Bookshelf vs Tower Speakers: Buying Guide

When it comes to choosing the perfect speakers for your home audio setup, one of the most common questions we get from clients and customers in our showroom and online comes down to: do I get floorstanding speakers (aka tower speakers) or bookshelf speakers? There are a few key qualifiers we run through that make navigating a home speaker setup fairly straightforward. In this article we'll dive into the world of wooden-cabinet-passive-loudspeakers and explore the differences between these two types, to help guide you to which one better suits your needs and preferences.

• Factors To Consider Before Buying
• Bookshelf Speakers: Compact and Versatile

• Pros & Cons of Bookshelf Speakers
• Top Bookshelf Speakers
• Floorstanding Speakers: Immersive Soundscapes
• Pros & Cons of Floorstanding Speakers
• Top Recommended Floorstanding Speakers
• Final Thoughts

Factors To Consider Before Buying

Choosing between bookshelf speakers and floorstanding speakers ultimately depends on your personal preferences, listening environment/room size, and budget. Bookshelf speakers offer space efficiency, versatility, and affordability but may have limitations in bass response and volume capabilities. On the other hand, floorstanding speakers provide immersive sound quality, deep bass response, and higher volume capabilities, but they require more floor space and generally come with a higher price tag. Consider your floor-space limitations, budget, and desired audio experience before making a decision.

Two-Channel Stereo System or Surround Sound Home Theater System?

Floorstanding or Bookshelf? Or Both? It is common in modern surround-sound home theaters to use a combination of bookshelf and floorstanding speakers. Often you will have floorstanding speakers as your front right and front left speakers with bookshelf speakers acting as the “rear” or “surround” channels to a space in the back of the room or behind the listener. When you're considering a simple two-channel stereo system for music listening, however, the setup is generally a single pair of speakers so you're generally choosing between bookshelf or floorstanding options. Both types of speakers can deliver fantastic sound, so choose the one that aligns with your preferences and creates the audio experience you've always dreamed of.

Size and Space Requirements

Floorstanding speakers are well-suited for spacious rooms or home theaters, where their powerful sound and deep bass can fill the area effectively. Since they are large, usually start at around 2 to 4 feet tall, and stand on the floor, sufficient space is needed. Bookshelf speakers are better suited for smaller rooms or setups where space may be a constraint but you're still looking for performance.

Power and Amplification Needs

Floorstanding speakers can handle higher power levels and produce higher volume levels without distortion. Since bookshelf speakers are smaller, their power handling is comparatively more limited. To achieve a fuller range of sound and deeper bass, bookshelf speakers are often paired with a separate subwoofer.

Budget

If you're on a tight budget, bookshelf speakers will generally be more affordable when comparing to floorstanders within the same series. If you have the budget and the space and you like the look, floorstanding speakers will deliver the better performance.

Bookshelf Speakers: Compact and Versatile

Bookshelf speakers, as the name suggests, are compact speakers designed to fit on a raised surface like bookshelves, desks, or stands. These speakers are commonly used as part of a stereo pair or home theater setup, providing quality audio reproduction in small to medium-sized spaces. They are designed to maximize sound performance while taking up minimal space.

Bookshelf speakers typically consist of two drivers: woofers and tweeters. The woofers handle the lower frequency range, producing the bass and midrange sounds, while the tweeters reproduce the high-frequency sounds. Some bookshelf speakers also include a third mid-range driver for improved sound clarity and balance.

Despite their small size, bookshelf speakers can pack a punch when it comes to sound quality. The versatility in installation options makes bookshelf speakers easy to specify for all types of systems. Whether it is a simple two-channel setup for music listening or a full-fledged 5.1 Dolby surround sound system, bookshelf speakers meet the demands of most audio systems. When doing custom installation, I often see bookshelf speakers used as the “rear” or “surround” left and right channels on a 5.1 Dolby surround system, in the back of a room to save space. It is also common to place a pair discreetly on built-in cabinets with shelves to be part of a multi-room distributed audio system.

Compared to tower or floorstanding speakers, bookshelf speakers are generally smaller in size and more compact. They are an ideal choice when space is limited or when a less intrusive speaker presence is desired. Due to their compact design, these speakers are often used in conjunction with a subwoofer to enhance the low-frequency response and overall sound experience.

It's worth noting that the positioning of bookshelf speakers can impact their sound quality. Placing them on a raised surface such as a bookshelf or speaker stands at ear level can help achieve optimal sound dispersion and imaging.

Pros of Bookshelf Speakers

Compact Size

If you're short on space or prefer a minimalist setup, bookshelf speakers are an excellent choice. Their compact design allows them to be easily accommodated in smaller rooms, apartments, or offices without overwhelming the space. They can be easily mounted on bookshelves or placed on a desk. It often amazes me when doing custom installation of audio equipment, the nooks and crannies where we can fit bookshelf speakers so that they don’t take up much space.

Placement Versatility

One of the major advantages of bookshelf speakers is their versatility in placement. You can position them on shelves, stands, or even mount them on walls, giving you the flexibility to integrate them seamlessly into your existing decor. This also often let's them be positioned closer to the listener, which can result in more accurate and detailed sound reproduction.

Budget Friendly

For those on a tight budget, bookshelf speakers often offer a more affordable and cost-effective option compared to their larger counterparts. You can find high-quality bookshelf speakers at reasonable price points, making them an attractive choice for budget-conscious audiophiles.

Cons of Bookshelf Speakers

Limited Bass Response

Due to their smaller size, bookshelf speakers have smaller drivers and cabinets which may not reproduce deep bass frequencies as accurately as larger speakers. If you enjoy bass-heavy music genres or want a more cinematic experience with explosive movie soundtracks, you might find the bass lacking in bookshelf speakers. Or, we recommend you add a separate subwoofer.

Lower Power Handling

Because of their smaller size, bookshelf speakers typically have lower power handling, which means they may not be able to handle high volumes or deliver the same level of power as floorstanding speakers. This can be a drawback if you prefer to crank up the volume for a truly immersive audio experience. That said, there are plenty of incredible sounding options and we're here to help guide you to the best possible options for your space and budget.

Top Bookshelf Speakers

It’s difficult to pick a favorite with so many options for bookshelf speakers out there. I have broken down my top picks by categories: budget friendly, style, and best of the best. I say "best of the best", because we really don't carry anything in our showroom or on our website that we wouldn't recommend to a customer or client in their home. Everything is carefully tested and vetted by our team before we order it and then demo'd again (and again) and showcased in our showroom.

My top pick for best budget friendly bookshelf speakers is the Klipsch RP-500M II Premiere Bookshelf Speakers. With an MSRP under $600 for the pair and how deeply discounted they are when they go on sale, this entry-level model is a great bang for your buck.

You might think if I was picking a favorite Bowers & Wilkins speaker it would be one of the extravagant models such as the 805 D4’s. And yes, they are stunning. However, the winner for best style in my book, I must go to the M-1 satellite speaker. Not everyone's cup of tea, but I have personally used this speaker in a variety of installations. The ingenious design of its rotating base-plate and how it can easily become either a shelf-standing or wall-mount speaker with a few simple adjustments makes it a standout product among custom installations.

For best of the best, it’s an easy choice to pick the Focal Aria 906 pair of bookshelf speakers. One of the best systems I’ve listened to recently was a pair of these speakers driven off a McIntosh MA252 Integrated Amplifier. The sound quality was so good that you would think you were listening to a set of full-sized floor-standing speakers rather than the bookshelf speakers they really are.

Floorstanding Speakers: Immersive Soundscapes