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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
julie_priest
131 posts
 

Bookshelves that are well made will thump just as well as many floorstanders. Genelec 8351B or Dynaudio Confidence/Contour lines, or ProAc. And if you really need the low end, which in modern city apartments is seldom missed on speakers like these, you can add subwoofers which add value to floorstanding too. Note that Genelecs are 3-way, as are Dutch & Dutch or Kii Three. 

If you have the space of a gigantic house to house floorstanding , sure. But the notion that you need that format for a "full range" sound is tediously passe. 

blackbag20
407 posts
 

 

Good advice from @soix

Might check in with The Music Room, Ascend Audio or Zu Audio ... especially Ascend.  All have models in budget and have 30 day return policies.

retrocrownfan's avatar
retrocrownfan
128 posts
 

Stand mounts are a good suggestion. Wharfedale, Mission  and others are offering throwback big baffle speakers that are selling at a wild pace…at Mid Fi prices. I love my Wharfedale 85th Anniversary Lintons, stand mounted with good cables and a speaker level output REL T-Series sub.

audioman58's avatar
audioman58
3,878 posts
 

A very high book shelf will image better ,if you have a very high quality subwoofer then no problem for it’s necessary if not then a bigger floor stander Quality does count !

jonasandezekiel OP
156 posts
 

@ltmandella maybe I’m mis-labeling my speakers as “bookshelves” when they’re really “stand mounts”….I have Legacy’s Studio HD speakers. They’re about the same size as your DeCapos. I actually considered yours before I bought my mine. 
Bass is good, and I have a good subwoofer to compliment it, but I was thinking I needed more coverage in my larger room. Maybe soix is right….just get another sub.

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