Klipsch Cornwall IV or Forte IV. Nothing fills a large space like horns. Aside from a speaker upgrade you get an amplifier upgrade as well since it won't have to work nearly as hard. The Cornwall and Forte are close in performance, with the Cornwall offering just a bit more of everything, but they tend to dominate a physically and aesthetically which is either a pro or con depending upon your perspective.
Should I graduate to floor standers or will larger bookshelves suffice?
Hey guys,
I moved into a larger space several years ago, more of an open floor plan, and soon realized that my current speakers, Legacy Studio HD, in a surround array, might be a bit overwhelmed. It’s a weird, asymmetrical space, but it’s also significantly larger than my previous one. So the title of my post says it all…can I still get adequate coverage with bookshelf speakers, or do I now need floor standers? A friend told me to basically “sit closer to the tv” but that isn’t practical.
I thought about the Calibres from Legacy as an option, which is about my price range…up to 7k or so. I also see all these great internet only brands, like Fritz, or Philharmonic, etc, and I hear about their prodigious extension and sound stage, but can these bookshelves fill my room, or any room for that matter?
Let me also add, I have no problem graduating to floor standers, so suggestions are also welcome.
Thanks in advance.
- ...
- 83 posts total
@helomech those speakers really interest me. I’ve read nothing but glowing reviews for them, it’s almost a “too good to be true” situation. I’ve also read from the stand mount fans that the bookshelves are even better because they image unbelievably. The floorstanders appear to have no weaknesses, except for possibly low sensitivity. I’m close to pulling the trigger on them. |
Yeah, the BMRs are low sensitivity, but then so are most stand-mount speakers in reality. Despite exaggerated specs that many manufacturers like to claim, it’s rare to encounter a medium size stand-mount speaker with a sensitivity over 86dB. I don’t see your amp mentioned in this thread, but if you have at least 150 WPC/4-ohm at your disposal, you should be fine with any of the BMR models. And though stand-mounts generally image better (often not by much), they nearly always necessitate the need for a subwoofer, especially in a large room. That’s a whole other can of worms. I used to be a fan of stand-mount/subwoofer combos but finally concluded the small benefit in imaging doesn’t outweigh the hassle of sub integration. Seems no matter the speaker/sub combo, they never blend quite perfectly. I couldn’t even get them to blend right when using an active crossover designed specifically for that purpose. As for overall sound quality, you’d be hard pressed to find anything around $7K that remotely approaches the Philharmonics. Who else fits >$2K worth of drivers into $4300/pair speakers (HT Towers)? The HT Towers have a relatively slim baffle so they should image pretty well and take up approximately the same footprint as stand-mounts. |
I'll second the Legacy Calibre. I have the XD model and I bi amp them with a Rogue Cronus Magnum running the mids/highs and the powerful XD internal amps powering the bass. They are like a floorstander in a big bookshelf package. The have an 8" woofer with two passive 8" radiators, a 7.5" midwoofer and a large AMT ribbon tweeter. Not many bookshelves can boast of that kind of firepower. The drivers are all substantial, high end components. Highly recommended. |
- 83 posts total