Medium sized speakers

[thewinelake.]

Just wondering what happened to medium sized speakers - eg original Tannoy Mercuries. These days the market seems to have split into bookshelf, small stand-mounted and floor standers. I presume that technology has allowed the middle group to do all that larger enclosures could do in the past?

 

[davedotco]

I think it is just that.

Full size stand mount speakers are large, can be ugly due to the stands and, because of their more extended bass, more difficult to place.

Something like this is a very hard sell in the current market.

There is no way that this would be acceptable in many modern homes.

Despite my strong preference for stand mounts in all but the biggest of domestic rooms, I have actually recently bought a pair of small floor standers.

 

[tonky]

It's very acceptable in mine - but I know what you mean.

tonky - naim unitilite - epos es14

 

[BigH]

Yes its true in UK the trend is for smaller speakers, this I believe is partly room size but more looks and fitting into modern living room space. As a consequence many speakers try to produce more bass than similar size speakers did in the past. There are always compromises with speakers so no not really do all that larger size cabinets. Personally I don't many modern speakers.

 

[tino]

Why don't they make more "floor-sitters" like the Klipsch Heresy ... they would probably integrate well in a modern environent if they could be matched to furniture ... and you could put a plant on top! 😉

 

[plastic penguin]

Don't necessarily agree. While the height and width are more petite they more than make up for it with depth. Models such as Kef R300 look like a floorstander turned sideways.

 

[Leeps]

Yes its true in UK the trend is for smaller speakers, this I believe is partly room size but more looks and fitting into modern living room space. As a consequence many speakers try to produce more bass than similar size speakers did in the past. There are always compromises with speakers so no not really do all that larger size cabinets. Personally I don't many modern speakers.

Agreed. It's really noteworthy how many reviews of small standmount speakers or brochures for them, say something like, "it's amazing how much bass they produce for a speaker of this size." Am I alone in NOT wanting the music completely distracted by bloaty flatulent bass?

Meghan Trainor's got a lot to answer for! It really is NOT 'all about the bass'. Standmount speakers should stop trying to be floorstanders and be content with playing to their natural strengths of detail, accuracy, timing and lush midrange, and just let the bass roll off and be done with it.

Speaker design is subject to fashion though; my old Monitor Audio R252's were pretty big for standmounts and came with their own short wooden stands. But visually more speakers now are narrow but deep, giving the illusion they are smaller than they really are.

 

[Al ears]

Just wondering what happened to medium sized speakers - eg original Tannoy Mercuries. These days the market seems to have split into bookshelf, small stand-mounted and floor standers. I presume that technology has allowed the middle group to do all that larger enclosures could do in the past?

If you can ever find a pair I would suggest the EB Acoustics EB2's.