Why are big speakers in small rooms bad?


I'm moving shortly to a new house and a new dedicated room that is 11x15. I was hoping to use an old pair of PSB Goldi's that are, no doubt, a bit large for that size of a room.

My question is, what are the reasons behind big speakers being a no no in smaller rooms? I've heard that the bass will overpower the room. If so, then why are people recommending monitors with a sub for a small room? Is it simply because of more flexable placement?

So, if you're able to place your speakers anywhere in the room and apply suitable acoustic treatment to the room, what are the physics behind the universal disdain for large speakers in smaller rooms? Not tiny rooms mind you, but say a 150^2 ft. room vs. a 300^2 ft. room. All rooms have nodes and other problems, is it just easier to treat a large room?

Thanks.
superfund

Showing 1 response by timrhu

For me it is more a visual thing than sonic problems. My room is also small but I've had speakers as large as Vandersteen 2CE sigs in there and although the sound can get cogested at higher volumes, at normal listening levels they didn't sound too bad. They did however overpower the room visually. Give the PSBs a try and let us know how they work and what position works best.