All of our bookshelf speakers are passive, so you will need a suitable HiFi amplifier to power them. If you are planning to use these speakers with your TV, then you will most likely already have an AV receiver, all of which have powered outputs.
A crucial thing to check when matching bookshelf speakers to an amplifier or receiver is that the wattage and impedance ratings are matched. Doing this guarantees that the speakers will be operating at optimum efficiency, and also ensures that no unnecessary damage is caused to any of your equipment.
Placement is also key for this style of loudspeaker. For the best performance, the tweeter of the cabinet should be at ear level with the listener. As well as this, you will want to keep bookshelf speakers at least a foot away from a wall to avoid vibrations and reverberation. The high fidelity design of these speakers sounds better and more open if they have a bit of space around them, so consider where you will place the speakers before setting them up.
Small bookshelf speakers are best suited to a smaller room like an office or living room, rather than a large room like a hall. Whether you will use them for casual music listening or paired with your PC or TV, this style of speaker is great for home use and we are certain that there is something for everyone in the range that we offer.
What are bookshelf speakers good for?
Bookshelf speakers are perfect for both music and entertainment purposes at home. As suggested by their name, they are small in design so can be placed on smaller spaces such as, for example, a bookshelf. They are great if you have limited floor space and need a compact system to listen to your favourite music in high-quality audio.
Our range of bookshelf speakers have a HiFi, or high fidelity, design. This means that they reproduce frequencies extremely accurately without boosting anything such as bass. For people who want to enjoy listening to every aspect of an audio mix, whether it be a song, film or video game, bookshelf speakers will be the way to go.
Bookshelf speakers are commonly used alongside a record player. Vinyl audio is known for being of extremely high quality, so pairing them with bookshelf speakers means that you will be hearing the record exactly how it is meant to sound. In a bedroom or study, you would only need small bookshelf speakers, and they will produce stereo audio so you can hear every aspect of the song you're listening to clearly.
Stereo speakers are great to use with an entertainment system to watch films or play video games. The stereo design gives you a sense of immersion when watching, as the left and right frequencies in a mix will be split between the corresponding speakers. This is perfect for video games, as in some games you will need to hear exactly where other players are. If they are to the left of you in-game, any sounds their character produces will come out of the left speaker, giving you an advantage in-game.
Are floor speakers better than bookshelf?
Floor standing speakers offer more focused bass output than bookshelf speakers and generally higher volume levels. Bookshelf speakers will only have one woofer per cabinet, so the bass response won't be as wide, but floor-standing speakers don't offer as refined high-frequency output.
The main factor to consider when choosing home speakers is the space that you have available. Floor speakers are great when it comes to sound quality and volume, but they take up a lot more space than bookshelf speakers. In larger rooms like living rooms, tower speakers may be the better choice, but in smaller rooms like bedrooms, kitchens and studies, bookshelf speakers would be the better choice.
If you are looking for speakers to go with your TV for entertainment purposes such as films and video games, floor-standing speakers may be better as they offer higher bass output for maximum immersion. For music purposes, bookshelf speakers are more accurate at reproducing an original mix, so will be best.
Bookshelf speakers are also much easier to accommodate in any room. Floor standing speakers will need to be set on the floor at a certain position in the room to sound the best, while bookshelf speakers can be placed on flat surfaces, stands and even mounted on the wall.
When it comes to positioning, it is best to have any large or small bookshelf speakers at least 3 feet away from each other and pointing towards the listener. Also, the tweeters of the speakers should be aiming at ear level of the listener, and this guarantees the most accurate and high-quality sound.
Do bigger bookshelf speakers sound better?
Generally speaking, the larger the speaker is, the louder and more bassy it will sound. If you are after something with some power behind it with a deeper bass response, then it would be better to go for one of the larger options. That being said, small bookshelf speakers are perfect for smaller rooms and music at low to medium volume levels. It all depends on how you want the speakers to perform.
Even in small rooms, if you are after some bookshelf speakers for entertainment purposes, it may be better to go for a larger design. This is due to the wider frequency range that larger speakers have to offer, as you will hear everything in a film, TV show or video game perfectly. For music purposes, smaller speakers may be better depending on how loud you need them to perform.