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bookshelf or floorstander

I've been researching bookshelf speakers for a while now. Originally I wanted them because of the space I projected putting them in... but now it doesn't matter if I have a bookshelf or a floorstander.

What are, if any, the sound advantages in a bookshelf speaker versus a floorstander and visa-versa? I mean, I know a floorstander will have more extended bass and placement may be easier with a bookshelf... but besides this, what about soundstage, etc...?

BTW, my listening room is about 12'x15'.
djembeplay
s7horton
1,077 posts
 
Regarding midrange, upper end, and imaging, you get more, dollar for dollar with a book shelf than you do with a floor stander. With the book shelf, you aren't paying for the extra cabinet that goes to the floor, or the design of the bass portion of the speaker.

If you value imaging far more than bass response, I would definitely audition book shelf speakers before floor standers.
pbb
1,140 posts
 
No reason in the world to get bookshelf speakers when you factor in the cost of good stands. Put the money you would spend on stands on your floor standing speaker purchase and I am sure you will wind up with more speaker, literally and sonically.
davetherave
95 posts
 
one of the British hi-fi mags tested the main monitor vs. the equivalent floorstander within the same line among 4 or 5 different speaker manufacturers (e.g., Quad 11L monitor vs. Qud 21L floorstander). The exact lines/models tested escape my memory, but the article concluded that the monitors delivered better overall performance. I think that at the price point tested (not megabucks), the floorstanders produced more bass, but lower quality (i.e., flabbier) bass.
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djembeplay OP
179 posts
 
Good to hear. Thanks for the responses.

Ya, I heard that about 30% of what we hear coming from a typical speaker is from cabinet resonance... which would make sense that this would give bookshelf speakers a clear advantage just based on the simple principle that the sound waves have less room and surface are to bounce around and collide with eachother on.
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