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Why "bookshelf" sspeakers?

This is not a rhetorical question. I’m asking because I don’t know.

The question is this: What is the point of "bookshelf" style speakers if they are not going on a bookshelf or table? In other words they are on speaker stands.

Here is the reason I’m asking. For a short time I had a pair of Aerial Acoustics 5T speakers along with a pair of Aerial Acoustics 6T towers (which I still have).

I listened to each set of speakers through a Bryston AV amp. I felt like the 6Ts sounded much better. More bass. Fuller sound. (I think a subwoofer would have resolved that easily for the 5Ts.)

The 5Ts are not exactly small and would barely fit on most bookshelves (although they are front ported and recommended for bookshelves by AE). The ones I listened to were on heavy metal stands which made them almost as big and heavy as the 6Ts.

So why buy smaller speakers which need to go on large heavy stands that make them as big as a floor standing speaker and not sound as good? Space saving does not seem to be the answer and I see some ’bookshelf’ speakers that are a good bit bigger than the AE 5ts.

I’m sure there must be a good reason since I see many people with them. And of course my assumption that a floor stander sounds better than a bookshelf might be wrong.

I guess cost comes into play somewhere in the equation as well.

Interested in people’s thoughts on this.

n80

Showing 2 responses by n80

n80 OP
2,107 posts
 

There are several points I don't understand:

1. "Bigger floor-mounted boxes may have coloration from cabinet vibrations and resonance which can impact the coherence and detail of the midband."

It seems to me that any poorly designed cabinet can have issues, small or large. For a comparison to matter I think we'd have to compare well designed towers vs well designed bookshelfs.

2. The point keeps getting made that stand mounted speakers and subs are easier to position in a room to optimize room acoustics. Why would this be any different from floorstanders. The Aerial Acoustics 5Ts on heavy stands were no easier to move  or position than the 6T towers. And subs aren't exclusive to stand mount systems so they can be used with towers too.

I'm just playing devil's advocate here. I'm not in the market for speakers and this was just something that puzzled me.

 

n80 OP
2,107 posts
 

Thanks for all the replies. A couple of thoughts:

I know the term "bookshelf" my be antiquated or inaccurate but looking around I do see several high end makers that call their own "small" speakers "bookshelf speakers" and some claim they will work against a wall.

Aerial Acoustics calls their 5Ts "small" speakers. "Small" being relative of course. With their sand filled stands they were no smaller or lighter than the 6T floor standers and with the stands not a bit more flexible in terms of positioning.

As for adding subs to bookshelf speakers on stands, I personally don’t see how that is any better than medium towers with subs. Same size, same space, same flexibility.

I do understand that cost can be a factor with small vs floorstanding speakers but when you add the cost of high end stands and the necessity of subwoofers then the savings aren’t as big as they seem.

So for me, unless a small speaker will perform well on a shelf or a table and not absolutely require subs, I don’t see a great appeal.

But some of that can be chalked up to my inexperience. If you have bookshelf speakers on stands with subs and you are happy with how they sound then the form factor is irrelevant.

 

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