Rooms Size vs Stand Mounts vs Floor Standers

[plastic penguin]

Sounds like a good case for active speakers.

Possibly. It depends whether he can make them work within your current system/connectivity.

 

[plastic penguin]

Harb's definitely aren't for everyone. It's always what sounds best to your ears, works best in your room and fits your budget. Such a lot of trial and error, I do not envy you and wishing you the best of luck

Agreed. Although those P3s are one of the best I've demoed for vocals, but this is just my opinion, they aren't the best all-rounders. The better all-rounder, I guess, from Harb would be the C7, but they are much bigger and far more expensive.

 

[nopiano]

I have internet problems here in the Welsh Valley where I reside and I was merely going to complement those lovely looking speakers at the front. Are they the ATCs? In addition I felt a little stupid not knowing which they were so I bottled out of replying. 🥴

No need! I did mention ATC twice, but I realise not everyone knows them. Yes, they’re the SCM40 passives, rrp £4200 today.

The others look fabulous closer up, as they’re handmade using similar techniques to the Italian violin makers, hence the Guarneri moniker.

If your Welsh Valley is southern, then we are only in Monmouthshire close to the A465. A visit can be arranged if you’re interested.

 

[JDL]

No need! I did mention ATC twice, but I realise not everyone knows them. Yes, they’re the SCM40 passives, rrp £4200 today.

The others look fabulous closer up, as they’re handmade using similar techniques to the Italian violin makers, hence the Guarneri moniker.

If your Welsh Valley is southern, then we are only in Monmouthshire close to the A465. A visit can be arranged if you’re interested.

Hello again nopiano. That would be lovely to meet up some time.
I live with my twin brother about 10 miles directly East of Aberteifi. I'd better call that Cardigan ha ha.
Both those sets of speakers look the business and I'm sure they sound the business.
I just acquired a pair of B&W 805 Matrix stand mounters from the early 90s. I did a fair bit of reading about them before taking the plunge. So far I'm very happy that I got them. I'm sure someone here will definitely find this amusing.

 

[nopiano]

Hello again nopiano. That would be lovely to meet up some time.
I live with my twin brother about 10 miles directly East of Aberteifi. I'd better call that Cardigan ha ha.
Both those sets of speakers look the business and I'm sure they sound the business.
I just acquired a pair of B&W 805 Matrix stand mounters from the early 90s. I did a fair bit of reading about them before taking the plunge. So far I'm very happy that I got them. I'm sure someone here will definitely find this amusing.

Wow, I’d need to look up those B&Ws. Their ranges always confused me a bit as there seemed to be so many 80x models. I did hear the big-uns in Abbey Road no 1 studio many years ago, but that story can keep!

 

[twinkletoes]

if you know it’s the room and a placement issue ( you mentioned moving them out solved a lot of your problems) forgive me but I fail to see the point of spending money?

Wouldn’t it be better to explain to your better half that you want to play with the position and see if you can find a place that you can both live with before spending money.

It’s free and moving them 15cm out isn’t going to effect your living space. At least going by the drawing you attached.

Even if just a a short lived experiment, at least you’ll have a better understand of the sort of speaker that would work better in you space.

The new QA5040 get good reviews. I'm going to try and listen to a pair and see if they have that top end sparkle I'm missing with the QA3030i. The footprint seems to be about the same.

There's lots of Spendor, ProAc, Harbeth and ATC mentioned in these speaker discussions, but no mention of QA.

Are people dismissive of this brand, because they don't have that really high price tag?

I don't think QA have made a bad speaker, since the brand appeared ages ago.

many brands aren’t mentioned, wrongly or rightly there are many brands that are “better” klipsch heritage range, revel , jbl , newer missions, psb, klh, Russel k, tannoy and many many more! problem being precious few dealers stock these brands and it’s a proper shame because many would find there sound if they where able. I know my sound lie well outside the usual suspects.

 

[JDL]

I love Wales, and its people. We're seriously thinking to retire there, maybe Snowdonia, maybe West, maybe South, hopefully some day. 😊

I hope you manage it. Wales is a lovely place with a small population compared with many parts of England. West Wales is gorgeous.
Do you know, I went out for five days and accidentally left my door unlocked. When I got home, the house was as I'd left it.

 

[JDL]

if you know it’s the room and a placement issue ( you mentioned moving them out solved a lot of your problems) forgive me but I fail to see the point of spending money?

Wouldn’t it be better to explain to your better half that you want to play with the position and see if you can find a place that you can both live with before spending money.

It’s free and moving them 15cm out isn’t going to effect your living space. At least going by the drawing you attached.

Even if just a a short lived experiment, at least you’ll have a better understand of the sort of speaker that would work better in you space.

many brands aren’t mentioned, wrongly or rightly there are many brands that are “better” klipsch heritage range, revel , jbl , newer missions, psb, klh, Russel k, tannoy and many many more! problem being precious few dealers stock these brands and it’s a proper shame because many would find there sound if they where able. I know my sound lie well outside the usual suspects.

I wouldn't like to stick my nose in so to speak or butt in to the conversation but as far as speakers go, I would take reviews, especially from "What Hi-Fi" with a pinch of salt. I bought a pair of KEF LS50 Metas multi award winning speakers, highly recommended by said reviewers, and I found them distinctly underwhelming. The B&W 707 S2, a similar speaker has only received a 4 star rating from them, yet in my view it's a far better speaker than the KEF LS50 Meta. I know these aren't the kind of speaker you're looking into but speakers are probably the most subjective of all components. They'll render a different sound in different places and placements and sound completely different to different people. If anything needs to be auditioned it's speakers.

 

[Al ears]

EXACTLY.

Why.
There will be limitations with any speaker whether it has an internal amp or not.

 

[Al ears]

I hope you manage it. Wales is a lovely place with a small population compared with many parts of England. West Wales is gorgeous.
Do you know, I went out for five days and accidentally left my door unlocked. When I got home, the house was as I'd left it.

used to be able to do that where I am in the valleys, however, no longer unfortunately.

 

[JDL]

used to be able to do that where I am in the valleys, however, no longer unfortunately.

Oh I'm sorry to hear that. Things are changing without a doubt. Even though no-one has tried to break in here for years, I still worry when I go out and I was mortified when I realised I'd left the door unlocked.

 

[jonbhoy67]

I went from Focal standmounts to Proac Floorstanding speakers in a 5m x 4m room and there was a big jump in how the speakers were able to fill the room. Admittedly, the Proacs are far more capable speakers but I suspect the difference would also hold true in most cases of similar speakers.

 

[AJM1981]

The thing to mainly focus at in sound when comparing floorstanders with standmount systems are sub-bass frequencies.

A few facts
- Not all music has sub bass frequencies
- Not all movies utilise a subwoofer and most of them focus on dialog rather than bass

- Not all music through time is perfectly mastered with a sub in mind. Some none audiophile music contains “thrash bass frequencies” in other words, it is mixed on bookshelf speakers and some aides but not well monitored in the lowest regions
As soon as you are adding a sub there is clutter at the bottom which sometimes is even corrected with a remaster (when having a popular song)

Most radiostations mix through a variety of devices to get a fatter sound and with a sub this sound gets even more emphasis

So that is why I like to keep sub-bass separated from the top end and work with a standmount + subwoofer instead of with large floorstanders that don’t fully go where the better subwoofers go, but kind of reach in there.

This way I can turn it on for the experience of upright bass in classic jazz, but turn it off for 4 on the floor Old skool dance or on or off for hiphop when neighbors are at home or aren’t

Having floorstanders everything is in that package and you would need an equaliser to kind of do the same.

I prefer hard cuts with the sub on or off.

 

[Witterings]

I guess the obvious answer to my original question was to try it which I have and can definitely say bookshelves are absolutely fine ... this may depend on the size, the smallest I've tried are Elac B5.2 which present as a bigger speaker than other bookshelves and are great.

I'm currently back to backing a pair of floorstanders that suffer some "bass boom" boom with a small number of tracks but with most are sublime or standmounts that don't boom but aren't overall as good as the floorstanders ... tough decision.

Cheers for everybody's input, much appreciated.

 

[manicm]

I guess the obvious answer to my original question was to try it which I have and can definitely say bookshelves are absolutely fine ... this may depend on the size, the smallest I've tried are Elac B5.2 which present as a bigger speaker than other bookshelves and are great.

I'm currently back to backing a pair of floorstanders that suffer some "bass boom" boom with a small number of tracks but with most are sublime or standmounts that don't boom but aren't overall as good as the floorstanders ... tough decision.

Cheers for everybody's input, much appreciated.

Haven't read all the posts here, so forgive me if I'm repeating. If your standmount speakers are not in an optimal situation e.g. in a bookshelf etc, then you need to seriously give a subwoofer consideration, especially since you say some tracks are preferable with floorstanders or vice versa.

In a constricted space, I would evaluate all options i.e. smaller speakers + sub, soundbar, all-in-one system like a Technics Ottawa or Naim Muso.

But let's leave out the soundbars and all-in-ones, have you considered two speakers tbat no-one seems to have mentioned here?

Many Dalis wil work well close to a wall, and without toe-in. Then there's also Neats to consider, maybe used ones as new are a bit pricey.