If money allows it, towers with subs can't be beat imo. I got very big PBN MONTANA XPS speakers with dual 10" woofers and I still would not part with my dual Rythmick F12 subs. It's not that these large towers don"t have enough bass, it's more how much more they open up at all frequencies when backed up by the subs.
LS50 + Sub Or Floorstander?
I’ve been happy with my LS50s from the day I got them. But there’s no getting around the fact that they are small bookshelf speakers. While bookshelves undoubtedly have their advantages (ease of placement, imaging, coherence), I find myself thirsting for the bass and sense of a floorstander. Particularly the bass.
I’ve been preparing myself for the thoroughly enjoyable task of making my rounds of NYC’s stereo stores, listening to some of the many well-received floorstanders in the $3,000 range. Maybe even blow the doors out on a pair of Proac DT8s.
But is that the best way to go? What if I add a subwoofer(s)? That will solve my bass problems, right? Probably better than most floorstanders. But will it give me the sense of big, orchestral scale that I associate with floorstanders? (I don’t listen to a lot of orchestras but I still want a sense of scale.)
I listen to indie rock and jazz, 66/33. (One percent for Sinatra.) My room is a thoroughly medium sized 15x20. I think it would be perfectly happy with a small floorstander and none that I’ve read about top 40 inches.
After all is said and done, new cables are bought, the LS50s are sold, etc., the bookshelf plus sub configuration will be significantly cheaper than the floorstander. No small consideration.
I’d much rather make this decision based on first-hand listening but I don’t think that will be possible. I’ve never heard of anyone auditioning a subwoofer, probably because of the difficulty of setting it up properly. So I need all the help I can get.
Thanking you in advance.