Bookshelf Vs Floorstanders, no context in my experience.

[Vond]

Subject: Bookshelf vs Floorstanders – No Contest in My Experience

Dear fellow Hi-Fi enthusiasts,

I’ve been reflecting on the age-old debate between bookshelf (or standmount) speakers and full-sized floorstanders, and I’d like to share my experience—perhaps to spark some friendly discussion.

In my opinion, there’s simply no substitute for what floorstanders can do, especially when it comes to low frequencies, scale, and sheer presence. No matter how well-engineered a small speaker might be, I don’t believe it can truly match the full-bodied sound, room-filling capability, and effortless bass extension of a large loudspeaker.

I own and have lived with both types. As much as I appreciate the clarity and precision of small monitors like the Dynaudio Emit 10 and KEF bookshelf models, I can’t help but feel like I’m giving them a kind of "death sentence" when I hook them up to serious amplification—such as my Yamaha C-3 preamp and M-4 power amp. These amps deserve a proper load to drive, and so do the recordings.

When I connect my Tannoy Cheviots (with 12” Gold drivers, weighing 30 kilos each) or my Dynaudio Audience 70 floorstanders, the system breathes. The music comes alive with weight, authority, and presence. The small speakers simply can’t compete in that department—at least not in a medium to large-sized room and certainly not at realistic listening levels.

Of course, not everyone has the space or budget for large speakers, and that’s fair. But it’s a shame that nowadays, many truly substantial speakers seem to be reserved for the wealthy few. Good furniture-grade cabinets, proper drivers, and hefty build quality are costly to produce—and it shows.

I’d be interested to hear what others think. Have you made the switch one way or the other? And if you prefer standmounts, do you feel you're giving anything up in terms of scale or bottom-end realism?

Warm regards,
Reginald Mintoff
(Malta)

 

[daytona600]

Married - Bookshelf
Single - Floorstanders
-
"there's no substitute for cubic inches"
Bass Guitar , Church Organ , Synth
Tiny speaker with 4inch driver bit pointless 10-15inch drivers only way

 

[Al ears]

Married - Bookshelf
Single - Floorstanders
-
"there's no substitute for cubic inches"
Bass Guitar , Church Organ , Synth
Tiny speaker with 4inch driver bit pointless 10-15inch drivers only way

I believe I read somewhere that the ideal size for a woofer is between 10 and 12 inches, which is why many speaker manufacturers double up on small woofers, because you aren't likely to find that sized woofer in a standmount speaker.
That said there are a few exceptions like the Mofi Sourcepoint 10 ........ but that's a big standmount.
Saying that my old Heybrook HB3's were technically standmounts so depends where you draw the line.

 

[Integralista]

Hi, you have sparked a nice discussion. I personaly prefer high sensitivity french floorstanders like my trusty old Cabasse Iroise 500 with two active Velodyne SPL 800 subwoofers, one per channel. But...very good high bandwidth bookshelfs have advantages in a room till some 20m². But we are speaking about speakers like Totem Acoustics Mani Two (second hand only) or Kudos Titan 505 or may be new Buchardt E50. These speakers have awsome nearly full range sound. They are not designed for high SPLs. My personal tip here is Totem Mani Two, this is realy unbelievably sounding "small" bookshelf. You just need some pretty powerful amp with some 300-400 W per side into 4 Ohms.😂Than the magic works. I have heard them with Mc Cormack Audio Pre/Power combo and turntable from Kuzma XL Reference and Benz Micro cartridge and it was amazing. Just out of my range that time. Kudos Titan 505 walk in footsteps of this old Totem masterpiece speaker.

 

[skinnypuppy71]

There is no comparison really...I love my standmount speakers, but if I lived in a detached villa somewhere, I'm sure I'd embrace the sonic attributes of floorstanders....neighbours and the neighbourhoods have to be accounted for.

 

[abacus]

It all depends on the room.
Floor standers can excite room modes giving very woolly or boomy sound and therefore a bookshelf speaker is the way to go in that instance.
A subwoofer (Whether you have floor standers or bookshelf) is also a must, as it can be positioned optimally to improve bass without exciting room modes. (NOTE: You should not hear the sub only the speakers, but you will notice if you turn it off)

Bill

 

[Al ears]

It all depends on the room.
Floor standers can excite room modes giving very woolly or boomy sound and therefore a bookshelf speaker is the way to go in that instance.
A subwoofer (Whether you have floor standers or bookshelf) is also a must, as it can be positioned optimally to improve bass without exciting room modes. (NOTE: You should not hear the sub only the speakers, but you will notice if you turn it off)

Bill

A subwoofer is not always a must......
Added expense, potentially difficult to integrate and, in some cases detrimental to the point of being a waste of money.
Granted if your set-up is for AV as well they may have a place.

 

[daytona600]

small , big & Western Electric
100year old cinema horns - Ultra rare now , price only a billionaire could afford

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1TiHj2j6GU

 

[davidf]

Conversely, a relatively budget standmount/bookshelf speaker can produce a holographic, three dimensional image that an equivalently priced floorstander just cannot, unless you spend a lot more money on them.

 

[Messiah]

Of course, not everyone has the space.

This is key really.

Ideally we need to get speakers to suit the room and it is not as simple as saying floorstanders will always be better than standmounts.

I would generally agree that floorstanders will give a more complete sound than their standmount counterparts in the same range. (It makes sense. In comparison, standmounts are more limited due to cabinet size).

BUT,

I would also say that standmounts paired with a decent sub could equal/better their larger counterparts.

Personally, I have only ever had small rooms and I have tried many floorstanders & standmount speakers. The standmounts (+ sub) have simply performed better in these rooms.

 

[Gray]

I appreciate the clarity and precision of small monitors

So do I.
I've had floorstanders on home loan - and tried some well out from the front wall in a demo room.
More bass yes, better bass no.

Agree about cone size though.
I had 2 x 12" drivers in each of my disco cabinets (and encountered car sized bass bins working in live music venues) - where it was a case of scale more than precision.

Standmount speakers give more than adequate bass for attached neighbours.
I'm surprised anyone manages to use subwoofers (to anything like their full potential) in attached houses.

 

[plastic penguin]

I've owned both over the years, it's more about room size and the current the amp produces than driver size, but I am basing this on my current room.

 

[skinnypuppy71]

I have a small summer house in which my Mytec brooklyn bridge /brooklyn amp plus drives the Dali Menuet se's with a rel t-zero subwoofer.......Floorstanders just would not work in that space......but holy crap.....the sound I can get in that 2x2x2 space is quite amazing from this tiny system.

 

[Vond]

It all depends on the room.
Floor standers can excite room modes giving very woolly or boomy sound and therefore a bookshelf speaker is the way to go in that instance.
A subwoofer (Whether you have floor standers or bookshelf) is also a must, as it can be positioned optimally to improve bass without exciting room modes. (NOTE: You should not hear the sub only the speakers, but you will notice if you turn it off)

Bill

Hi Bill, thanks for your input! I get where you're coming from, but I’d say a sub isn’t necessary if you have a well-matched system. My Dynaudio Audience 70s, driven properly by a capable amplifier, deliver deep, tight bass that more than holds its own. Floorstanders like these were designed to handle the full range—no sub needed unless the room or personal taste demands it.