Floor standing vs bookshelf speakers

Floor Standing vs Bookshelf Speakers

For most of us, we all know that built-in speakers, such as those in TV’s and laptops, do not always offer the best sound. One of the greatest ways to upgrade them is by buying floorstanding or bookshelf speakers.

Since both speakers are different, many people are not exactly sure as to which one to get. There are instances where you can get both to really power up your sound system, and we’ll briefly touch on that soon. With that being said, let’s take a look at each type of speaker and what they are used for.

What are Floorstanding Speakers?

Also referred as Tower Speakers, floor standing speakers are built to be on the ground because they have a stand at their base. They stand on the floor without requiring extra support. This type of speaker is usually rectangular in shape and are tall, like a tower.

Without question they are bigger than bookshelf speakers. They are also more powerful given their capabilities. If you are looking to get some serious bass for your music or movies, floor standing speakers will do the trick.

Usually they are sold as a pair, but you don’t have to get two. It all depends on exactly what you want. If you just want a little something extra, bookshelf speakers maybe for you.

Pros

Powerful Connectivity Options

You can do so much with these types of speakers because of what they are designed to do. You can juice them up with power amps, pre-amps, center channel speakers, subwoofers and so much more. The opportunities are endless. On the other hand, if you don’t want to go that in-depth, they will still provide an incredible audio experience.

Better Bass

Most of the tower speakers today have cutting-edge technology when it comes to bass. Powerful, rich sound that can enhance your Marvel movie and classic rock experience. The type of bass that can get your soul vibrating to the emotions that the director intended it to be.

Enhances Full Display

The design of floor standing speakers alone are almost always created to appeal to the eye. They are sexy, bold and fit in just about any corner in your house. Most audiophiles place them next to their TV, but it doesn’t really matter where you place them – it always looks great.

Cons

Sometimes can be bulky and take up lots of space

Not everyone cares about this, but its worth it to let you know that it can be a disadvantage. They are big, tall and sometimes really heavy that it requires two people to move them around. With that being said, make sure you lay out exactly how you want your sound system to look like, so you aren’t constantly changing things around. Plan ahead.

More Expensive

With big sound, comes a big price tag. Some of these babies can be upwards of $10,000. Although you can also find plenty of great options under $500. It all depends on what you’re willing to spend.

What are Bookshelf Speakers?

Anyone can get confused on the bookshelf portion of the name. They aren’t necessarily made for just bookshelves. The name itself is merely an indication that you can mount them on pretty much any raised surface throughout your home.

You can place them on your work desk, a drawer, on a shelf and you can mount them on a wall. Basically they are smaller speakers than tower speakers, but bigger than portable wireless speakers.

Most are also rectangular in shape, but much shorter and smaller in general than floor standing speakers. Just because they are small, doesn’t mean they don’t have some power behind them. There are plenty of amazing bookshelf speakers that can seriously power up your sound system. In fact, we highlight the best by budget.

Pros

Less Bulky

You can literally put these anywhere and it won’t take up too much space in your home. Today, bookshelf speakers are created with a sleek design, small and compact. This gives the owner plenty of creative ways on where to place them.

Clear and Natural Sound

Although you may not get as powerful of a bass than the tower speakers, you will get unbelievable clear sound (as long as you get a good pair). Some people don’t like the brighter sound that bigger speakers provide, so they go with a smaller and more compact speaker, like these.

Versatile

Just like the bigger speakers, these will also give you the opportunity to hook them up with power amps, pre-amps, center channels and much more. If you wanted to juice them up more than what they are, you can do that, just not as much as floor-standing speakers.

Ok, so everything is sounding pretty good right now, but let’s take a look at what we don’t like about this model. Here’s the deal, if you want to power up your sound system, you will need to get one of these options. Hopefully after reading both the advantages and disadvantages, you narrow down what you want, and what will make you happy.

Cons

Less Powerful

This all depends on what you are comparing. Some instances, there are bookshelf speakers that are more powerful than tower speakers. However, if you are comparing price range, you will get less power out of these.

Bass

Bass is very close to the power that we just pointed out, but it should be considered in its own class. If you look around and do your research smart enough, you can find some of these that have outstanding bass. However, most will not have the same bass level as the floor standing speakers.

Conclusion

Regardless of what you choose, you will be making a great decision. Upgrading your sound system, or implementing a new one from scratch, is one of the best feelings in the world. Without question, we want you to experience that!

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