What do floor standers really bring to the table?

[egellings]

Aside from higher SPLs, what real listening advantage do towers have over the better measuring bookshelfs, if any?

Extra unused space on your table.

 

[Sal1950]

Aside from higher SPLs, what real listening advantage do towers have over the better measuring bookshelfs, if any?

In a single word?
BALLS.

 

[Ultrasonic]

You could also investigate the power draw with your subs in standby versus when they're switched on. For my Hsu subs, the power draw is identical in both modes, so I just leave them on full time. No more worries about whether auto-sense is working properly or not.

How much power are we talking? That sounds more like an argument to turn the sub on and off manually to save electricity...

 

[mj30250]

How much power are we talking? That sounds more like an argument to turn the sub on and off manually to save electricity...

It's been a long time, but I believe the draw for my particular subs was under 1 watt (for some reason I want to say .6) in standby mode. As long as the input signal is idle, leaving it switched on does not impact that at all. Other subs / amps will vary.

 

[Sal1950]

How much power are we talking? That sounds more like an argument to turn the sub on and off manually to save electricity...

This is the spec for my SVS SB2000's, even with my 2, I'd consider under 1w inconsequential?
"Green standby mode with < 0.5 watts consumption"

 

[Deleted member 48726]

How much power are we talking? That sounds more like an argument to turn the sub on and off manually to save electricity...

A SMPS should not use a meaningful amount paired with a class d amp in idle.

 

[Descartes]

Used to have B&W 800D2 I could push them to such high volume without distortion! But after a while I got tired of them and traded for better designed speakers KEF LS50 Meta with big subs!

 

[Ultrasonic]

This is the spec for my SVS SB2000's, even with my 2, I'd consider under 1w inconsequential?
"Green standby mode with < 0.5 watts consumption"

My comment was because I'd expect the power consumption when on but with no signal to be rather higher, and if standby was the same than it sounded to me like BOTH would be rather more than 0.5 W. Although of course all small savings do add up globally.

@mj30250 what subwoofer do you have? I'm surprised how low the power consumption is when on as distinct from standby. May test my own sub later out of curiousity...

 

[mj30250]

My comment was because I'd expect the power consumption when on but with no signal to be rather higher, and if standby was the same than it sounded to me like BOTH would be rather more than 0.5 W. Although of course all small savings do add up globally.

@mj30250 what subwoofer do you have? I'm surprised how low the power consumption is when on as distinct from standby. May test my own sub later out of curiousity...

Hsu VTF-3 MK5s.

 

[Ultrasonic]

Hsu VTF-3 MK5s.

I just tested my PSA S1510 with ICE Power Class D amp and it uses about 18 W more when I take it out of standby but with no music playing.

The manual for the HSU says it has a BASH amp, with a class A/B output stage. Are you certain it truly uses < 1W in standby and that this doesn't increase when it's properly on but without an audio signal? I'm honestly finding it very hard to believe.

https://www.hsuresearch.com/products/manual/VTF-3MK5HPmanual.pdf

 

[mj30250]

I just tested my PSA S1510 with ICE Power Class D amp and it uses about 18 W more when I take it out of standby but with no music playing.

The manual for the HSU says it has a BASH amp, with a class A/B output stage. Are you certain it truly uses < 1W in standby and that this doesn't increase when it's properly on but without an audio signal? I'm honestly finding it very hard to believe.

https://www.hsuresearch.com/products/manual/VTF-3MK5HPmanual.pdf

I asked Kevin Hsu directly a couple years ago. I honestly don't remember the wattage number. As I said, I believe it was less than 1 watt but I don't necessarily trust my memory there. I do 100% recall him stating that there is no difference in draw at all between standby and on when idle. I don't think the BASH amp is pure A/B...I think it was something closer to class H in operation.

 

[Ultrasonic]

I asked Kevin Hsu directly a couple years ago. I honestly don't remember the wattage number. As I said, I believe it was less than 1 watt but I don't necessarily trust my memory there. I do 100% recall him stating that there is no difference in draw at all between standby and on when idle. I don't think the BASH amp is pure A/B...I think it was something closer to class H in operation.

The BASH amp isn't pure A/B, but as I stated above the manual points out that the output stage is class A/B. I thought above you were saying you'd measured the difference. Honestly I think the statement in bold in incorrect.

 

[mj30250]

The BASH amp isn't pure A/B, but as I stated above the manual points out that the output stage is class A/B. I thought above you were saying you'd measured the difference. Honestly I think the statement in bold in incorrect.

I never measured it, just relating what Hsu told me.

I just punched in a quick Google search and this popped up:

Standby mode on ULS-15why use it? - HSU Research Forum (HRF)

Standby mode on ULS-15why use it? Hsu Research - Speakers and Subwoofers

forum.hsuresearch.com

 

[Ultrasonic]

I never measured it, just relating what Hsu told me.

I just punched in a quick Google search and this popped up:

Standby mode on ULS-15why use it? - HSU Research Forum (HRF)

Standby mode on ULS-15why use it? Hsu Research - Speakers and Subwoofers

forum.hsuresearch.com

That's a useful link. It gives measured figures of a cost of $1/month at a price of $0.08 / kWh. Assuming a 31 day month I make it that works out at an average power consumption of just under 17 W. This is a totally believable figure and as it happens virtually the same as the 18 W figure I mentioned for my own sub above. Were the sub to also use 17 W in standby then frankly the standby mode is broken by modern standards. The <1 W figure mentioned above normally being totally achievable and what I'd expect, and is legally mandated in the EU (at <0.5 W).

 

[mj30250]

That's a useful link. It gives measured figures of a cost of $1/month at a price of $0.08 / kWh. Assuming a 31 day month I make it that works out at an average power consumption of just under 17 W. This is a totally believable figure and as it happens virtually the same as the 18 W figure I mentioned for my own sub above. Were the sub to also use 17 W in standby then frankly the standby mode is broken by modern standards. The <1 W figure mentioned above normally being totally achievable and what I'd expect, and is legally mandated in the EU (at <0.5 W).

I wonder whether the amps in the newer subs draw less idle power or not. I only spent a couple minutes searching and didn't find anything, but I'm sure someone has measured them. The original ULS-15 came out in 2005, and the MK2 uses a different amp, which is identical to what's in my subs. In any case, 17W x2 at worst is certainly livable for me and worth the peace of mind in combination with not having to switch the subs on/off a few times per day.

 

[mhardy6647]

May I just add, if no one else has mentioned it, that I love this thread's title!
It's right up there with

Flat Earth Society boasts members around the globe

 

[Rottmannash]

May I just add, if no one else has mentioned it, that I love this thread's title!
It's right up there with

the obvious answer is "way too much weight".