Bookshelf, Or Tower? (1 Viewer)

[Nick_Murphy]

Alright, I've come to the big conclusion that i need to purchase a new pair of front speakers. Now after researching products, i've found JBL to be my favorite brand of them all, from my past experiences anyways. Now I'm wondering if anyone has some input on whether a high-powered set of towers or an above average set of bookshelf speakers would be best for movies. I've just purchased an Energy S10.2 sub, and that should do my bass just fine. So does anyone have any input on whether towers or bookshelves are the way to go? I'm looking for high-quality surround sound, so strictly whats best for movies! My sub is fine for music i think!
JVC RX-6000VBK Receiver
JVC XV-501 DVD Player
JBL N26 Bookshelf Surrounds (sometimes used as fronts!!!)
JBL N-Center Center Channel
crappy ass Pioneer 100watt towers (need to go)
ENERGY S10.2 Subwoofer
Considering:
JBL N28 Bookshelf Speakers
or
JBL ND310 Tower Speakers
Thanx!!!!!!

 

[Jeff Adams]

I have always used towers. I have never been the bookshelf speaker guy. I like feeding them full range sound. And me personally ,as far as powered towers, have not liked them much. I have not found one that the bass matched the rest of the speaker.

 

[John Besse]

You are asking a question that is impossible for anyone to answer. What sounds good to me, you might hate. I have Energy C-6 tower fronts and I like the brightness better out of my friend's C-2 bookshelves. However, the bass extensions on the C-6s I wouldn't compromise on.

My suggestion... Go listen to them as much as you can. Make the decision bases upon what you hear. What you like. And how you feel when you're listening to the speakers. Only you can really decide that.

Like I said. I went with towers. If I had the money to drop on Energy Veritas 2.2 bookself speakers, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Overall, I prefer the look of towers. But, there are some bookshelf speakers that can crush the speakers I have any day.

 

[Nick_Murphy]

Alright, I guess you have a good point about throwing a wider range of sound to them Jeff, so i believe based on that point and since i don't have the cash for either just yet, (feeling the cash blow from the sub), I might as well save and get those towers!!!
Now another question i have is about rears, sorry if i seem like a bit of a newbie, but thats what i am! My question is if it is a good idea to get a pair of rears with a wider range of sound? i.e. 3-Way bookshelves instead of 2-way's???
Thanx for the replies Jeff and John!!!

 

[Saurav]

Given the size of my room, I'd pick quality bookshelves on good stands over towers any day. For music or for HT. In fact, if you're thinking about JBL, I've heard some of their speakers at Best Buy, and the S38 walks all over any of their towers. It's a whole lot better - smoother sounding, clearer, more extended treble, just better in almost every way. The only thing the towers had more of was bass, but that's going to a subwoofer anyway, so for me that's irrelevant.

Of course, this is just my opinion based on listening to these speakers a few times on a few different occasions.

 

[Nick_Murphy]

Does Anybody have any reviews on the step up from the N38's = The ND310???? The ND310's are actually what interest me Does anybody have any good/bad comments about this set over the N38's, because i too have heard nothing but good things about the N38's! Thanx for the post Saurav!!!

 

[parin_patel]

My friend has a Sony STR-DE845 hooked up to a JBL S-Center, ND310's for the fronts and N26's for the rears. He doesn't have a subwoofer, since the dual 10 inch woofers on the ND310 are quite loud enough. I don't know much about the N38's but his system sounds great, and I definately liked the full range of the ND310's.

Anyway, after watching movies at his place for a year, I decided to build a home theater system myself. Basically I am going for the Studio Series with a S-center, S312's for the fronts, and S36's for the rears. Hopefully I'll have everything set up by the new year.

 

[parin_patel]

Btw, I had initially decided to go for the ND310/N26 combo as well, but I won a S312 pair at an auction on uBid.com for $390 ($119 each for the speakers/$152 for S&H). I guess I won't have manufacturer's wanrranty for them, and uBid does kind of suck for customer service; but I think the S312's are definately a steal at around $400 (their MSRP is around $900).
Anyway, there's another auction for the S312's going on at uBid if you're interested. If uBid sounds too risky for you, J&R has the ND310's for $219.99 and the S312's for $269.99 with free shipping and full manufacturer's warranty.

 

[Saurav]

If you have a Best Buy close to you, you can actually hear all of these speakers playing the same music. I know I preferred the S38 to the two floorstanders they had there. I think they were the 310 and the 312, but I'm not sure, and I don't remember if they were from the Studio or Northridge lines. I do remember that the floorstanders were muddy and vague in comparision. Note, this is the S38 I'm talking about, not the N38. I'm not sure if there's an N38, and if there is, I haven't heard it.

 

[Nick_Murphy]

This reply is directed towards Jeff's comment, in that he mentioned a powered tower isn't a very good buy, i'm wondering is this true in comparing the S312's to the next step up, the S412, which has the same 3-Way System but with a 200 watt amp built in. is it worth just sticking with the 312's???
Yeah those S38's look amazing with the 3-Way range and 175 watt rms, kicks the crap out of most average towers!

 

[Marcelo T]

I have a pair of s38, s26 and s center and I heard the n26 and the n38. The n26 lacks bass, and the highs are a little rarsh, comparing to the s series. The n38 have a decent bass, but the same problem on the highs. I'd stick to studio series all around.

 

[Sebastien David]

imo, no substitute for cubic inches.

especially for movies, I'd take big-ass tower speakers over wimpy bookshelves any day of the week. they just sound... bigger.

of course, that's coming from a guy who's going to buy RF-7s in the near future...

:b

 

[Saurav]

imo, no substitute for cubic inches.
especially for movies, I'd take big-ass tower speakers over wimpy bookshelves any day of the week. they just sound... bigger.

What bookshelves have you heard? Maybe they just look bigger For music, many times all those extra cubic inches just end up muddying the sound, and the bookshelves sound clearer than similarly priced towers. For movies, you do have a point, this might be less important than it is for music.
Of course, they won't go down as low, so if you don't have a subwoofer, then it's a no-brainer, go with towers. And, they are visually more impressive too.

 

[Sebastien David]

yeah, for music it all depends what music you listen to, but I believe (from what I've heard) that bookshelves are indeed more precise, and sound really good when augmented with a relatively small musical sub.

however, if you like to listen to hard rock or any other genre that involves aggressive sound, then it's back to square one, I can't help you decide.

but for movies, I truly believe towers sound more impressive, and thus better for that application.

 

[Mark Austin]

It has been my experience that generally for "like" dollars you usually get more speaker for your money with bookshelf speakers as opposed to towers.

 

[Saurav]

and sound really good when augmented with a relatively small musical sub.

I agree, that the crux of the matter right there - finding a good sub, and integrating it with bookshelf speakers. If you manage to do that, they can sound excellent.

 

[Bert D]

As parin_patel states, go for the S312's on Ubid. You may still be able to have a warranty, as the warranty cards should come with the speakers, and they are a steal @ $390 delivered. I have the S310's w/ S38's and an S center, and this set up sound great to me, but I like the "JBL sound".

If you are wary of Ubid, get the S310's for a little over $425 shipped from another vendor on Ebay/Yahoo. Since you have a sub already, you do not really need the 12" woofer on the S312's, it is just that it is such a deal. IMHO.