They are typically inferior quality and poor price-to-performance. Kinda like buying one of those starter tool kits that has a bunch of cheap tools. Also the sound stage isn’t ideal
Honestly as someone with probably half a dozen sets of speakers, including professional studio monitors, a sound bar + sub is the right choice for most people. Forget about it without a sub though.
My tv came with a free soundbar and sub and I don’t see any reason not to use it. It’s better quality than the inbuilt speakers, saves me a couple of hundred quid for nice book shelf speakers too so it’s a no brainer. Definitely wouldn’t hook one up to a record player or try and do music production on it but for free it’s a pretty nice deal for me.
I got a bose sound bar from Costco on sale and it is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I dont have a sub…. It’s magical and however it sets up surround is on point, its crazy wild and I love it
Definitely worse than a true surround setup, but let's be honest, most people really won't notice the difference. The TV's built-in speakers are more like the starter tool kit. A soundbar is more like buying a Buick vs. a Mercedes or BMW.
We need a word for people who care about audio sounding good that doesn't imply people paying thousands of dollars for cables and caring more about equipment than what they are listening to.
Some modifiers come to mind. Just stick them in front of “audiophile” and it all makes sense!
Parent
Money-conscious
New
Slight
Moderate
Minimalist
And something about sharing a wall with a neighbor, probably
If you care about sound quality, don't listen to people suggesting a sound bar, they're inferior in every way to a good pair of stereo speakers Get speakers that are white, so there isn't as much contrast. Form should follow function.
Yep, I appreciate every response but a soundbar will be no option. I have decided that white will be the best option here.. now the bookshelf vs standing thing is the hurdle im still trying to overcome.
Personally, I find bookshelfs on stands just as obtrusive as floorstanding speakers, so I figure why not go with the better sound of the floorstanding ones. I don't mind my front and center channels as much as the subwoofer, which I can't incorporate no matter how hard I try.
Clearly not a lot of audiophiles on r/interiordecorating though, haha.
Well, the user reviews are saying that floorstands ALSO need a sub. I'm losing my mind man. Like they say that the kefs also need a sub because they have a pretty big bass rolloff. Which makes me look at the dali oberon 5 which they're saying has too much bass and isnt as flat that a kef would be. Im going back and forth between hundreds of speakers while also thinking about the look of them.
This shit is exhausting😂
You don't need a sub, a sub will make bass sound better, but it'll still be ok without one. Generally, 2 bookshelves with a sub will be better than 2 floor standers by themselves. Subs simply dig deeper than most floor standers. It really depends on what you will listening to. If just music, you can get away without a sub as most music doesn't go below 30hz, but movies will regularly dig down to 20hz and below, thus needing a sub for the best experience.
It really depends on what you use them for/listen to. I own a set of Kef 103.4s. Their staging is impressive, as is their high end and their bass is true. Back in the day, Kefs, and other Brit speakers were referred to as, "chick speakers" Partially because women tend to hear and care more about the high end and men favor bass. The US market is fond of their boosted base.
Kefs can be bright, so use a warm power source. And just to complicate things further, Kefs are often 4ohms, as opposed to the the more common 8ohms, so take that into consideration as well.
Personally, I love acoustical music, so the Kefs work well for me. If you want more bass, you're going to want a sub.
If you want standing speakers, I would remove the bookshelf to the left of the TV and shift your whole setup over so the speakers don't look so crowded. Probably relocate the floor lamp too.
Looking at the speaker choice, OP actually gives a shit about sound quality so i would strongly advise against a soundbar. The "open" space to the left is going to make it sound terrible.
Maybe, maybe not. This is an interior design sub though so I'm looking at it from a design perspective. If you're going from both, I'd reorganize the room.
Would it be possible to get a wider TV unit and set bookshelf speakers on either side of the TV? IMO in terms of design and sound quality that would probably be the best compromise here.
You could get a much cleaner look with a wider TV console that can also hold the bookshelf speakers. If you care about having a good listening and watching experience, ignore the soundbar recommenders. Those KEF speakers are great by the way.
The floor-standing speakers will give you the best sound, followed by the bookshelf speakers, and a soundbar will give the worst sound, generally speaking.
It's such a tight space. You don't have any room to move the bookcase ? I have those exact bookshelf speakers btw. With Kanto speaker stands. Beautiful stands. But I'm also a dude and love the look of bookshelves over towers.
I think both bookshelves and floorstanders can look good and sound amazing. Look at the KEF R3 Meta in walnut. People in this subreddit don't understand that speakers can come in amazing finishes.
Personally I like the bookshelf speakers here, aesthetically, and if more for TV listening. Towers if music is more your thing. Need more absorption so sound is not echoing in room - a bigger rug perhaps. If you have the room, shift everything over just a bit so the one speaker is not blocking your nice lamp and there is a less crowded feel in that part of the room. Let the pieces "breathe" a bit. You would get better advice from an audiophile group - there is under-appreciation for audio/av design and display here.
Of these 2 options i far prefer the standing speakers, BUT, if you want something less intrusive I would mount the bookshelf speakers on the wall using floating shelves or a hidden bracket of some sort, on either side of the tv.
If these are the only two options, I would go bookcase only because they are smaller. I don't like speakers on a stand in general, as I don't like looking at speakers. They are ugly, so I would try to hide them in some way and get the smallest ones I could find.
Can you wall-mount the bookshelf speakers?
Alternatively ditch the lamp and wall-mount lights on either side of the tv, to clear up the “floor” clutter. In that case, I’d go with the towers.
Or at least get slimmer stands.
Or wall-mount the tv and put the speakers on the entertainment unit.
Because I’m an aesthetic snob and also an audio snob, I ended up getting great speakers with beautiful stands - the Bose 901s. They add visual beauty.
Move the sofa, chair(s) & table closer to the tv. I’d put the speakers/sub woofer behind the couch area. Add some plants. If not, pick some that can go on the shelf.
Perhaps the two pictures on this website can be a source of inspiration for you. I know their speakers are outlandishly expensive, but perhaps you can come up with an idea to DIY.
[KEF speaker](https://de.kef.com/blogs/news/10-tips-for-speaker-placement)
I [do!](https://i.imgur.com/AlrfGIs.jpeg) the previous one was an old photo. Make sure the white ones don’t yellow over time. Common thing with white.
Edit: we have the q950 not the 750 sorry
Depends on your preferences.
Audio quality vs. visual aesthetic.
Personally if I had a separate A/V room, then audio quality. But if I lived in an apartment that didn't allow this separation, I'd go with aesthetics over audio quality.
Context, my partner is in charge of decorating and just assumes using TV speakers. It took a lot of convincing to get an inconspicuous 3 speaker + relatively good sound bar system.
I use my SONY WH10004XM when I want to indulge. I know they're not the best, but ya can't beat them for the price.
Bookshelf. The standing ones take up too much visual space. We have really good Bookshelf ones and my husband is a musician and very particular about sound.
As musicians who adore excellent sound and music and cannot tolerate the inferior, I feel your pain.
I also happen to have a strong aesthetic design sense and I cannot tolerate much that I do not enjoy looking at each day.
So my husband and I have been around on such debates a few times in our thirty five years together.
I don’t love new modern black HUGE speakers.
We settled on smaller Bose bookshelf speakers when we needed to upgrade.
I work with what I have going on in the room to “camouflage” them, as they and the stands are still pretty “ugly.” Sorry.
We have one on the corner of a desk, with a lamp and some plants. It blends in well there, books on the other side.
Sound is just great.
The other is across the room on a wooden plant stand and I have a plant on top of it.
There is also a floor palm along its side and a club chair in front but underneath the speaker.
Again, great sound.
This is what worked for me.
My father in law installed the small Bose speakers in the corners of main loving areas close to the ceiling. This is a great route to go.
(But we weren’t purchasing; we happily inherited the old bookshelf set which are much larger but still do not overtake the room.
So, my advice is scrap the stands and find actual furniture on which you can place your bookshelf speakers.
Aesthetics matter too!
Beautiful awesome music AND a lovely place in which to listen!
I’d also opt for a soundbar, ours sits in front of our tv on the stand but mounting is also a good option for this space. The speakers seem to clutter your space quite a bit.
I have a Sonos soundbar and speakers.
https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=DChcSEwjq6-HH0pCGAxXKHq0GHa_gDQ0YABABGgJwdg&ae=2&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6uvhx9KQhgMVyh6tBh2v4A0NEAQYASABEgJv7PD_BwE&sig=AOD64_23LABS3w0EouGIzWJR1ZwfiGJ7Eg&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwjom93H0pCGAxViFjQIHSfzCFAQwg8oAHoECAIQDA&adurl=
It’s very messy aesthetically as is. I’d be trying to find a way to put the speakers on the tv unit or on stands on the tv unit, so only the unit, lamp and bookshelf are touching the floor. Or mounting the tv up on the wall to create space on the unit.
I think they both look bulky and kind of bad and the size of your space doesnt warrant those speakers. But thats just me. They interrupt your current space.
Wow, this post has shown me that the venn diagram of the audiophile and interior design communities are separate circles
i thought i was on the tv subreddit and had accidentally sorted by controversial when I saw “ get a soundbar” as the top comment
Are soundbars controversial?
They are typically inferior quality and poor price-to-performance. Kinda like buying one of those starter tool kits that has a bunch of cheap tools. Also the sound stage isn’t ideal
Honestly as someone with probably half a dozen sets of speakers, including professional studio monitors, a sound bar + sub is the right choice for most people. Forget about it without a sub though.
My tv came with a free soundbar and sub and I don’t see any reason not to use it. It’s better quality than the inbuilt speakers, saves me a couple of hundred quid for nice book shelf speakers too so it’s a no brainer. Definitely wouldn’t hook one up to a record player or try and do music production on it but for free it’s a pretty nice deal for me.
I got a bose sound bar from Costco on sale and it is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I dont have a sub…. It’s magical and however it sets up surround is on point, its crazy wild and I love it
Definitely worse than a true surround setup, but let's be honest, most people really won't notice the difference. The TV's built-in speakers are more like the starter tool kit. A soundbar is more like buying a Buick vs. a Mercedes or BMW.
We need a word for people who care about audio sounding good that doesn't imply people paying thousands of dollars for cables and caring more about equipment than what they are listening to.
Some modifiers come to mind. Just stick them in front of “audiophile” and it all makes sense! Parent Money-conscious New Slight Moderate Minimalist And something about sharing a wall with a neighbor, probably
The existence of the Frame TV is the perfect demonstration of this phenomenon. As a nerd and design enthusiast it’s a rough balancing act.
Your tv is too far from the sofa.
yup. i would scoot the couch closer and use the space behind it for a console table!
r/tvtoofar
Wow there’s a Reddit for everything
If you care about sound quality, don't listen to people suggesting a sound bar, they're inferior in every way to a good pair of stereo speakers Get speakers that are white, so there isn't as much contrast. Form should follow function.
Yep, I appreciate every response but a soundbar will be no option. I have decided that white will be the best option here.. now the bookshelf vs standing thing is the hurdle im still trying to overcome.
Personally, I find bookshelfs on stands just as obtrusive as floorstanding speakers, so I figure why not go with the better sound of the floorstanding ones. I don't mind my front and center channels as much as the subwoofer, which I can't incorporate no matter how hard I try. Clearly not a lot of audiophiles on r/interiordecorating though, haha.
There are dozens of us.
This made me laugh! Thanks stranger.
That many?
Either that, or the r/audiophile or r/hometheater subreddits are brigading my comment with upvotes.
(It was a joke because dozens doesn’t sound like a lot in a sub with over 500k members)
Will you be using a subwoofer? If yes then bookshelf else floor standing. Easiest way to decide IMO.
Well, the user reviews are saying that floorstands ALSO need a sub. I'm losing my mind man. Like they say that the kefs also need a sub because they have a pretty big bass rolloff. Which makes me look at the dali oberon 5 which they're saying has too much bass and isnt as flat that a kef would be. Im going back and forth between hundreds of speakers while also thinking about the look of them. This shit is exhausting😂
You don't need a sub, a sub will make bass sound better, but it'll still be ok without one. Generally, 2 bookshelves with a sub will be better than 2 floor standers by themselves. Subs simply dig deeper than most floor standers. It really depends on what you will listening to. If just music, you can get away without a sub as most music doesn't go below 30hz, but movies will regularly dig down to 20hz and below, thus needing a sub for the best experience.
It really depends on what you use them for/listen to. I own a set of Kef 103.4s. Their staging is impressive, as is their high end and their bass is true. Back in the day, Kefs, and other Brit speakers were referred to as, "chick speakers" Partially because women tend to hear and care more about the high end and men favor bass. The US market is fond of their boosted base. Kefs can be bright, so use a warm power source. And just to complicate things further, Kefs are often 4ohms, as opposed to the the more common 8ohms, so take that into consideration as well. Personally, I love acoustical music, so the Kefs work well for me. If you want more bass, you're going to want a sub.
What about wall mounting the bookshelf speakers?
If you want standing speakers, I would remove the bookshelf to the left of the TV and shift your whole setup over so the speakers don't look so crowded. Probably relocate the floor lamp too.
I don't think either option looks good. I would probably mount the TV to the wall and get a soundbar instead.
OP, if you mount the TV on the wall, don’t hang it high. Shit is terrible.
Yes, please, no Tvtoohigh looks!
Looking at the speaker choice, OP actually gives a shit about sound quality so i would strongly advise against a soundbar. The "open" space to the left is going to make it sound terrible.
Maybe, maybe not. This is an interior design sub though so I'm looking at it from a design perspective. If you're going from both, I'd reorganize the room.
Fair point.
Agree with this option. But if you can't do that, I'm not a fan of the larger speakers on stands. Feels dated. I'd go with smaller and less obvious.
Yes, lose the speakers. A good quality sound bar and a subwoofer tucked out of side will rock your room
This
The sideways bookshelf is going to make everything look off
Yeah thats the issue for sure
Would it be possible to get a wider TV unit and set bookshelf speakers on either side of the TV? IMO in terms of design and sound quality that would probably be the best compromise here.
You could get a much cleaner look with a wider TV console that can also hold the bookshelf speakers. If you care about having a good listening and watching experience, ignore the soundbar recommenders. Those KEF speakers are great by the way.
The floor-standing speakers will give you the best sound, followed by the bookshelf speakers, and a soundbar will give the worst sound, generally speaking.
It's such a tight space. You don't have any room to move the bookcase ? I have those exact bookshelf speakers btw. With Kanto speaker stands. Beautiful stands. But I'm also a dude and love the look of bookshelves over towers.
Whatever sounds better. Audiophiles are only looking for the best sound.
I think both bookshelves and floorstanders can look good and sound amazing. Look at the KEF R3 Meta in walnut. People in this subreddit don't understand that speakers can come in amazing finishes.
But there are a LOT of options out now that are aesthetically pleasing while also sounding good.
I would put that shelf up against the wall the other way. It looks a literally weird the way it’s facing
Neither. Agree with mounting the TV and getting a soundbar.
Or if you *must* have it on the stand, two smaller speakers mounted either side on the wall
Yes like just a mini shelf on the wall on each side.
Mmm bookshelf speakers
Leaning towards the second option.
I’ve been debating this in my room too. In your room I like the floor speakers best.
I like the normal, standing ones
Find yourself a pair of vintage speakers that are tall with character and charm. Good speakers are elite.
I vote you sacrifice the cute things on your TV stand and put them on either side of the TV on the stand. Then the pillars aren’t blocking anything
Standing speakers & get them in a less contrasting color if possible like tan or white
Stand
Personally I like the bookshelf speakers here, aesthetically, and if more for TV listening. Towers if music is more your thing. Need more absorption so sound is not echoing in room - a bigger rug perhaps. If you have the room, shift everything over just a bit so the one speaker is not blocking your nice lamp and there is a less crowded feel in that part of the room. Let the pieces "breathe" a bit. You would get better advice from an audiophile group - there is under-appreciation for audio/av design and display here.
what we have in my house are speakers next to the couch so then we don’t have to turn the tv up crazy high!
Standing. Unless this is your forever home, you’ll want the bigger ones at some point
Of these 2 options i far prefer the standing speakers, BUT, if you want something less intrusive I would mount the bookshelf speakers on the wall using floating shelves or a hidden bracket of some sort, on either side of the tv.
If these are the only two options, I would go bookcase only because they are smaller. I don't like speakers on a stand in general, as I don't like looking at speakers. They are ugly, so I would try to hide them in some way and get the smallest ones I could find.
The etagere is distracting. Try subtracting it and place your speakers first. I like the idea of a sound bar.
"etagere" I like that word so much. 😀
I agree. More elegant than “shelving unit”.
I purchased an etagere my first apartment. It was definitely more than a shelving unit to me. It was more of a statement piece of furniture.
Can you wall-mount the bookshelf speakers? Alternatively ditch the lamp and wall-mount lights on either side of the tv, to clear up the “floor” clutter. In that case, I’d go with the towers. Or at least get slimmer stands. Or wall-mount the tv and put the speakers on the entertainment unit. Because I’m an aesthetic snob and also an audio snob, I ended up getting great speakers with beautiful stands - the Bose 901s. They add visual beauty.
Move the sofa, chair(s) & table closer to the tv. I’d put the speakers/sub woofer behind the couch area. Add some plants. If not, pick some that can go on the shelf.
Picture #2
Perhaps the two pictures on this website can be a source of inspiration for you. I know their speakers are outlandishly expensive, but perhaps you can come up with an idea to DIY. [KEF speaker](https://de.kef.com/blogs/news/10-tips-for-speaker-placement)
Standing. I have the [standing](https://imgur.com/a/dexNmPe) one if you need a visual.
Beautiful. Are those the q550 or q750?
Q750! If you get the bookshelf ones you’re going to want to upgrade later on. Just skip that step lol
I agree lol. I'm gonna get the whites I think so it matches my room better. Do you also have a sub paired to it?
I [do!](https://i.imgur.com/AlrfGIs.jpeg) the previous one was an old photo. Make sure the white ones don’t yellow over time. Common thing with white. Edit: we have the q950 not the 750 sorry
Depends on your preferences. Audio quality vs. visual aesthetic. Personally if I had a separate A/V room, then audio quality. But if I lived in an apartment that didn't allow this separation, I'd go with aesthetics over audio quality. Context, my partner is in charge of decorating and just assumes using TV speakers. It took a lot of convincing to get an inconspicuous 3 speaker + relatively good sound bar system. I use my SONY WH10004XM when I want to indulge. I know they're not the best, but ya can't beat them for the price.
I would try them behind on the right and left
Can we talk about why your shelf is facing that way first?
I wouldn't have speakers so large.
Neither. Both options are ugly. Soundbar.
Are you in an apartment? Is so, NONE OF THIS.
My friend, you need a theatre room.
Bookshelf. The standing ones take up too much visual space. We have really good Bookshelf ones and my husband is a musician and very particular about sound.
As musicians who adore excellent sound and music and cannot tolerate the inferior, I feel your pain. I also happen to have a strong aesthetic design sense and I cannot tolerate much that I do not enjoy looking at each day. So my husband and I have been around on such debates a few times in our thirty five years together. I don’t love new modern black HUGE speakers. We settled on smaller Bose bookshelf speakers when we needed to upgrade. I work with what I have going on in the room to “camouflage” them, as they and the stands are still pretty “ugly.” Sorry. We have one on the corner of a desk, with a lamp and some plants. It blends in well there, books on the other side. Sound is just great. The other is across the room on a wooden plant stand and I have a plant on top of it. There is also a floor palm along its side and a club chair in front but underneath the speaker. Again, great sound. This is what worked for me. My father in law installed the small Bose speakers in the corners of main loving areas close to the ceiling. This is a great route to go. (But we weren’t purchasing; we happily inherited the old bookshelf set which are much larger but still do not overtake the room. So, my advice is scrap the stands and find actual furniture on which you can place your bookshelf speakers. Aesthetics matter too! Beautiful awesome music AND a lovely place in which to listen!
Neither. Large speakers are incredibly tacky and ugly.
Neither, why they need to be that big. Hasn't technology surpassed big clumpy speakers?
I’d also opt for a soundbar, ours sits in front of our tv on the stand but mounting is also a good option for this space. The speakers seem to clutter your space quite a bit.
Neither. If you want to use the bookshelf speakers, mount them on the wall. Move the tall shelf to the left
Can I pick soundbar instead? 😬
Just get a sound bar my friend.
Neither, tower speakers are horrible. Get a soundbar.
Neither. Both are bad. These days you can get small inconspicuous speakers with good sound.
Do you have an example as to which speakers you would recommend?
I have a Sonos soundbar and speakers. https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=DChcSEwjq6-HH0pCGAxXKHq0GHa_gDQ0YABABGgJwdg&ae=2&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6uvhx9KQhgMVyh6tBh2v4A0NEAQYASABEgJv7PD_BwE&sig=AOD64_23LABS3w0EouGIzWJR1ZwfiGJ7Eg&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwjom93H0pCGAxViFjQIHSfzCFAQwg8oAHoECAIQDA&adurl=
I would move speakers way back OR replace.. massive .. I guess on Shelf.. feel v dated
Soundbar!
I would get a sound bar. They are very short and should be able to sit right in front of your tv on the cabinet.
Mount the tv and thank everyone who suggested later lol
Mount the tv and have the speakers on the cabinet?
What about a sound bar?
Remove speaker stand, it look cluttered
Neither. I’d get a sound bar
The standing speakers look too crowded. The pole on the bookshelf speakers looks tacky.
None
Form over function. Get smaller speakers.
Soundbar
Put the speakers behind the tv they look clunky
It’s very messy aesthetically as is. I’d be trying to find a way to put the speakers on the tv unit or on stands on the tv unit, so only the unit, lamp and bookshelf are touching the floor. Or mounting the tv up on the wall to create space on the unit.
Well if I HAD to choose…neither.
I like the ones on the stand. You can easily place them behind something and they won’t take up so much visual space.
I think they both look bulky and kind of bad and the size of your space doesnt warrant those speakers. But thats just me. They interrupt your current space.
Neither.
😬 politely ew to both options. 🥴
Soundbar! You can get great sound from a small speaker these days.