Another reason for questions about carpeted flooring is how much it might impact basic speaker form factor choices. I’ve only had one pair of speakers, which are fairly large floor standing types; a future two channel high res system may have even larger ones. But for next year’s 5.1 system build (plus two pairs of one of the above subwoofer models)-mostly for playing the DTS-MA track from BD movies**-would tower or stand mount main speakers be the better and “safer” choice with carpeted flooring?
The number and/or type of speaker drivers may also be an important factor. Probably the major reason for deciding against woofers in the five mains speakers would be added cost, as each speaker might be ~ $2K. But if I found prebuilt or had custom built (e.g. Salk Sound, Tyler Acoustics) five mains speakers-and assuming none of the above subs would have trouble crossing as high as 70Hz-how likely would I be compromising soundstage size and dimensionality and/or imaging if these five speakers had a midwoofer but no woofer?
If there would be no performance losses with crossing directly from midwoofers to subs, how then to also resolve practical placement and safety issues if system costs might compel me to opt for stand mount over tower speaker form factors? Though I live alone I’ve always dreaded the thought of knocking over an expensive stand mount speaker. I know that this risk is typically averted as most stands have strong and sharp spikes to pass carpeting and into the wood flooring. But I don’t see how stand mounted speakers could be as safe from being knocked over compared to the same tweeter, midrange and midwoofer drivers in a tower box-and with the lower portion largely filled with sand or other heavy matter?
Beyond this safety issue, while I enjoy several sonic aspects of my old floor standers its off-axis response is quite poor. I do NOT want that with this 5.1 system. Can someone strongly recommend one or more prebuilt and/or kit tower (preferably with midwoofer only) or stand mount speaker models
https://www.stereophile.com/content/make-it-yourself-madisound-and-meniscus which might at least approach the apparently superb off axis response of these?
https://www.stereophile.com/content/joseph-audio-pulsar-loudspeaker-measurements
Or at least match the off-axis response of these?
https://www.stereophile.com/content/harbeth-p3esr-loudspeaker-measurements
However, assuming that I won’t find the right tower speaker, the other problem with stand mount speakers is that prices of many speaker models can get crazy high, regardless of well they may be designed. And while some stands also accept insertion of steel shot and other weighting to help damp out resonance, how many stands offer little if any easily adjustable height?
Indeed, since I have wall to wall carpeting, would it be better to simply instead place each stand mount speaker on top of something like two interlocking hard plastic “milk” boxes? That way if the speakers don’t have the off-axis performance of those Joseph Pulsars it might be fairly easy and safe to adjust their height a lot closer to ear level, even for when my girl and I are up and dancing.
** HTPC playing BD movies via
JRiver Media Center and feeding decoded DTS-MA track via USB to a DAC like this
exaSound Audio Design > Products > e68 8-channel DAC -