• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

are tower speakers necessary in 2022?

crazycloud

Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2021
Messages
81
Likes
151
It is just that I don't like them at all.
Then you have your answer; don't buy any. You have a number of misconceptions about size and bass amount and level that I know that without hearing a really good large system, no written argument is going to convince you.

Find what you want and enjoy.
 

Talisman

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 27, 2022
Messages
897
Likes
2,547
Location
Milano Italy
The allure of two big beautiful towering towers is undeniable, and they would be my preference 100/100, but there are some instances where they can actually be at a disadvantage compared to the bookshelf speaker/subwoofer combo.
In particular, the greatest advantage of the towers, which is the extension downwards, can become the weak point, because in small rooms, or with particularly critical room modes, having two low-frequency fire mouths linked to precise positioning can lead to very unpleasant and difficult to contain results, from this point of view, it can be much easier to position two bookcases and delegate the deep bass to a sub that can be positioned anywhere.
Furthermore, sometimes, to obtain the same musical result, two bookshelf plus a sub cost half of two equivalent towers, and this too is an element to evaluate.
Unfortunately integrating the sub is not a trivial procedure, and the result of a poorly integrated sub is generally disastrous, even more than two towers attached to the wall.
 

sarumbear

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Aug 15, 2020
Messages
7,604
Likes
7,314
Location
UK
I am 47 years old, low to middle class, lived in 3 different European countries, have a big cycle of friends/colleagues/relatives and NEVER visited an appartment/house which had tower speakers.
But never.
And I visited some really big houses as well. Not only flats.
So I guess this explains why tower speakers seem so uncommon, so unfamiliar to me.
Tower speakers are more expensive and people who have money in Europe tend to live in the country and larger houses. Tower speakers are better as you realised but you can create similar when you add one or two subwoofers, which are in effect the woofer of a tower speaker in a separate box. This also allows people to buy their speakers in effect in instalments. The low-mid and high first as a 2-way bookshelf. Then add a stand than add the subwoofers. Finally get REW and a microphone and change your amplifier with something that has a DSP...

That way you don't pay a lumpsum in one go. If you know what you are doing you can even match a decent tower speaker.
 

Godataloss

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2021
Messages
468
Likes
510
Location
Northern Ohio
I am new to the hobby but the more I read the more I understand that tower speakers will make more sense to a basshead music lover with a 30sq meters living room like me.
It is just that I don't like them at all. But to an extend that this looks to me like a 'non compatible' object with a living room.
And by having these thoughts I realized something.
I am 47 years old, low to middle class, lived in 3 different European countries, have a big cycle of friends/colleagues/relatives and NEVER visited an appartment/house which had tower speakers.
But never.
And I visited some really big houses as well. Not only flats.
So I guess this explains why tower speakers seem so uncommon, so unfamiliar to me.
But it also makes me thing of something else.
Are tower speakers more a US audio gear consumers thing?
Maybe due to the fact that the average US home is bigger that the average European?
Or even the 'bigger the better' American mentality plays a role here?
You might of course have a different experience than mine.
I think you should just get headphones and call it a day.
 

kolestonin

Active Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2021
Messages
149
Likes
88
Sorry guys but I don't get the irony.
My post was not a (non sense after all) war on tower speakers.
I literally say the opposite.
That I am convinced they will suite me better, but I find strange aesthetics (which has a 10% impact on my speakers purchase decisions) is blocking me for taking this route.
And as I could tolerate a dinosaur speaker in my living room if it sounded good, I tried to reflect on what is 'annoying' me.
And I concluded is that I have no image, no visual experience of such speakers. It is something my brain would not expect to find in a living room.
And above personal thought is irrelevant(if not ridiculous) for this forum.
But from this thought, I arrived to a generic possible conclusion that tower speakers are preferred in USA.
And this is something that might be of interest in this topic.
That's all and not a silly intention to create an argument(with no data after all) on bookshelf vs tower.
 

Snoopy

Major Contributor
Joined
Jul 19, 2021
Messages
1,630
Likes
1,206
Look at something like wharfedale Linton if you don't really want tower speakers.
 

kolestonin

Active Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2021
Messages
149
Likes
88
The Linton's are indeed a good 'room filing' non tower choice.
Arendal 1723 monitor is another option.
 
D

Deleted member 48726

Guest
Sorry guys but I don't get the irony.
My post was not a (non sense after all) war on tower speakers.
I literally say the opposite.
That I am convinced they will suite me better, but I find strange aesthetics (which has a 10% impact on my speakers purchase decisions) is blocking me for taking this route.
And as I could tolerate a dinosaur speaker in my living room if it sounded good, I tried to reflect on what is 'annoying' me.
And I concluded is that I have no image, no visual experience of such speakers. It is something my brain would not expect to find in a living room.
And above personal thought is irrelevant(if not ridiculous) for this forum.
But from this thought, I arrived to a generic possible conclusion that tower speakers are preferred in USA.
And this is something that might be of interest in this topic.
That's all and not a silly intention to create an argument(with no data after all) on bookshelf vs tower.
Some are just bored or picking for a fight, i guess. ;)

I didn't think of your posts as a prime for a battle. But I think your theory is wrong, even though your experience say otherwise. I know many with tower speakers. But not with apartments though, in rural areas many have them. At least that's my personal experience. Maybe you just know a lot of people with bossy wives? ;)
 

pablolie

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jul 8, 2021
Messages
2,026
Likes
3,328
Location
bay area, ca
Generalizing as in "all tower speakers are xyz" is doomed to fail. There are elegant smallish tower speakers, and there are some real monstrosities out there. And for every well performing tower speaker, there also is a poorly designed one.

I am a firm believer in bookshelf speakers on stands and subwoofers - I think they are far more versatile in tailoring stuff to one's particular environment. I still have quite expensive towers because I can't yet emotionally part with them, but they simply didn't work in my smaller post-divorce home... so not a hater either way, and I think such a stance is quite limiting.
 
Top Bottom