Towers vs Bookshelves?

 

Bronze Member
Username: Virus5877

West Lafayette, Indiana USA

Post Number: 51
Registered: Apr-05
currently I have an HK AVR 235 surround receiver powering some dinky sony speakers from an old boombox (i know, but i'm upgrading!!) I have been looking and listening, and I really like the sound of the Infinity Beta Series speakers. I am planning on using either the Beta 40 towers, or the Beta 20 bookshelves. This is for a bedroom about 15x15, and I don't know if i need to shell out the money for towers. any opinions??
 

bumblebee
Unregistered guest
it's a choice between better bass vs more bass (generally). a bookshelf will image better. towers will sound boomy in a small room.

i'd go for the towers w/ your room size. and no more need for stands.
 

Silver Member
Username: Dmwiley

Post Number: 558
Registered: Feb-05
Towers may or may not sound "boomy" in a small room. It really depends on their placement.
 

Silver Member
Username: Touche6784

Post Number: 338
Registered: Nov-04
you can get comparable if not better sound with good bookshelf speakers and a decent sub. depends on how the system is being used. i am sure there are little tweeks for both tower and bookshelf speakers to get rid of boomy bass as long as the speakers arent crap.
 

Silver Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 328
Registered: Mar-05
It also depends on the towers: the Infinity Betas are not bad, much better than the Primus series.

15x15 is about small/medium IMO, so this is really going to come down to your application: music or HT, and if music then what type?
 

Bronze Member
Username: Virus5877

West Lafayette, Indiana USA

Post Number: 52
Registered: Apr-05
Mostly music. and all types of it. I especially like any type of acoustic rock. (Dave, jack johnson, floyd, zepplin) I'm going to be running a decent sub with whatever fronts i get, the infinity CSW-10 (650 watt 10 inch), so i'm not worried about having the bass, basically I'm worried about the difference in midbass between a 3-way tower vs a 2-way bookshelf.

My favorite way to set up a system is to turn the crossover on the sub almost all the way down, so it only hits the lowest notes...but I can't really do that with bookshelves...

...sigh...

I'll probably just bite the [money] bullet and get the towers. besides sounding better, they'll be more applicable whenever I get out of college and get a REAL job... lol!!
 

Silver Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 329
Registered: Mar-05
Accoustic rock to me sounds like more midrange than anything, unless I'm mistaken. A speaker can have great highs and decent bass but if the mids are screwed up then vocals come out very badly.

Where I'd be concerned about bass would be more for hip-hop or heavy metal.

Since you're in college, don't you have to move to a different dorm room every fall? A bookshelf would also be much easier to move and/or store over the summer, and after college you can always use it for surround duty.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Virus5877

West Lafayette, Indiana USA

Post Number: 59
Registered: Apr-05
Acutally, I've been out of the dorms for 3 years now...

When I blind test 2-ways vs 3-ways, it's usually the acoustic bass that I end up missing from the 2-ways. That really brings the music together, in my opinion. Anyway, I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with the towers even though they cost twice as much. I'll probably use towers for twice as long, anyway! ;)
 

Silver Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 336
Registered: Mar-05
No question about the towers delivering more bass in most cases, it's just what they sacrifice to do so that has always stayed my hand, personally.

But hey, who am I to tell you what to get...enjoy the hunt! : )
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