Yep..the old bookshelf vs. question! (sort of) (1 Viewer)

[DavidCooper]

So....if you have a HT system that is pretty much 100% used for DVD movie watching would moving from good quality bookshelf mains to towers make much of a difference?

Keeping in mind you use your receivers crossover at 80 and your using a high quality sub (SVS etc).

Would the cost of moving up to towers equal a big gain in sound quality?

 

[John Garcia]

Nope. As long as the bookshelf speakers are good enough to cover adequately below the x-over point, I'd have to say no.

 

[DavidCooper]

I was thinking the same thing. Towers are kind of cool..but I find it a bit hard to believe that they will knock the socks off a good bookshelf/sub combo for a MOVIE only system.

I can totally understand the use for full range towers if you listen to a lot of music though.

 

[John S]

Something you may not like about your current bookshelfs in particular or just getting and itch to change?

 

[Mary M S]

Would the cost of moving up to towers equal a big gain in sound quality?

For me (untrained lay person) there was a great difference, when I upgraded my fronts. I liked the “voice” of my towers so much better than most readily available B&M bookshelves, I demoed. My center is timber matched out of the same line as the mains, and my surrounds remain bookshelves. All of the family (all male) who use this system only for movies, (they each have there own personal size systems for music in their own hangout areas), were wowed with the improvement in the HT space, when I replaced the fronts.

All other things being equal, If I took a set of practically any well designed bookshelves set up for the acoustics of a particular space as far as reflections, bass, subbass etc. then matched them against a set of well designed towers also treated for the same space. I’m pretty sure the towers would likely win each match.

A very simple backup to what is just personal preference and decision making process feels justified (regarding my own choice to go floorstander) is when I hear white or pink noise run through my 6.1 at calibration. My bookshelves played at the same frequency blend during calibrating have an almost obnoxious sound when comparing the same tone played through the floorstanders and center. But then again my bookshelves are not high quality.
The floorstanders have more presence more authority and richer tonality.

The tradeoffs of cost/space and spouse approval factor are not always worth the increase, if the bookshelves are good and setup correctly.

I would LOVE to have 1’ cubes sounding like a professionally treated Live Hall. I have a feeling it will always be closer (easier) to match towards “Live” sound in my Living Space, if I stick to tower purchases in whatever future gear I own.

There are those who feel it is easier to blend the cross-overs of Bookshelves to Subw when the the media is heavy DVD. The quality of the movie experience increased however (for me) when I changed my front 3 out from the original bookshelf set.

Given a choice between a low distorting quality bookshelf over a cheaply constructed floorstander. I would always pick the better sounding unit…regardless of size of enclosure.