Changing bookshelf to floorstand is worth it?

[cobrakai]

Hi there guys, i have the system above and im happy with this, but Im suspicious that the voice, medium and highs its not filling the room, like the room was too big for the speakers, I don’t know….i have no complains about the sub

My room is 22ft x 22ft

My question is: Do you think I will have any benefit changing my bookshelf’s for a floorstand?

System: b&w 606 S2 bookshelf on stand, Cambridge cxa81 amplifier, dac Cambridge cxn v2, subwoofer sunfire sds 12”

Source: flac and stream, music type is rock, jazz

Thanks for any help

 

[DVDdoug]

Sure... As a generalization, bigger is better.

It's hard to get bass out of a small box or a small driver.* A kitten can't roar like a lion. And bigger speakers can often handle more power and/are more sensitive/efficient.

* There LOTS are trade-offs, and often a smaller driver in a given box can go lower. But it may not go as loud without distortion.

And of course, generalizations aren't always true... A good small speaker can be better than a poor big speaker.

 

[BobbyTimmons]

Hi there guys, i have the system above and im happy with this, but Im suspicious that the voice, medium and highs its not filling the room, like the room was too big for the speakers, I don’t know….i have no complains about the sub

My room is 22ft x 22ft

My question is: Do you think I will have any benefit changing my bookshelf’s for a floorstand?

System: b&w 606 S2 bookshelf on stand, Cambridge cxa81 amplifier, dac Cambridge cxn v2, subwoofer sunfire sds 12”

Source: flac and stream, music type is rock, jazz

Thanks for any help

It seems like you got upgraditis.

 

[Deleted member 21114]

Do you have a measurement of the room response?

 

[Overseas]

Right from the specs, a pair of floorstanders should give better bass. Room is rather large, you should take advantage of floorstanders.

OR you can add a sw, but need some integration and bass management, too complicated for me.

 

[Timcognito]

Try DSP first, maybe a minDSP Flex that will help all options and tame room modes.

 

[JimBean]

It all depends, so many variables to deal with depending on the speakers and room. I noticed a big difference going from my Polk Audio LSiM 703 bookshelf speakers to the Monolith Encore T6 towers, but they are also 4 ohm speakers, which increased the power my amp was pushing out, so that's another difference. Also I was not using a sub with my bookshelf speakers, so the bass was a bit muddled compared to the towers. So maybe yes, maybe no.

 

[cobrakai]

I already have plenty of sub, im using it on 35% of gain....if this is the key benefit i think i will continue with this same setup.....

I thought it would benefit the rest of the sound

 

[ExPerfectionist]

Hi there guys, i have the system above and im happy with this, but Im suspicious that the voice, medium and highs its not filling the room, like the room was too big for the speakers, I don’t know….i have no complains about the sub

My room is 22ft x 22ft

My question is: Do you think I will have any benefit changing my bookshelf’s for a floorstand?

System: b&w 606 S2 bookshelf on stand, Cambridge cxa81 amplifier, dac Cambridge cxn v2, subwoofer sunfire sds 12”

Source: flac and stream, music type is rock, jazz

Thanks for any help

How far away do you sit from the speakers? How far are the speakers from the various walls? What kind of furniture do you have? Is the floor bare or carpet or rug?

Arguably half of what we hear is the room acoustics and how the sound is bouncing around the room after reflecting off of walls / floor / ceiling.

Sitting 8 feet from the speakers may give you "loud enough" sound while sitting 15 feet from the speakers may sound kind of hollow or echoey because maybe there's more reverb coming off of the hard untreated surfaces in the room (and without furniture against those walls).

I would recommend working on your room setup first, before jumping into upgrading your speakers.
Here are a few basic guides to look at

How to position your speakers for great sound

Location, location, location. No matter what audio equipment you have, proper speaker placement can significantly improve your listening experience. Here are 7 quick tips to help you get the most out of your stereo speakers: Initial placement. Decide roughly where you will be positioned when...

uturnaudio.com

Speaker Placement Guide: Get The Best Sound From Your Stereo - ELAC

Regardless of what audio equipment you have, optimal Speaker Placement will enhance your listening experience.

www.elac.com

If you can get the speakers 3~4 feet from the front wall, that's going to be ideal probably. And say your speakers are 8 feet apart, your seating should ideally be 8~10 feet from either speaker in an equilateral triangle or a little further back.

Then optimize your subwoofer placement, and integration (crossover frequency and slope, level, etc.) with the mains, for smoothest integration and response (least amount of wide dips and humps).

Then you can look at optimizing the room if necessary, such as getting a rug, arranging furniture along the walls at the first reflection points, adding a few absorber panels if needed, etc.

And after that, you can better judge if your speakers are "big enough."
Your speakers also may have a midrange dip, looking at some measurements online. B&W aren't known for their accuracy or fidelity. So it's not the size of the speaker being inadequate causing mids/voices to be recessed or low, but the speaker design itself.

Or.... upgrade to bigger speakers because buying new speakers is always fun.

 

[izeek]

iono jack but im from the "no replacement for displacement " camp.
i went from htib to real ht and then added 2ch.
until i got to towers, i felt like i wanted more of everything. satellites, true ht and floorstanders. they weren’t all the same level as my jbl L890 towers which are the best speakers ive had to date and straight do the job on every level.
and my room is 13x16.

 

[wunderkind]

What's your use case? Critical listening? Ambient music? I read somewhere that square room is not good for acoustics. Is your 22x22 an open area shared with kitchen and a dining or it's a pure listening room?


Nothing will change much of it's former. Too many variables. Not to mention the WAF you have to contend with. If it's the latter.... Ok yeah spend away!

 

[Chrispy]

I already have plenty of sub, im using it on 35% of gain....if this is the key benefit i think i will continue with this same setup.....

I thought it would benefit the rest of the sound

It's irrelevant for the most part where you needed to set your gain to balance with the speakers....it's not like if you turn it up you get "more" sub, altho it may be a bit louder with higher gain.....plus in a square room like that sub room modes can be harder to tame, dual subs can help with that.

 

[Ken1951]

When we first moved into our new house we bought a system for our Great Room which is about 19 X 20 with an 18ft ceiling. We had Focal bookshelves on stands, a Focal CC, 3 in-walls and a Focal sub and a NAD AVR with an Adcom GFA-555 running the mains. The speakers got lost in the room. After a few years we moved them into our MBR where they work great. Replaced them in the GR with Paradigm Signature S8s and a larger center. This made all the difference in the world. Even if your room has lower ceilings my suggestion, limited though my expertise is but by my experience with a larger room, would be you would absolutely benefit by larger speakers.