Yes, indeed that is one way of going about it. If you are very careful about getting the timing right. If you can do that, then the trick is to make the bass very clear. When done right, it is a lot of fun. Thank you for adding that comment to the video and channel. There are a few who have been less experienced than I who take a hard line on floor standing speakers. Yet, I have even had problems with them and resorted to bookshelf speakers to great results and satisfaction. Please let others know about this channel and the other 230 plus videos. Please do subscribe as it encourages us to make the videos better and better. We have a lot more planned.
@@jimmyBside Thank you for adding your comment to the video and channel. I never really ran into that combination like so many others. I get a kick out of those who profess to have heard everything under every circumstance. Sometimes even the smallest of systems can do some pretty amazing things. Please tell others about our channel and the other 230 plus videos. Please subscribe as it helps us build this channel and continue to make improvements.
Years ago I had very large Pioneer floor speakers. I can’t recall the model, but they sounded excellent and were fairly expensive. I had the one cat who just loved to “scratch” at them. Fortunately he was declawed on his front paws. I used to “remind” him just how lucky he was. In case anyone fears that he was poorly treated; he lived to be 18yrs old, and though he’s been gone for many years, I still miss him.
When we bring a 4 legged into our lives, we become their Kahu. I'll let you look that one up. At the moment we lose them, there's a schism where part of us goes with them and part of them remains in us. It is good that we remember them as we learned as much about ourselves as we did about them. Audio comes and goes, it's just stuff. Life is what is important.
There’s also the size of the room as a factor, my small room wouldn’t tolerate floor standers so I had to move to Sonus Faber stand mounts. Thank you for an interesting and informative video.
I too had a similar situation many years ago going from Magneplaner MGIIs to Chartwell PM110s when my new home and room would not support the maggies. They sounded dreadful in a room with dormers. Thank you for your contribution to the video and channel. The room definitely plays a part in choosing speakers at any performance level. Please tell others about our channel and the other 230 plus videos. Please subscribe as it helps us build this channel and continue to make improvements.
Masterful! This topic touches me on so many levels and has provoked so many thoughts. First off, my familiarity with bookshelf speakers ties directly back to my first, decent system. In the early 70's. Back then it was a 'nice' pair of Yamaha 2-ways with a 10" woofer. They were with me through high school and college. Eventually they were replaced with my second set of towers, again Yamaha's. At that point, they might have been a slight improvement over the bookshelf's though rather similar. That was the mid-80's. Other slight upgrades were also occurring though not of major. significance - just gradual. I far prefer tower speakers for a variety of reasons. You address one of them related to their "footprint". Yes, they're a virtual equivalent to bookshelf speakers on stands. However, I truly prefer and currently love my "midFi" Tannoy Revolution XT-8F towers. Why? Because I find that there's much improved bass with a properly designed tower. As well, I also avoid rear-ported towers because they have too much interaction with the rear wall/corner they need to be placed in my listening room. The Tannoy's have a tuned "tower" and are downward ported cabinets whereby they have a substantial plinth as part of the speaker and its design. Lou, you're again spot on with regard to the depth in lower frequency "floor-standers" and the tuned resonance of the "tower", in ways is similar to a pipe organ's, lower "stops" - large wooden pipes that are tuned to a particular note. Another concern I have with bookshelf speakers, is that anymore in today's "audiophile world", they seems to beg for or drive the necessity for a sub-woofer. Just being a stubborn and pragmatic individual of German heritage, I don't like that idea. The way I figure, is that if I'm purchasing a decent pair of speakers, they should perform adequately if not better of their own accord. Last, as it regards audio, you raise and explain another important topic; that of "the cavity itself" if, the speaker is on an actual bookshelf. This was a problem i most recently and successfully addressed. But my issue was with my turntable's dustcover "howling" , within its own portion of my bookshelf, where it resides in a more expanded portion of the floor to ceiling bookshelf. That was "cured" by killing the resonance with a vibration absorbing sheet of Styrofoam craft board. Placed under my turntable the resonance was shut off - much the same as your description of surrounding a bookshelf speaker with a bunch of books. Thanks! And, thank you again for your priorities. Yes, please do love your children more than your speakers.
Thank you for the compliments and I try to make decent videos that hit the basic points. There are always variations and exceptions to many of my videos. Sometimes people make solid corrections. Read the comments, that's where the meat and potatoes can be found. Well, as for the New Year, my wife is, once again, in the care of the Cleveland Clinic for both minor surgery and bacterial infections. As a heart transplant recipient (twice actually in 4 years), she has a very suppressed immune system to prevent rejection. Been up there since December 13th when I did an emergency run from Virginia to there and started with the emergency room. I ended up getting a respiratory infection from the waiting room. It's finally clearing. Unfortunately, Deb and I are all to familiar with this battle. We shall see what 2025 brings.
Thank you for adding your comment to the video and channel. You can do some pretty interesting things with bookshelf speakers if, and I do mean if, you add books to the shelf and tune the system. Please do tell others about the channel as there are over 230 videos to view and so many more to do. Please do subscribe as it helps us grow the channel.
Trying to achieve a full range sound within a small room with minimal room gain can be quite challenging. My solution was to go with standmounts (bookshelves) and have them going full range with the help of a stereo pair of subwoofers. We all know that stereo speaker positioning is crucial. However, when subwoofers are within the set-up, one doesn't just obtain more flexibility but more control, too. Which is actually an extra bonus if one happens to have one of the stereo speakers closer to its sidewall than the other!
An absolutely good addition to the video and channel. It is one of the reasons I like full range with active woofers so that you can control the output depending upon room set-up. Adding subwoofers can be quite a trick and my often suggestion is to set it up, listen. If it sounds like you don't have subwoofers, perfect. It's when you turn them off that you realize that yes, they were adding to the picture. Often times, people crossover subwoofers way too high. Please do tell others about this channel and subscribe if you care to.
Excellent. If there was a perfect speaker, it would make it really easy for me to run my store. But there is not. Thank you for your contribution to the video and channel. Please tell others about our channel and the other 230 plus videos. Please subscribe as it helps us build this channel and continue to make improvements.
Hi Lou. Happy New Year! Nice channel, new subscriber here. What are those gorgeous bookshelves? I’ll have to go to your website and check them out. I’m kind of torn, literally. The mids in my floor standing vintage McIntosh XRT-18’s need a reform. So, about this time last year I picked up a pair of Klipsch RP-600M II. Needed something quick to play our Christmas records. I absolutely love them. Haven’t been in a hurry to fix the old girls. Now I’m curious to know how good other BS can be. Something like those pretty red ones…Oh this hobby. 🍻
The speakers that we show are the Aerial Acoustics model 5Ts in Rosewood. They are an exceptional example of what a bookshelf can do but yield a little when it comes to deep bass performance. This is where some might as a subwoofer but personally I don't. Adding a subwoofer is tricky in getting both the timing and clarity right. In a store where things are in motion, this is really impractical. At home, well, there you have time to play. Again, though, as a former owner of Quad 57s and Martin Logan CLS, I have never really been into bass as a general rule. The exceptions are with music like Peter Gabriel where he plays in the netherworlds. Otherwise, I want my midrange right and exceptional. Thank you for your contribution to the video and channel. Please tell others about our channel and the other 230 plus videos.
That's an interesting question and the answer is sometimes. I have built systems with both and there are times when a floor standing gets completely all balled up to the point where the surround field is wrecked. I like the full range floor standers for surround as there is a lot of bass activity most people miss. However, if it results in making the surround dreadful (as in you can tell where the speakers are behind you), then I go to the bookshelves.
Yes, a few people have added that as an option. The trick in adding a subwoofer is to get the timing right and to tune it to the point where you don't "hear" the subwoofer. Then, when you turn it off you realize it was there. Most often, you need a subwoofer that works 80hz and below. Above that it becomes a bit of a mess.
I had Maggie 1.7 and 2 cats. They loved to rub against the bottom of the speakers. What a hairy mess. I also had Klipsch LaScalas and the same cats loved crawling into the bass bins but only when they were playing. Life is never easy
No, if you have children, particularly at a young age, you need to understand that they grab onto things to pull themselves up. Life is far more important that stuff.
That is not always true. I replaced a pair of Magnepan MG II speakers that sounded absolutely horrible in my new home and newly remodeled room. It had a lot of dormers to it. I bought Chartwell PM110 and they were much much better. So, my personal experience says otherwise.
I think it also depends on seating position. I like to be up close and personal, with my speakers. Not trying to fill a concert hall. I even turn the loudness knob up…😱
@@jimmyBside well, there are some folks who really enjoy near field listening as a way of avoiding room resonances. As for the loudness, well, that all depends upon your hearing and the volume as everyone has a bell shaped curve when it comes to frequency sensitivity .
Bookshelves with a subwoofer (plugged in to left and right channels from the amp) can also be a neat combination for small to medium sized rooms.
Yes, indeed that is one way of going about it. If you are very careful about getting the timing right. If you can do that, then the trick is to make the bass very clear. When done right, it is a lot of fun.
Thank you for adding that comment to the video and channel. There are a few who have been less experienced than I who take a hard line on floor standing speakers. Yet, I have even had problems with them and resorted to bookshelf speakers to great results and satisfaction.
Please let others know about this channel and the other 230 plus videos. Please do subscribe as it encourages us to make the videos better and better. We have a lot more planned.
Hey Guys…I ran Boston Acoustics sub-sat 6 for years. They were fantastic. It’s a shame that brand isn’t around anymore more. Happy New Year…🍻
@@jimmyBside Thank you for adding your comment to the video and channel. I never really ran into that combination like so many others. I get a kick out of those who profess to have heard everything under every circumstance. Sometimes even the smallest of systems can do some pretty amazing things.
Please tell others about our channel and the other 230 plus videos. Please subscribe as it helps us build this channel and continue to make improvements.
Years ago I had very large Pioneer floor speakers. I can’t recall the model, but they sounded excellent and were fairly expensive. I had the one cat who just loved to “scratch” at them. Fortunately he was declawed on his front paws. I used to “remind” him just how lucky he was. In case anyone fears that he was poorly treated; he lived to be 18yrs old, and though he’s been gone for many years, I still miss him.
When we bring a 4 legged into our lives, we become their Kahu. I'll let you look that one up. At the moment we lose them, there's a schism where part of us goes with them and part of them remains in us. It is good that we remember them as we learned as much about ourselves as we did about them. Audio comes and goes, it's just stuff. Life is what is important.
There’s also the size of the room as a factor, my small room wouldn’t tolerate floor standers so I had to move to Sonus Faber stand mounts. Thank you for an interesting and informative video.
I too had a similar situation many years ago going from Magneplaner MGIIs to Chartwell PM110s when my new home and room would not support the maggies. They sounded dreadful in a room with dormers.
Thank you for your contribution to the video and channel. The room definitely plays a part in choosing speakers at any performance level. Please tell others about our channel and the other 230 plus videos. Please subscribe as it helps us build this channel and continue to make improvements.
Masterful! This topic touches me on so many levels and has provoked so many thoughts. First off, my familiarity with bookshelf speakers ties directly back to my first, decent system. In the early 70's. Back then it was a 'nice' pair of Yamaha 2-ways with a 10" woofer. They were with me through high school and college. Eventually they were replaced with my second set of towers, again Yamaha's. At that point, they might have been a slight improvement over the bookshelf's though rather similar. That was the mid-80's. Other slight upgrades were also occurring though not of major. significance - just gradual. I far prefer tower speakers for a variety of reasons. You address one of them related to their "footprint". Yes, they're a virtual equivalent to bookshelf speakers on stands. However, I truly prefer and currently love my "midFi" Tannoy Revolution XT-8F towers. Why? Because I find that there's much improved bass with a properly designed tower. As well, I also avoid rear-ported towers because they have too much interaction with the rear wall/corner they need to be placed in my listening room. The Tannoy's have a tuned "tower" and are downward ported cabinets whereby they have a substantial plinth as part of the speaker and its design. Lou, you're again spot on with regard to the depth in lower frequency "floor-standers" and the tuned resonance of the "tower", in ways is similar to a pipe organ's, lower "stops" - large wooden pipes that are tuned to a particular note. Another concern I have with bookshelf speakers, is that anymore in today's "audiophile world", they seems to beg for or drive the necessity for a sub-woofer. Just being a stubborn and pragmatic individual of German heritage, I don't like that idea. The way I figure, is that if I'm purchasing a decent pair of speakers, they should perform adequately if not better of their own accord. Last, as it regards audio, you raise and explain another important topic; that of "the cavity itself" if, the speaker is on an actual bookshelf. This was a problem i most recently and successfully addressed. But my issue was with my turntable's dustcover "howling" , within its own portion of my bookshelf, where it resides in a more expanded portion of the floor to ceiling bookshelf. That was "cured" by killing the resonance with a vibration absorbing sheet of Styrofoam craft board. Placed under my turntable the resonance was shut off - much the same as your description of surrounding a bookshelf speaker with a bunch of books. Thanks! And, thank you again for your priorities. Yes, please do love your children more than your speakers.
A lot of good points Lou. Well done video, I enjoy spending time with you.
Stand mounts for me, in my room. Best wishes and happy new year.
Thank you for the compliments and I try to make decent videos that hit the basic points. There are always variations and exceptions to many of my videos. Sometimes people make solid corrections. Read the comments, that's where the meat and potatoes can be found.
Well, as for the New Year, my wife is, once again, in the care of the Cleveland Clinic for both minor surgery and bacterial infections. As a heart transplant recipient (twice actually in 4 years), she has a very suppressed immune system to prevent rejection. Been up there since December 13th when I did an emergency run from Virginia to there and started with the emergency room. I ended up getting a respiratory infection from the waiting room. It's finally clearing. Unfortunately, Deb and I are all to familiar with this battle. We shall see what 2025 brings.
When visiting friends I mostly see surround sound systems, but when I do see a stereo setup it’s almost always bookshelf speakers on a bookshelf.
Thank you for adding your comment to the video and channel. You can do some pretty interesting things with bookshelf speakers if, and I do mean if, you add books to the shelf and tune the system.
Please do tell others about the channel as there are over 230 videos to view and so many more to do. Please do subscribe as it helps us grow the channel.
Trying to achieve a full range sound within a small room with minimal room gain can be quite challenging. My solution was to go with standmounts (bookshelves) and have them going full range with the help of a stereo pair of subwoofers. We all know that stereo speaker positioning is crucial. However, when subwoofers are within the set-up, one doesn't just obtain more flexibility but more control, too. Which is actually an extra bonus if one happens to have one of the stereo speakers closer to its sidewall than the other!
An absolutely good addition to the video and channel. It is one of the reasons I like full range with active woofers so that you can control the output depending upon room set-up. Adding subwoofers can be quite a trick and my often suggestion is to set it up, listen. If it sounds like you don't have subwoofers, perfect. It's when you turn them off that you realize that yes, they were adding to the picture. Often times, people crossover subwoofers way too high.
Please do tell others about this channel and subscribe if you care to.
I have both and love my vintage Yamaha NS-670.
Excellent. If there was a perfect speaker, it would make it really easy for me to run my store. But there is not.
Thank you for your contribution to the video and channel. Please tell others about our channel and the other 230 plus videos. Please subscribe as it helps us build this channel and continue to make improvements.
How do you like those aerial 5t’s? I was interested in buying a pair. Thanks
They are exceptionally good and we have been happily selling them for years.
Hi Lou. Happy New Year! Nice channel, new subscriber here. What are those gorgeous bookshelves? I’ll have to go to your website and check them out. I’m kind of torn, literally. The mids in my floor standing vintage McIntosh XRT-18’s need a reform. So, about this time last year I picked up a pair of Klipsch RP-600M II. Needed something quick to play our Christmas records. I absolutely love them. Haven’t been in a hurry to fix the old girls. Now I’m curious to know how good other BS can be. Something like those pretty red ones…Oh this hobby. 🍻
The speakers that we show are the Aerial Acoustics model 5Ts in Rosewood. They are an exceptional example of what a bookshelf can do but yield a little when it comes to deep bass performance. This is where some might as a subwoofer but personally I don't. Adding a subwoofer is tricky in getting both the timing and clarity right. In a store where things are in motion, this is really impractical. At home, well, there you have time to play. Again, though, as a former owner of Quad 57s and Martin Logan CLS, I have never really been into bass as a general rule. The exceptions are with music like Peter Gabriel where he plays in the netherworlds. Otherwise, I want my midrange right and exceptional.
Thank you for your contribution to the video and channel. Please tell others about our channel and the other 230 plus videos.
Bookshelf speakers better for rear position?
That's an interesting question and the answer is sometimes. I have built systems with both and there are times when a floor standing gets completely all balled up to the point where the surround field is wrecked. I like the full range floor standers for surround as there is a lot of bass activity most people miss. However, if it results in making the surround dreadful (as in you can tell where the speakers are behind you), then I go to the bookshelves.
Bookshelves + subwoofer?
Yes, a few people have added that as an option. The trick in adding a subwoofer is to get the timing right and to tune it to the point where you don't "hear" the subwoofer. Then, when you turn it off you realize it was there. Most often, you need a subwoofer that works 80hz and below. Above that it becomes a bit of a mess.
I had Maggie 1.7 and 2 cats. They loved to rub against the bottom of the speakers. What a hairy mess. I also had Klipsch LaScalas and the same cats loved crawling into the bass bins but only when they were playing. Life is never easy
Animals can make things pretty interesting and challenging. But, I will always favor life. We just adjust what we are doing to meet the circumstances.
So if I own bookshelf speakers I shouldn't have children
No, if you have children, particularly at a young age, you need to understand that they grab onto things to pull themselves up. Life is far more important that stuff.
Floor speakers sound better it's really not a difficult question
That is not always true. I replaced a pair of Magnepan MG II speakers that sounded absolutely horrible in my new home and newly remodeled room. It had a lot of dormers to it. I bought Chartwell PM110 and they were much much better. So, my personal experience says otherwise.
I think it also depends on seating position. I like to be up close and personal, with my speakers. Not trying to fill a concert hall. I even turn the loudness knob up…😱
Absolutely incorrect
@@jimmyBside well, there are some folks who really enjoy near field listening as a way of avoiding room resonances. As for the loudness, well, that all depends upon your hearing and the volume as everyone has a bell shaped curve when it comes to frequency sensitivity .