Bookshelf vs Tower Speakers: Which One Is Better?

[@todddembsky8321]

Great question, great answer. Tower vrs book shelf is always a tough question. As a designer and builder of my own speakers, my favorite configuration is a very good MTM with high end drivers, and two subs crossed over at around 120Hrz. The key is to turn the sub up until you just start to hear it, then back it off 3 db, I have been in so many homes (especially BOSE homes) where the sub is crossed over at 120 or even 240 with a huge 6 db boost at 80 hrz. Sounds like a car system. The issue I have with book shelf speaker is the fidelity at high levels. a 5 or 6" driver just can not produce 100db without some breakup. When I need an outdoor system, or a large room (like 30x70' or larger) I go with towers. Usually a MTMMBB with a 15 or 18" sub. The issue here is the cross over is a bear and you start to run into interference issue between the drivers. For my critical listening I use a Dynaco ST70 driving high quality MTM's with twin 12" self powered subs in sealed cabinets. I have difficulty with porting MTM/s and not getting a bump as the FS of the mids (usually around 100 hrz) The tube amp drives the MTM's with such nice overtones and vocals are fantastic. But I am still able to play Rock or fusion and still get wonderful stage presence. I do wish the sound engineers would go back to really working on recording with an emphasis on instrument placement in the sound field. Most of the new pop recordings are multi track mixes that the engineer just creates a final product that is almost mono in stage presence. Keep up the great video's -- I am afraid of the next craze being the array speakers. 15 or 30 speakers in a curved tower does not make good sound even when driven with an active crossover. My advice is exactly what you said -- spend you money on upper end Book Shelf -- I have heard some fantastic 2 way book shelf that would make many towers cry. it is not the max db output that matters, but how they sound at moderate levels (like 5-20 watts) I rarely pump 300 watts a side into a speaker unless it is outdoors or large room. On subs, different story, I recommend at least 500 watts and a speaker that has the ability to run at 300 watts all day long.

[@Audioholics]

+Todd Dembsky Great post and agreed. A well designed MTM paired with a sub or two is hard to beat. Line Arrays have their place but typically not for consumer AV or critical 2CH listening.

[@JRobert111111]

+Todd Dembsky "I do wish the sound engineers would go back to really working on recording with an emphasis on instrument placement in the sound field. Most of the new pop recordings are multi track mixes that the engineer just creates a final product that is almost mono in stage presence." Boy do I agree with this. There is a small amount of good new music, but not a lot with the separation of older music from the 60s and 70s.

[@todddembsky8321]

JRobert111111 Agreed. there are some Artists that are truly Artists. They will spend more time mixing than recording. Usually it is the smaller labels. I have found some where you can still close your eyes and pick out the placement of the instruments and the singer.

[@Youngsta0]

You can run 240hz crossover if you have multiple subs placed properly.....

[@mikedinno8413]

Every time I think I've made up my mind and know what I want I'll read a comment like this and now I have to start over. Ascend Acoustics CMT 340SE seems like a good MTM and they come with their own custom stands. I don't know. I've been leaning towards towers but now I don't know.

[@rootstrue99]

Each time I see Hugo, Lou Ferrigno comes to my mind

[@Audioholics]

+azor ahai Wow nobody has ever said that before. You're very observant.

[@rootstrue99]

+Audioholics great sarcasm there..

[@ohmythatsweird]

+azor ahai Man I wanted to say that for so long but didnt want to sound rude. I'd love to paint him green!

[@Modisaud]

Aaargh..Hulk is coming

[@raymondfrancisco813]

true lou ferrigno - one of the greats in bodybuilding

[@zhilva999]

These videos look like from 80's :D

[@dwkwb8]

The name is audioholics NOT videoholics ;-) Haha!

[@vivianmagloire3945]

Thank you guys for all the information you put out there. I am using SvS ultra bookshelves along with the SvS PB ultra sub and I absolutely love them. The reason I chose the bookshelves was because of room constrains, had I gone with the towers, a portion of my 106 in screen would have been blocked. Also, having the pb13 ultra provided an enormous amount of bass, towers was not necessary.

[@jikenj]

I'm using The The Elac Uni-fi UF5 tower's for 5.0 home theater & 2 channel also. The room is 12 by 24 feet living room.Very happy so far. thanks for the Audio advice!!

[@alinutzalin6346]

If I had a big enough room to sustain a 7.2 or more speakers then I would do this in case that financial state is deficient. 1. Get a 300-400 Surround Receiver that supports those setups as well as 4k and hdr e.g Denon, Onkyo etc. I don't recommend Sony :D 2. Get some cheap speakers 50-150 or w/e and use them for the beginning. Or maybe you have some cheap speakers or w/e laying around to use that for the moment. If not, FeelsSadMan 3. Buy some god damn good front speakers 500-800 and move those cheap speakers behind you. 4. Now, depending on your front speakers, if they are floorstanding or decent base bookshelf speakers you should wait or decide between a center channel speaker around 300 or Subwoofer. The subwoofer (300-600) still makes a huge difference in movies that are action packet with explosions BUT, if you watch melo-drama or stuff that's more about story line then you should get a fucking center channel, trust me. 5. Now rear speakers are a bit hard since I don't have much experience but, looking at reviews myself I found out that you can get away with cheap speakers here as well no problem. The only thing is, you need to calibrate your speakers with a mic or lower the volume to match up with the rest. Keep in mind that they do not need to be from the same manufacturer but the front: left, center and right channel should be the same to not infringe my OCD, the subwoofer can hide somewhere I don't care. Do not skimp on front speakers and center. I've done that, they sound like bassy ass e.g shit farts.

[@Vylkeer]

I have a pair of JBL ES90 as main fronts and for what they cost, they do great. I'm using bookshelves speakers as my surround speakers, because I feel like that's what they're meant for in a surround system.

[@ejcheck]

This certainly brings to mind the old adage: "put your money into the best speakers you can afford" My son was setting up stereo (2 channel) system to listen to LPs, he needed speakers after finding decent electronics (used Thorens, HK and McIntosh). He wanted a good set of floor standing speakers but didn't like the price. I found an Excellent pair of used B&Ws for him, which he stretched himself to afford ($1,500), but I pointed out to him most under $1,000 floor standing speakers were crap and a good pair would last longer and sound better. He's very happy he took my advice. In 1990 I did similar, I splurged for a pair of Klipsch Forte II floor standing speakers. These were $1500 in 1990. Five years ago I decided to update tweeters and the crossovers and had them set the crossovers up for Bi-Wire/Bi-Amp possibilities. These sweet sounding speakers should be set for another 25years! Here's a video I did on the update. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aoGvpaOFeK1rZ6s

[@Nytewolf718]

I have Polk Audio RTi55 bookshelf speakers. Got them at a pawn shop with the rest of the speakers set. They sound good. Use them for my home theater. Had them for over ten years.

[@AlanColePhotography]

Thanks for the ongoing education. Using 7.2 in a new HT with Pioneer Affordable Accuracies (the Dennis Murphy modified 22 series); towers front, matching center as close to the bottom of the 126" screen as I can raise it and Pioneer 22 bookshelves as back surrounds. Surrounds are decently-integrating 8" Micca (laugh and scoff here...) in-wall's simply because there wasn't a place to mount the Pioneers as 5.1 surrounds in our narrow basement room without them being a head injury hazard. I bought the lower-budget Pioneers because of their reviews and an in-person audition in Dennis's living room. I couldn't swing thousands for higher-end units, they sounded good in-person in a "normal" listening environment, and reviewers said respectable things about the pioneers. Listening to you two and Tom and Rob, I decided to direct a big chunk of the budget to a pair of SVS PC-1000's to get that part solid, and it was a good decision. A Denon X4000 drives them all.

[@6spdkeg]

Good video. There is no silver bullet answer that we all want to hear and can agree on. Lots of variables exist and the two that probably make the most difference is 1) budget 2) room size 3) your ears. The bigger the budget, more options make sense. Smaller, less. Combine big budget with small room, maybe high end bookshelves with high end amps and subs makes sense vs big towers and low end peripherals. Low budget, big room: towers that are high sensitivity are probably a good start and dual subs you can afford. 3) if you have the resources or time to listen to multiple setups, your ears can do the talking and help pair down options.

[@timdiebert7128]

I have a small room so I use bookshelf speakers (HSU) along with a sealed 15" subwoofer. Paired with a small tactile transducer in my couch (Earthquake) it is MORE than dynamic...its EXPLOSIVE!!!

[@gamecock2465]

I went with towers just because I like towers. Not to mention I do not have a bookshelf type entertainment center and I didn't want to have to use stands to put bookshelf speakers on in order to get the speakers at the correct height.

[@DPSingh-px4xu]

I grew up on am radio from a big console and records played on a suitcase style turntable amp and speakers. I loved the music that came out of both.....fast forward 50 years and over the past 35 years I've spent thousands on all shapes and size's of speakers from LS35A's to Magnaplanar's ...at the end of the day it all depends on the size of the room I sit down to listen in..

[@Antimonkat]

I just love the way front towers look, I feel they set the stage and expectation for the system, and prefer it to using a stand or a front wall mount. Since I will be deploying multiple subs in my next setup though, I am considering going with less capable surround speakers, if I cross them over at 80 Hz or so, it seems like the smaller satalight speaker that can go down to 65hz or so with a 4.5 inch driver would be sufficient and I can save some money since it seams like the more expensive book shelf that can do 45 Hz with a 6.5" driver would be under utilized.

[@pitis2flie]

I'm surprised that room size and seating distance weren't brought up in this discussion.

[@MegaGasek]

I think that they wanted to keep the video short and I also think that they talked about that in some other video(s).

[@michaelangeloh.5383]

It depends... ...on how buff your co-host is.

[@NaveenKumar-uh2gk]

Add sub to bookshelf for big room that's it

[@CMDR_Birb]

Klipsch RF-62 II Front Towers. They looked and sounded good when I tested them in store.

[@LaserLuther]

I am running SVS Ultra towers and a pb13 Ultra (tuned to 16hz) 24db roll off crossed at 40hz for movies and 32.5hz with music. I feel that I have great output with music and movies also feel that this setup acts like multi subs above 40hz. The bass is fairly even in all seats. I also can not localize any low freq. The sub is front center I will add a second in the rear center as soon as the budget allows. my room is 21.5'x12'x8'. future room will be 20'x14'x8'. Love the channel you two rock!

[@michaelangeloh.5383]

In the livingroom around the TV I have a decent set of bookshelf speakers for the fronts and rears, but with a dedicated center-style speaker added of course, and a very proper active subwoofer. I believe the back of the speakers say they reach down to 80Hz, which is an ambitious claim. - BUT, when I was still only planning, I decided that I would set the cross-over on the subwoofer at about 75Hz, and it actually sounds like a good mix. - I did end up boosting the low-end of the fronts (and rears) with the receiver's equalizer to some extent, but the cross-over still seems good. And in a room where I just listen to music I have two larger 3-way speakers, I think they have 10" woofers, but as for some reason they don't deliver enough low-end in the room, I've added a 12" active subwoofer at a lower cut-off to pad it. It's also a really good mix.

[@paulduplex]

I have a pair of b&w 683`s. costly, but worth every penny. No need for a sub, no need to buy another set of speakers... they're awesome! ifell in love with b&w after hearing a friends set up. I bought a 2nd pair of dm603s originally,, again, a great sounding speaker for its age (dated 1996), these are now my rear surrounds. Centre is b&w fmp6, all powered by Yamaha rxv773 - that can be bi amped to bi wire fronts. Crystal clear sound.I now listen to music i previously would have ignored. Listening to the production of a recording overwhelms me regardless wether or not I like the genre or artist. More often than not, i often end up liking them, whereas i may have disregarded them after 5 or 10 seconds on a poor sound system.Anyway, hope this helps someone out there, great show guys, keep 'em coming ! PaulD. U.K.

[@trinibake]

Great video guys. I'm using two Klipsch SW-115 Subs. Two BIC PL980 front L/R - BIC PL28II Center and two PL-89 for back SL/SR. Subs at 80Hz

[@ThePuncho87]

Floor Standing speakers Energy Veritas 6.3, Surround L&R Energy Veritas 5.1 bookshelfs and Outlaw Audio subwoofer LFM-1 EX @ 80hz. 5.1 set-up.

[@marcusfredriksson5685]

I am partly upgrading my system at the moment and stumbled across this video while searching for what's new in the world of bookshelf speakers. Good stuff. 4 years ago I decided to go with bookshelf speakers (a pair of Amphion Argon³) for the very reason that is being put forward in this video. I only use one subwoofer though, but then I am not much of a boom head.

[@michaelanderson6764]

I have high quality bookshelf speakers (B&W 805 Diamond) in my two channel system paired with a JL Audio E-Sub e112. I've been able to integrate the sub extremely well, after much trial and error (worth the effort). Dare I say I'm "content" and no longer feel the need to experiment. The room is approximately 15x15, untreated. Couldn't be happier for two channel performance. I have had lower-quality towers in this room without a sub. To my ears, the higher quality bookshelf/sub combo blows away the towers.

[@stevenmbell]

Gentlemen You have put together another great video. I like it when the two of you put all the Snake Oil aside and give the masses a bit of the Truth. So many take advantage in Audio that I get PO'd more than I need too. I love both kinds of Speakers myself. Bookshelf Speakers for the imaging that one gets with a good setup. But I also like the Full sound of Towers. I mainly listen to 2 Channel Stereo and stay away from surround sound at all cost. I don't care for Surround and never will like it.

[@roberthogue7486]

My system is comprised of: Denon AVR 1400h Boston Acoustics VS 336 1 pair Yamaha in ceiling 1 pair Yamaha back surround in wall 2 SVS PB1000 (in opposite corners) The room is 14' x 17' I realize the weak part of the system is the Yamaha. Just curious on your thoughts possible opinions about receiver settings. Thanks in advance and great info on the channel, especially bass management tips.

[@jerzyboy1210]

I'm using a pair of Klipsch RP-160m's with a dual SVS PB-2000 setup and it's 👌🏼

[@eliglbe]

good show,I use st4 towers but really interested in getting bookshelf speakers for home theatre, can you guys recommend some, $2000 or less budget, thanks guys

[@jeffremnel4846]

I built DIYSG Cinema 88's for LCR. Besides reviews, builder and what they had in them a big deciding factor was mainly because of depth issues behind my AT screen. I auditioned Martin-Logan Motion SLM XL but $2100 for the 3 was a bit out of my ballpark. I also tried out Chane A2rx and Klipsch R-15M with so-so results. I am very happy and satisfied with the Cinema 88's size and sound I feel they sound clearer and have more mid bass then the M-L SLM's. I have 2 sub's that take care of the low end. I'm running a 9.2 system with a Yamaha 3020 AVR boosted with an Outlaw 7200 power amp.

[@woodyssoundup]

What would be your thoughts on SVS Prime tower vs SVS Ultra bookshelf primarily for Movies and gaming running off a Pioneer Elite SC-85 with a Klipsch R-115sw subwoofer? Thanks for the input! Side note, are the Ultra bookshelves a worthy upgrade for the money vs Prime bookshelves?

[@xburgos1]

I did the same upgrade to the ultras and the clearness if voices and effects its superb. Go with ultras

[@klnglim5912]

Possible use 2 pairs same brand similiar spec bookshelf as front instead of using tower speaker ?The reason I ask this question is because I own too many bookshelf speakers and all of them are single brand "NHT"[6x Absolute zero, 1x Absolute center, 1 pair Classic 3 and 1 pair SB 3]Beside centre, front height, side surround, back surround and 2 Subwoofer, I m additional using AVR pre out to 2x Rotel RMB1066 power amp (connect as Bridge each side) to drive 2 pair front speakers [Classic 3 & SB3].

[@kevystead]

I have a Nuance speaker system in My home theater. Towers speakers in the front, center channel and rears for the 5.1 affect. (hoping to update to 7.1 or atmos) But mainly chose the towers in the front for music listening ie: vinyl, CD, mp3 etc... both front towers have built in subwoofers.. Great coverage of sound.

[@kenmck15]

Cool video. I use Klipsch rf35 floor standers crossed out at 80hz. Rc62 centre and rs52 rears so the whole Klipsch reference set and a SUVs sb13 ultra for bottom end. Only 1 at the moment. Very happy.

[@FURognar]

Towers. 1: as mentioned, they generally generate better bass tones because of the cabinet size and more bass drivers. Optimally I would have towers with active subs built in. 2: you dont need stands or wall mounts. When you buy bookshelves to use as mains, you now have to factor in the cost of stands. Which means add at least $50 for decent stands. 3: more and bigger drivers. More towers are 3 way design than bookshelves. Additionally, they can often mount bigger drivers to generate better bass frequencies. Lots of towers out there have 8" drivers. Or even larger in some cases. With bookshelves its rare to find one with drivers larger than 6.25" which ultimately limits their bass capability

[@maestro7954]

I'm using Klipsch RB-81 II as my fronts with an SVS SB-13 Ultra, bright speakers but with my Yamaha A820 toning the harsh highs down, it seems to blend very well. Room is about 2700ft^3 and open. My biggest problem in dips and peaks in the lower frequency and also rattles in the room...ac vent, pictures on the wall and other decor. I have considered another sub-woofer but at the price, space factor and WAF, not anytime soon.

[@YTvKevin]

I just purchased a pair of Pioneer SP-FS52 Tower speakers and sound good but what do you think? +Audioholics

[@Nicool333]

2 bookshelfs on 24 inch stands + sub. Crossover at 32hz. I don't have any gaps but it took me about 2 months to figure out and fix the gap. Once you have the setup though, it's better than floorstanders for accuracy in my opinion.

[@JC-bl9bo]

I have completely switched over to quality bookshelf speakers. I have Definitive Technology Studio monitor speakers all the way around including the center channel and could not be happier. A quality bookshelf over a mediocre tower is better especially since the sub will do the heavy lifting on bass. I don't think I'll ever go back to towers again to be honest. SM 65 mains and center. SM 55 surrounds and it's pretty fantastic.

[@richardwinston691]

I enjoyed and learned something from the vid. I'm old school I guess in at least the amp department, driving a pair of Monitor Audio Silver RS bookshelf speakers w/ a Technics SU-C04 integrated amp...Lovely, deep, rich and very precise sound...Love it!

[@sayedmurtaza3775]

I have Goldenear BRX plus Goldenear SuperSub X, very happy

[@amirchar]

I have a 2K budget, already have a Marantz 1601 receiver (I think 50 watts a channel) and wanting a solid 2.1 system for movies and music. What would you recommend for book shelf speakers and sub?

[@xburgos1]

Svs ultras towers

[@hlt241372]

Just purchased a used pair of B&W 640i's for 400.00 bucks and I am using a pair of Emotiva XPA-100 monoblocks for power and a Denon 1500 preamp. What powered Sub would you guys suggest using with this set up? my room is 25x30. ;-)

[@DavidB-ec7bm]

I am using tower speakers for my 2 channel music. I have a bookshelf 5.1speaker system setup for movies along with the tower. I assume what I am missing is another sub.

[@chrisguilfoyle8799]

Using the Pioneer Andrew Jones towers with a Denon AV Receiver I found in a pawn shop. Next stop is probably a decent subwoofer.

[@chriskillingsworth6435]

Dudes, I have SVS Ultra Towers on either side of my 120" AT screen. I could not fit one behind the screen and I don't like the dedicated center spkr below the screen, so I have an SVS Ultra Bookshelf behind the screen and vertically lined up with the towers. In stereo mode the crossover is 40Hz for the Towers; in multi-channel mode, they are crossed at 60Hz and the center at 80Hz. I have SVS PB2000 in front of both Towers ;-) I like Towers the best and I could afford the SVS top of the line so that's what I got. Sounds great!

[@kevinroosa1315]

Stickin' with some Polk SDA 1Cs I found used online. Never knew what good, flat low frequency extension was until I plugged them into an amplifier with a good amount of current swing.

[@anthonygee6805]

these guys are great UK needs people like these

[@Goldham22]

I have a question for you. I have two martin logan towers. They are currently crossed over at 60 hz with a single 10 inch energy sub. Would you recommend getting another matching sub or spending my money on a different sub all together? obviously I would buy a nicer sub probably a sb13 or pb12 plus from svs.

[@gralen]

Just discover your youtube channel. OMG I had a home theater for 25 years and I depended on forums. But seeing you guys is heaven. I have towers for my fronts which are Mirages OM10 a mirage center channel and 2 crestion towers just bought 2 bookshell energy and will put them in the back since I just bought a advantge yamaha 750. (something I regret since I have a million albums and cds) And I am one of the people who put the center channel on the floor because I had a samsung lcd but upgraded to a panisonic plasma. Keep up the good work

[@Audioholics]

Thank you very much for your kind words. Hope you keep watching.

[@kewlbug]

I didn't come up with this so I hope I say this right. There are three things people want in speakers: low price, Good sound, and small size. You can pick 2 of the 3. So the way I see it, the only factor here is: How much room do you have? If space is no problem, go with towers. If it's a smaller room (or you don't like the idea of giant towers) you will have to go for an expensive bookshelf. Bookshelves are typically cheaper than the tower version in a series, but if you need it to perform similarly to a tower you need to bump up to the next series.I.E.the (silver) $500 tower vs (gold) $500 bookshelf.

[@niranjankumart651]

HI I AM PLANNING TO SETUP A BASEMENT HOME 7.1 THEATER WHAT do you suggest floorstanding or book shelf and one more thing can use bookshelf speakers as surround speakers ?

[@inglouriousmofo]

+Niranjankumar T Depends how big the space, budget, how many subs you have, what sort of sound and loudness you're going for etc. As said in the video, for output, generally towers are best. Yes bookshelves are basically designed for surround speakers.

[@FEGTTTSDH]

The KEF R 5.1 is INSANE, but the price is high, the Q is extremely good, but the R line have the edge

[@DizzrCade]

Currently using Klipsch reference series floor standing for my front mains. Reason why is I picked them up used for $100 a piece. I have actually picked up alot of my surround system used for next to nothing. I think you should do a used buying guide video or something because you can find next to new stuff for almost nothing as people update. I currently have a 7.1 system and have done it on the cheap.

[@benefactorjones3432]

I have the infinity alpha 50 towers and the infinity beta c360 center channel which is basically a tower laid on its side.

[@slerched]

Floor Stander for mains. B&W 683s. Rears are B&W DS3s. Center is... well, I didn't have the money for the B&W center :-(, so I went with BIC America VK-6LCR. My sub is an Accoustech PL200. I went with the awesome mains for 2 channel music. While I use my system primarily for movies, music is the most important thing to me. That's why I spent extra on my mains over getting B&W's satellites. The rears are perfect, right balance etc. The center... well, I have to bump the volume on the center to match the rest of the system. Frequencies covered by the B&W HM2 center I was looking at goes slightly higher than the VK-6LCR, but the VK-6LCR goes lower. I should have gone B&W to match, but just couldn't spend the money. And the VK-6LCR goes lower but... crossover set at 80 means... well, it doesn't matter it goes lower at all then. The PL200 was the right choice. I tried the AW610 from B&W, but it just didn't do it for me. The PL200 offered a similar frequency range and really lays down a THUMP when I want it in movies. I'm 95% happy with my setup. I'm going to start saving up for the B&W HM2.

[@jkairi4]

+Stephen Lerch You should have spend your money on the center channel since your focus is primarily movies. The rears are least important of channels in a 5.1 set up. You have most of your budget in the mains and rears instead of the center.

[@RockStarArchitect]

hi, I wonder what subwoofer could go with my home theater best!? I'm using Jamo c-97 front, c-9 Sur, c-9 center, av receiver onkyo 656. I might change the receiver soon,...

[@patricknaville4564]

Receiver is a Pioneer SX-828 Turntable is a Pioneer PL-50 with a Gradoe Red Cartridge Speakers are two Pioneer CS-99A

[@irisfailsafe]

I have 4 bookshelf mainly because my home theater is stealing space in the living room and small speakers almost camouflage between the furniture, but they sound great have enough power (not a very big living room) to make movies sound amazing but can also play music when there is a gathering.

[@KaidFN]

I have a pair of klipsch RP280F and BnW asw610 sub my amplifier is a Denon avc700 and I only listen to vinyl. What do you think about that setup?

[@edwinperez-qw5ep]

Could you tell us what surround speakers work best for atmos, e.g. Dipole or bipole or standard and why ? Also with ceiling mounted speakers should rest of surround be dropped to ear height? As opposed to above ear level?

[@aegisofhonor]

most good bookshelf speakers made today have a lower limit response of around 50hz (some a bit higher, but most seem to claim around 50hz for the mid and high end bookshelf), is that usually good enough to properly cross over to a sub-woofer without any "gaps" in the frequency response, or does the speaker needs to be much lower to prevent noticeable gaps?

[@59seank]

It's hard to find a good speaker stand for bookshelf speakers. I would love to see a comparative review of speaker stands. Do they affect the sound?

[@Audioholics]

+59seank This article may be of help to you: www.audioholics.com/how-to-shop/home-theater-speaker-stand-shopping-guide

[@Youngsta0]

Using SVS Ultra bookshelves with a SVS SB13 Ultra. I will probably be looking at adding another sub DIY to raise the xover point and get more output to about 200hz or so.

[@SagarAkella]

I use Onkyo SKF-4800 tower speakers on Denon AVR-x520 BT receiver. I don't have a sub but, wanted to have one could you recommend a Sub? Currently my towers capable of handling bass

[@strykersquire27]

Personally I use 2 sets of floor standing speakers for music, they are different types. ( 2 Cornwall Klipsh speakers with 15 inch sub and AV 5001 KLH with dual 12 inch subs) However they pair amazingly well. I found using different size subs can really cancel out your base unless the speakers are at different angles. The KLH's deliver hard fast mid to low sub references, with surprising clarity in the upper range. Then the Klipsh could explode a bird outside on the window ledge with extremely precise upper range and break the window with the low to deep references of the sub. This works great for rapid mid range rock, deep and low rap/techno, and amazing high end guitar shredding on metal. However for movies I currently use an out of the box 5.1 system that works well as surround sound but is duller than dishwater for music.

[@jameschant2740]

Up until now it's been about 2 channel audio with two bookshelf B&W 685s and a B&W ASW 608 sub-woofer in a rectangular room about 2200 cubic feet in area. The sound is very rich and full especially with vinyl. Lately however the upgrading virus has me exploring other possibilities but what those set-ups are have been all over the map. Will it be a change to a 5.1 system or upgraded 2.1 for audio only. My room size somewhat dictates the latter given the limited size of the living room unless separate systems where put in place by using a mini speaker setup for the 5.1. The search continues.

[@modalsoul6511]

I plan on buying the JBL loft series as my 5.1 system of choice BUT I'm gonna use matching tower speakers as rears instead of bookshelfs because 1 I like the look of those speakers and 2 I don't wanna go through the hassle of speaker stands, I'm really excited and can't wait to play blu Rays and my ps4 on the system.

[@S7E7V7E7N]

hey there I just got myself a denon avs710w, and want to eventually have either a 5.2 or 7.2 set up however I need to buy the speakers slowly. my plan is to first get the 2 main speakers then work on getting 2 subs. and move on from there. if your budget for the 2 speakers was around $350 which 2 speakers would you get? ( system is mostly for movies/games ). thank you in advance

[@christianslense455]

for audio guys,your microphones are really cheap.sounds like a shoestring and a can was used to record your videos,if there was an audio boat..,you guys missed it.

[@yogeshsakhare8299]

I would prefer high quality bookshelf vs tower and do base management bcs it's the sub who is dedicated providing deeper base. May be I am budget oriented but it will suffice all the musicality base mid and treble covering all three but with robust power amp.

[@cobrasixtysix3411]

I'm using Towers, Bookshelves, Surrounds and Subs in my Home Cinema setup, although, I think calling the NS1000Ms, bookshelves, is a bit of a stretch on Yamahas behalf. Why? because I want the best of Cinema surround AND just plain loud, clean 2 channel, when I want that, which is most days.

[@brandonjackson5602]

I'm using bookshelf's as my main and surround speakers and the reason why is because Im a sound freak. And I feel like the bookshelf's puts out more sound then bass and I like clean bass not overwhelming bass.

[@mjjm6220]

I like towers, but since '79 I've had bookshelf speakers...if you can call the JBL L212, custom Helenes, PT800, bookshelf speakers...all are 24" tall, sealed 3-ways with acoustical rolloff at 70 htz. for the mains. For sub integration, I have the Helenes mounted on top of 15" subs with the 70 htz XO.....thus for all practical purposes, full range, floor standing speakers for the L/R mains. Being the PT800 is a modern L212 and the Helenes are highly upgraded L212s....the system is pretty damn close to having identical speakers all around.

[@marcushawkinsmusic]

I have a small room so I got the Audioengine A2+ with a yamaha YST-FSW050 sub. I might get another sub to even out the room but I love the sound i'm getting!

[@doozydave5639]

I was looking at Kef Q700 floor standers or R300 bookshelf speakers as the fronts of a 5.1 ht system. In the shop, the R300s sounded better but the cost with stands was 20% higher than the Q700s. So what did I do? The obvious.... I bought the R500 floor standers! I rationalised that I could down-spec the rears (which in my opinion are less important) and look for a bargain good quality sub. I felt it was important to match the centre speaker so I got the R200 which has the same drivers. I procrastinated for a year about the rears and sub. I felt that cheaper lower series components could easily ruin the investment made so far. The wait gave me time to save up. I eventually got and a Kef R400 sub and a pair of R100 bookshelf speakers on filled Atacama stands. The overall cost ended up nearly 50% higher than I had originally budgeted. However, IMO they sound fantastic, for music and film so well worth the wait and financial pain. The look classy too. Happy.

[@traianchereches4217]

Hey, what do you guys think of pairing the JBL Studio 530 with 2 JBL 250P subs? Cambridge CXA80 as amplifier? 30m room.

[@dominicdo]

love the great info you guys provide, keep it up.

[@Sky1]

I got an inexpensive KLH system using those twisties series 9 speakers for center and surround. I also put a pair of my old 3 way KLH (10" woofers) for front left and right to help fill in the gap you mentioned. I then replaced my sub with a Klipsch 10" Reference 10. Sounds pretty good but the tweeters and upper mids are just not as crisp and clean as I would like. I am thinking on replacing my surround units with JBL's. My room is 3000 sq ft, real hardwood, vaulted ceiling 18' using Dennon AV2112, tuning with Audessy microphone. Any suggestions are appreciated. I don't want to go crazy with cost.

[@SSModi852]

Thanks for your awesome videos. I have Klipsch R 14 bookshelf speakers. Can I use them as centerchannel speaker. I want to replace the centerchannel that came with my Definitive Technology pro cinema 600.

[@paul8926]

This has always been confusing to me on the speaker set-up. Having Infinity front tower speakers with a subwoofer, I've always read that you set the mains to "small" to get the most out of your subwoofer. But, what about setting the towers to "large" with the subwoofer Mode to "LFE + Main"? My Marantz Audyssey receiver always sets my mains to "large", but I'm supposed to set them to "small".

[@danmadden5621]

+Pawl Technically you will free up piles of power on your marantz if you keep the speaker settings to small and let the powered sub do all the power hungry bass work. By setting them to large with music, you are essentially duplicating bass efforts by having both the sub and the mains work all the bass signals. However, it wouldn't hurt to try listening with it set large AND small to see which sound you like the best. Also when set to small, you could also try fiddling with the sub's crossover point. 80hz is the benchmark but you might get a more pleasing result with your speakers if you try listening with your sub crossed to 40hz or 100hz instead.

[@paul8926]

Dan...thanks for the information. Makes a lot of sense!

[@MocpacXYZ]

Hi, thinking to do an Atmos 5.1.4 system. I after your video I like the idea of getting better speaker over "basic". So I change my mind of using Klipsh R-150m (X4) and R-25C to Reference Premier series. So at this point I will get Klipsch RP-160m (L/R), RP-440c (center), and RP-150m (RL/RR), R-10SWI (Sub) & 4 Klipsch RIC-65 6.5"in ceiling for atmos. And now that I'm ready to buy I'm having second toughs about front towers or not. So RP-250F instead of RP-160m. Driver in this case will be 5-1/4" x2 vs 6-1/2". So both are RP series and I have the sub already (Got it in a too good sale). What Will you do? Distance front to listening area 10 feet & 4.5 Feet from the back

[@kcmega007]

hi, i have a question,, about high end ( expensive and budget ) speakers , do we actually really need a $1000 OR more to have the best sounding for an home theater experience vs a $300 or below a thousands pricing speakers

[@404010ful]

Hi good video . I use system audio floor stands they are old 1130s if you heard of them. I'm bi amping with them now.

[@toorop111]

Thanks for the video guys! I'm running a 2.1 system. 2-mini monitor 7 bookshelf. 1-monitor 7 10" sub Cambridge audio azur551R version 1. My room is a good size but if it was 5 ft longer it would be more ideal.

[@rohitvijayan6674]

Great videos!! Gene i live in india i was looking to buy the polk t50 5.1s entry level 5.1 one package with tower for my room which is the size of 12 ft by 14ft. When i checked online all the reviews are inclining towards pioneer sppk52 5.1 s. Also if i was to place the tower speaker on tv wall unit built from wood 80 cm off the floor 100cm apart will it effect the sound out and quality?

[@bobdigi88]

I have a complete wharfdale 9 setup apart from the sub which is an Elac 10. The 9.1 bookshelf s are decent quality although getting on a bit now. But my room is 10' by 7' and they are powerful enough for me. One day I'll probably buy some towers. But these are good for a good few years more yet.

[@mkygod]

Isn't size of the room a big consideration too? I got a 11x11 room and i got a couple full-size PSB speaker towers and im left wondering if I did myself a disservice going with these than rather than bookshelves. I've read that smaller speakers tend to image better in small spaces. I bought these speakers on the basis that I would never need to upgrade when i move into a bigger place.

[@cme4brain11]

+mkygod Those of us with small listening rooms have to be careful with speaker purchases. My room is 11X17. Smaller higher quality speakers, like bookshelves, might be the better way to go, add a (smaller) subwoofer.

[@kurtrh63]

I enjoy both 2 channel audio using just my Klipsch RF-83 towers for vinyl ( Pro-Ject Debut Carbon DC - Ortofon Bronze ) or CD , Denon 4308 - Oppo BDP-103 , also 5.1 for either films or great surround mixes like the DVD-A's of Porcupine Tree , Steven Wilson's solo albums on Blu-Ray , Grace , Raven and the new and extremely dynamic Hand.Cannot.Erase using my RC-64 Klipsch center and RS-62 Klipsch Bipole surrounds along with my Paradigm Monitor Sub 12. As well as the great 5.1 mixes Steven has and is doing for classic albums from Jethro Tull , Yes , King Crimson etc. I prefer a 'full range' tower but both bookshelf and tower can be equally good audio solutions depending on the overall use and how the room is set up. My 5.1 is in a 14X12 room that has had some acoustic panels installed at first reflection points and behind the towers ( which are close to 2ft out from the back wall ) I also have a B&K reference 5X200 Home Theater amp but after trying the Denon 4308 without the amp I prefer its sound. Of course the Klipsch are a sensitive speaker and the current from the Denon has no problem driving the volume louder than I need for the room size. Another in a long line of excellent and informative video's , thanks guys !

i Have just baught the new Dali Speakers Opticon 8 who is a tower speaker.. My old Tower speaker was big big Proson Dobbel 10.. now i want a more cleaner sound and have a subwoofer 14, also from Dali.. and i have smal, real smal Dali surround speakers and a little bit bigger but stil smal speakers for my surround back.. this setup i use A Denon Receiver x4200 and a power amp two channel for my L&R front speakers (Nad 275) i hope i get this setup to play very good for my movies... and bether than before on music.. what do you Folks think about my setup?

[@inglouriousmofo]

+Alexander Hole Sounds like you have a pretty good setup there!

[@inglouriousmofo]

A Yamaha RX-A1040 powering JBL studio 190s for towers which are bi-amp'd, and loft series for all the other speakers. It sounds quite clear and a lot better than many setups I've heard. I wanted smaller surrounds and didn't want to pay a lot of money so the loft series did the trick quite nicely.

[@bigjune4899]

Great video, I have a pair of Klipsch Synergy B-20 w/ 12" Bic America sub

[@youngblood23rb]

We need more Content Captain! Great video as usual guys, always look forward to new Audioholics content

[@TheNastrond]

I have ultra towers, bookshelves and centre but no sub. They sound great and the bass will rattle the walls through the built in subs in the towers. To anyone who has the standalone SVS subs - is there a great difference with sub or no sub.

[@bernarddussault2365]

can it depend on the size of the room ? my mirage om-9 are to close to the rear wall (no choice . appartement livingroom) .and it cause booming at certain frequencys . of cours they ere rear firing! (my mistake of purchasing them)

[@Arnabsexplore]

Pioneer sp-fs52 vs dali zensor 1 which one is better?

[@socksumi]

Don't forget scale. The larger the wave launch the bigger the sound. The size of the sound source determines the size and distribution pattern of the sound waves it launches. large waves also interact with typical listening rooms similar to live instruments. In real life most instruments (like a piano) are not point sources like the typical mini monitors people listen to but large three dimensional radiators. This is why many people prefer dipole planar and electrostatics speakers. Not just for their supposed resolution but because they launch sound waves in a way live closer to that of live instruments than do point source radiators.

[@clausey007]

2 x Focal Solo 6BE studio monitors. Couldn't be happier.

[@ocostich]

I don't think the issue is $500 bookshelf speakers versus $500 towers. I think it's more likely $500 bookshelf speakers plus stands or should I spend more and get the same series towers. By the time you add in stands and a sub (or two) it likely costs no more. For 2-channel I prefer towers because the sound seems more integrated. It also makes my wife happier to use less floor space.

[@MaZEEZaM]

Also worth noting, unless you spend as much on the bookshelf stands as on the speakers themselves you are likely to be limited to pretty darn ugly speaker stands. Whereas it's far easier to find nice looking tower speakers, also adding subs isn't necessarily a good thing if you value your neighbours, sub level sound REALLY travels and is difficult to isolate in your listening room.

[@Find_your_piece]

New subscriber I'm doing an outdoor covered theater in my backyard Tight budget and I wanna use outdoor speakers. Any thoughts ....I just bought my first AVR Denon 4200 9.2 and it will be here tomorrow so now I'm speaker shopping. Theater will be in closed on 3 sides. Looking to do 5.2.4 set up Can you guys help me out?

[@puresound1856]

Great video! What do I use and why? B&W nautilus 804 (tower speakers). I listen to stereo music. Never had a real need to add a subwoover. Also my wife would not let me :)

[@dominicdo]

what do you think of using ls50w along with a svs ultra 16? would this balance out?

[@SaintKimbo]

How do run modern subs with bookshelf speakers, I would like to do this, but modern subs seem to only have line level inputs on them. My ancient old Yamaha sub has 2 sets of speaker terminals so you can daisy chain from them to your speakers, but I want to upgrade to a better sub or 2 and I can't see a way to join them, I don't want to use a home theatre reciever and my pre amp doesn't have sub 'outs. Any suggestions?

[@TysonHook-22-]

+Saint Kimbo Your gonna have to get an AV receiver if you want the best performance from your sound system... basically no point in spending money on multiple speakers and subs without having a proper receiver to power them all. modern receivers will have separate channels for each speaker and most will have 2 dedicated sub channels so you dont have to daisy chain/pass thru or y spit anything....makes setup a lot easier and helps ensures you get the best listening experience from your setup.