We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.
Difference between floorstanding speakers and bookshelves on a stand?
Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
It won't sound bad, just not as good as two full range floor standing speakers. This is for music only. Mainly because bass is stereo and it just sound better. One can argue all they want that you can't tell where the sub is but it bothers me and I love stereo bass.
The problem is two good full range speakers are going to cost you but they are worth every penny.
I've read that many muscians can't stand these extended frequency speakers because bass interactions with room resonances really mess up musical timing.
I think they prefer a simple 2 way bookshelf type speaker, perhaps with a balanced tonal balance down to 40 - 50 - 60 hz (?)
I think they prefer a simple 2 way bookshelf type speaker, perhaps with a balanced tonal balance down to 40 - 50 - 60 hz (?)
alcoholbob
Diamond Member
More drivers, wider dispersion compared to point source, placement will be less of an issue since it will be a larger "sweet spot." Good bookshelves are good dispersion these days too, in a small room I think the difference will be marginal but in a large room it will be a bigger deal.
Same thing applies to bass extension, the larger the room, wider the dispersion, the more full the bass will be even if the measurable extension is the same between bookshelf and tower.
These days a lot good bookshelves go nearly as low as floorstanders, and when bookshelves are flat to 40hz (both the Sierras and the Ushers I have are -3db at 38-42hz anechoically) the difference is neglible in a small room, which will get bass loaded anyway.
Same thing applies to bass extension, the larger the room, wider the dispersion, the more full the bass will be even if the measurable extension is the same between bookshelf and tower.
These days a lot good bookshelves go nearly as low as floorstanders, and when bookshelves are flat to 40hz (both the Sierras and the Ushers I have are -3db at 38-42hz anechoically) the difference is neglible in a small room, which will get bass loaded anyway.
Not even close. You're missing a full octave and bookshelvs don't have the volume needed. all one needs to do is listen to a nice pair of full range speakers and then compare to bookshelves and a sub. The difference is night and day.
You don't listen to a live performance in a 8x10 foot room, same as you don't try to create one in a small room. This is why full range speakers are still the way to reproduce music in your home.
alcoholbob
Diamond Member
In a small room you get "cabin gain", you'll have plenty of low bass. If you like bloated bass that's your call.
Missing an octave? You mean 20hz to 40hz? So your saying a floorstander is going to do that last octave better than a sub?
About a third of the music I have, the sub output is nearly nil with a 60hz xover, unless you listen to a lot of bassy songs, I don't think that last octave will used that much.
Missing an octave? You mean 20hz to 40hz? So your saying a floorstander is going to do that last octave better than a sub?
About a third of the music I have, the sub output is nearly nil with a 60hz xover, unless you listen to a lot of bassy songs, I don't think that last octave will used that much.
I'm not trying to argue. I do not like bloated bass. I do however like stereo bass and the feel of a live performance. That is where I'm coming from and I'm not going to comment on the reason why your recordings don't have much activity below 60hz.
This is an age old debate and it all comes down to personal preference. Purdue - gimme 25hz and you know as well as anybody that you can't believe specs.
I tried and tried and tried to have a music system and a hometheater system combined. It never worked and it never had the quality I wanted. I still have a 2ch stereo when I want to listen to music.
montypythizzle
Diamond Member
With good room filling sound from Platinum Series Monster Cable speaker wire any bookshelfs will be able to extend to as low as 1hz.
A mid-bass hump (what I suspect most people consider hard hitting, deep bass) is very different than the true 20 - 30 Hz extension Spidey07 is referring to.
If you've got a minimally processed acoustic recording of a symphony orchestra in a symphony hall (and if your stereo can reveal such information), it should manifest as a truer sense of scale and presence (i.e. you can "see" the walls of the symphony hall in the soundstage and feel the hall, as if you were at a live performance), or with say a minimalist acoustic recording of a grand piano, it should again flesh out the true size of the grand piano itself, not just the lowest notes the performer is hitting.
I pulled out a frequency range and harmonics chart from a book on stereo equipment I have ("Good Sound" by Laura Dearborn) and it looks like a bass drum doesn't even extend below 60 hz, though nothing is listed for an electric bass. Piano, cello, and bassoon don't break 50 hz either. (edit: I googled for "electric bass lowest note frequency" and first link said lowest A on piano is 27.5 hz and low B string on electric bass is 30.9 hz)
Whether your speakers sound right with or without a sub probably depends upon whether they were voiced to be used with or without a sub, and if the satellites are running through a crossover in your receiver with the sub off (e.g. is the crossover in the receiver rolling off response at 80 - 100 hz, even if you didn't turn power to the "sub" on).
Floorstander with true 20 hz extension (I think Rick Ruben used to use this speaker)
Sub
If you've got a minimally processed acoustic recording of a symphony orchestra in a symphony hall (and if your stereo can reveal such information), it should manifest as a truer sense of scale and presence (i.e. you can "see" the walls of the symphony hall in the soundstage and feel the hall, as if you were at a live performance), or with say a minimalist acoustic recording of a grand piano, it should again flesh out the true size of the grand piano itself, not just the lowest notes the performer is hitting.
I pulled out a frequency range and harmonics chart from a book on stereo equipment I have ("Good Sound" by Laura Dearborn) and it looks like a bass drum doesn't even extend below 60 hz, though nothing is listed for an electric bass. Piano, cello, and bassoon don't break 50 hz either. (edit: I googled for "electric bass lowest note frequency" and first link said lowest A on piano is 27.5 hz and low B string on electric bass is 30.9 hz)
Whether your speakers sound right with or without a sub probably depends upon whether they were voiced to be used with or without a sub, and if the satellites are running through a crossover in your receiver with the sub off (e.g. is the crossover in the receiver rolling off response at 80 - 100 hz, even if you didn't turn power to the "sub" on).
Floorstander with true 20 hz extension (I think Rick Ruben used to use this speaker)
Sub
I have that driver in both bookshelf and floorstanding form. As you say, it works well in both situations.
If I had to choose between a bookshelf + sub combo or a pair of floorstanders for music listening, I would go the bookshelf/sub route every single time. My sub provides solid clean output down to 14Hz. Most can only do an octave above that.
Ok, I've been reading over all these comments, and I want to ask here (since it's related) instead of starting a new thread.
I'm looking at getting at least the start of a system for my dorm common room (probably 10x15ft ish?). It'll be hooked up to a dvd player, tv, and sometimes a computer/ipod. It'll probably be used 70/30 for music/movies.
In addition to a receiver, I'm walking the line between buying a pair of Infinity 362s ( http://www.amazon.com/Infinity...&qid=1214413921&sr=1-1 ) or a pair of their bookshelf cousins ( http://www.amazon.com/Infinity...-speaker/dp/B000LK8U9M ) and a subwoofer. The floorstanders have more mid, but smaller woofers, whereas with the bookshelfs I'd get both a subwoofer and a larger woofer (making up for not having a larger cabinet, maybe?). I plan on upgrading and ideally I'll have a subwoofer no matter what, but out of the two options, what should I start with?
EDIT: I suspect they'll both cost about the same. For the bookshelfs, I'm either going to not use a stand (put them on the tv stand) or make my own. Remember, this is a dorm room we're talking about.
I'm looking at getting at least the start of a system for my dorm common room (probably 10x15ft ish?). It'll be hooked up to a dvd player, tv, and sometimes a computer/ipod. It'll probably be used 70/30 for music/movies.
In addition to a receiver, I'm walking the line between buying a pair of Infinity 362s ( http://www.amazon.com/Infinity...&qid=1214413921&sr=1-1 ) or a pair of their bookshelf cousins ( http://www.amazon.com/Infinity...-speaker/dp/B000LK8U9M ) and a subwoofer. The floorstanders have more mid, but smaller woofers, whereas with the bookshelfs I'd get both a subwoofer and a larger woofer (making up for not having a larger cabinet, maybe?). I plan on upgrading and ideally I'll have a subwoofer no matter what, but out of the two options, what should I start with?
EDIT: I suspect they'll both cost about the same. For the bookshelfs, I'm either going to not use a stand (put them on the tv stand) or make my own. Remember, this is a dorm room we're talking about.
If music is important to you, get a separate mass market home theater system (Logitech z-5500 or Klipsch Promedia, the former for stronger emphasis on movie sound tracks and gaming, the latter for a stronger emphasis on music) for movie sound tracks and casual music listening, and a dedicated 2 channel audio system (Audio Engine A2 or A5, or if you want more bang for your buck, go over to Head-Fi and invest in a good set of headphones, headphone amp?, and possibly an outboard USB dac that uses your computer as a superb transport.
Music isn't THAT important to me. I will probably be doing most of my listening with my computer speakers/headphones anyways. But I need to pick up a receiver and some speakers for the common room, and I plan to turn it into a 5.1 setup eventually. Maybe during the year, buy up a speaker every quarter as a treat to myself. The point is, I don't know where to start =(
I can't find a place around to audition these speakers, either. I live in Portland, OR.
I can't find a place around to audition these speakers, either. I live in Portland, OR.
I had the P150s in a dorm room and even mounted them on the wall (they have little screw/nail mounts built in on the back of the speaker). Everyone loved the sound...even the guy with Z5500s knew they were superior. And truthfully, they got plenty loud for a small concrete dorm room. We all had to keep our stuff turned down a lot of the time because we'd get complaints.
But, the P362s aren't much more.
Look in YoYo's sticky at the top of this forum -> Link
Personally, I think I would still just get the Logitech z-5500 and invest the rest of your budget in a nice DLP projector (http://www.projectorcentral.com). Watching DVDs on a 10 ft. plus diagonal screen (even if it is just a matte white wall of your dorm) is so much much better than even a 65 - 70 flat panel.
Personally, I think I would still just get the Logitech z-5500 and invest the rest of your budget in a nice DLP projector (http://www.projectorcentral.com). Watching DVDs on a 10 ft. plus diagonal screen (even if it is just a matte white wall of your dorm) is so much much better than even a 65 - 70 flat panel.
sdifox
No Lifer
Cinder blocks make excellent speaker stands. Just wrap them with some felt.
10x15 is not that big a space, decent bookshelf complemented by a sub would be ok. Start with the bookshelf speakers and if you decide to go 5.1 (may not even be necessary in a dorm room scenario), you can move them to the back as surrounds.
YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
One of the options I mentioned in my sticky thread is the X-series from AV123.
Their summer sale is happening right now
http://av123.com/component/opt...egory_id,21/Itemid,37/
They have a 30 day in home risk free trial that would allow you to check them out with no risk to you.
Other companies have similar policies as well if you want to check out some internet direct offerings.
YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
Starting 2.0 on this budget without a subwoofer you'd be missing mostly the lower frequencies.
I'm not sure what you mean about not getting enough of the middle frequencies especially with a subwoofer.
Could you explain what you mean?
I think his thinking is this
2 way = woofer(only low) + tweeter(only high) = gap in the middle
3 way = woofer(only low) + midrange(midrange...duh) + tweeter(only high) = no gap.
If this is the case, you are thinking incorrectly OP. There really isn't much need for a midrange provided that the woofer is of a reasonable size and designed well. A 6" paper cone speaker can be crossed anywhere below 3KHz typically. A typical tweeter will handle this fine as well. There is simply not a need for a midrange in most designs unless you want a very large 8+" woofer in the design.
TRENDING THREADS
-
Discussion Zen 5 Speculation (EPYC Turin and Strix Point/Granite Ridge - Ryzen 9000)- Started by DisEnchantment
- Replies: 25K
-
Discussion Intel Meteor, Arrow, Lunar & Panther Lakes + WCL Discussion Threads
- Started by Tigerick
- Replies: 25K
-
Discussion Intel current and future Lakes & Rapids thread- Started by TheF34RChannel
- Replies: 24K
-
-
