[injunvik]

Which are better: bookshelf speakers with subwoofers versus full range speakers

[FullRangeMan]

Which are better: bookshelf speakers with subwoofers versus full range speakers

At the end of the day it all depend on the personal taste, the room and price level.
However I always prefer crossoverless Fullrange Drivers which usually are cheap.
http://www.glowinthedarkaudio.com/lii-audio-f18.html

[Phil A]

Welcome!

[richidoo]

Properly integrating a sub with bookshelf requires considerable knowledge and effort.
A sub of similar audio quality will cost at least as much as the bookshelf speakers.
Full range speaker of similar audio quality solves most of the problems with less money and less effort.

[JLM]

A monitor (please stop saying bookshelf speakers) with infinite baffle (I assume you're thinking sub woofer) could be better than full range speakers as a full range driver can't cover the entire audible range and/or provide wide dispersion at higher frequencies.  I disregard coaxial drivers or drivers with whizzer cones as full range drivers.  The problem with infinite baffle is providing sufficient back space (normally considered 10 times the rated Vas) and providing multiple dispersed woofers to address room echo (4 is recommended). 

I recommend active monitors (low voltage, usually sophisticated, crossover feeding one monolblock amp per driver) as technically superior to passive (typical consumer speakers) with better dynamics, deeper bass, and improved accuracy.  Note that nearly all recording and mixing studios use active monitors.  Good quality active monitors range from $300/pair (JBL 305 Mk2) up to $15,000/pair (Dutch & Dutch 8C) with features ranging from simple low voltage hookup wiring (no speaker cables needed) up to wireless and room EQ.



 

[seikosha]

My guess is that when the OP says “full ranger” they are not referring to single driver full range speakers but rather large floor standing speakers with full range response.  So the question probably is what’s a better solution to get full range results.  With a pair of standmount bookshelves with subs, or large floor standing speakers.

[Solarflares]

  “I disregard coaxial drivers as full range drivers. “

My Tannoy System 15 DMT mk2’s would disagree. 34hz-25Khz in soffit-mounting. 37hz free-standing. Beautiful bottom-end.
If that’s not enough ‘full range’, then there’s the soffit-mounted 215 DMT at 29hz, or even the free-standing Kingdom, which is in the low 20’s and reaches well beyond 50Khz. Fully time-aligned, front-ported.
No need for subs, if you sort your room out a bit.
If you ‘need’ more bass than that, then you would be either the victim of a cruel medical experiment, or a brain-damaged moron - or the X-lax didn’t work and you dislike enemas.


“I recommend active monitors. Note that nearly all recording and mixing studios use active monitors.”

This is not true.
Most ‘real’ professional studios will use soffit-mounting for main-monitors, and rely on remote power-amps in another room, for quick swapping if one goes down. The artist doesn’t pay you to piss about dismantling faulty misplaced fashionable trends with no track record of reliability.   Like you’re gonna tell Beyoncé or Madonna to go get a coffee, as you get the screwdrivers out - cursing the day the tech convinced you to go class-D.
I agree that modern production and pre-production suites certainly use actives like Genelecs etc, perhaps with subs, and have done for 30 years. But final professional mixing and post-production will be done on a single pair of soffit-mounted monitors, and for good reason.
Let’s not confuse the amateur and semi-pro led market with the real thing.  Heat-sinks do not belong in a control-room.


Here’s a speaker that was designed to be a “Bookshelf” speaker for small space-limited home-studios. The best in it’s class.
But I’m talking about actually putting them on a real bookshelf!

[opnly bafld]

My guess is that when the OP says “full ranger” they are not referring to single driver full range speakers but rather large floor standing speakers with full range response.  So the question probably is what’s a better solution to get full range results.  With a pair of standmount bookshelves with subs, or large floor standing speakers.

This is how I understood it.

If this is like the other thread we won't hear from injunvik again.