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Should I graduate to floor standers or will larger bookshelves suffice?

Hey guys,
I moved into a larger space several years ago, more of an open floor plan, and soon realized that my current speakers, Legacy Studio HD, in a surround array, might be a bit overwhelmed. It’s a weird, asymmetrical space, but it’s also significantly larger than my previous one. So the title of my post says it all…can I still get adequate coverage with bookshelf speakers, or do I now need floor standers? A friend told me to basically “sit closer to the tv” but that isn’t practical.

I thought about the Calibres from Legacy as an option, which is about my price range…up to 7k or so. I also see all these great internet only brands, like Fritz, or Philharmonic, etc, and I hear about their prodigious extension and sound stage, but can these bookshelves fill my room, or any room for that matter?

Let me also add, I have no problem graduating to floor standers, so suggestions are also welcome.

Thanks in advance.

jonasandezekiel

Showing 4 responses by kennyc

kennyc
1,242 posts
 

@larsman

@kennyc - What are MSB 120 and 126? The only MSB I'm familiar with makes very high-end DACs and amps, not speakers

Whoops, I meant MBL here . 

kennyc
1,242 posts
 

OP- I heard the Revel be speakers at audio shows and I liked the sound. Also got some favorable reviews. But I know some didn’t care for the sound.

Like most thing high-end audio it’s a matter of subjective sonic preferences - it’s best to listen for yourself to find what “you” like.

Floorstanders are generally superior because of the added bass extension which was tuned to match the midrange and tweeter.  While one could get a stand mount and supplement with subwoofers, but matching is typically difficult and usually subpar than a floorstander.

On a side note many use a subwoofer fill out and/or add bass energy. However, some including myself plan to use “articulate” subwoofers to match my “articulate” full range floorstanders to reach lower bass AND to support the rest of the upper frequencies (it fill it out for a more full/complete sound).

kennyc
1,242 posts
 

 I’ve always had a soft spot for stand mounts.

Me too.  Although I prefer and own floor standers for maximum  fidelity, space and time, and budget permitting I'd like to explore stand mounts:

  • Mofi PointSource 10 - demoed and big Andrew Jones fan, will purchase 
  • MSB 120 and 126 - if I move to an open concept kitchen/living area, these are my first choice in addition to my main system (I dream of a dedicated listening room...with decent dimensions)
  • Fritz speakers uses top parts at reasonable price points.
  • British nearfield speakers like from Rogers
  • Joseph Audio Pulsar - a close slice of their top floorstander
  • Harbeth + Hegel : ideal match, I'm trying to justify owning this additional system
  • Fleetwood Deville SQ - from positive reviews seems supremely musical, want to demo
  • Crystal Cable Minissimo - excellent reviews, and the option of adding their Subissimo low-bass system seems to be seamless integration
kennyc
1,242 posts
 

@jonasandezekiel Can you keep both, or maybe hang onto both for awhile while you compare sonic presentations? Seems very educational, and fun.  

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