How to choose the best speakers for your home
Our expert Chris Haslam gives advice on buying and using your hi-fi equipment
Earlier this year at Munich’s High End Hifi Show, I was lucky enough to sample the world’s finest speakers, which were mostly enormous and highly impractical. But worry not – living room-friendly bookshelf or freestanding speakers can still sound fantastic.
Bookshelf speakers, also known as standmounts, actually sound best when placed on dedicated speaker stands rather than on a bookshelf. That’s not to say you can’t put them somewhere more convenient and enjoy them immensely – a solid sideboard is a good compromise – but they won’t reveal their full potential if they’re pushed against a wall or between a row of novels.
Despite their compact size, good bookshelf speakers can have real punch, dynamism and impressive levels of detail, and you can move them around. Ideally you want the tweeters at ear level for the best sound. While most bookshelf designs are passive, requiring an amp to power them, there is an increasing number of ‘active’ stereo speakers with amps and processing power built in to allow you to stream wirelessly without separate components.
Floor-standing speakers are fixed in height and don’t need stands (floor spikes are generally included) so they’re easier to set up than bookshelf designs – if you have the space.
Where smaller speakers boast exceptional detail, larger floor-standing designs bring a much wider soundstage and more impressive bass. Good speakers will sound powerful and assertive, and listening to a full orchestra should leave you breathless.
While budget is an important factor, it’s worth noting that cheaper floor-standing speakers usually sound worse than cheap bookshelf designs because the larger cabinetry has a habit of colouring or altering the sound. On the flipside, the best floorstanding designs have internal bracing which is critical in preventing resonance and sound colouring. And with more drivers than a bookshelf design and therefore more crossovers to connect it all together, the prices tend to be higher. And do consider what you’re plugging the speakers into. Don’t spend thousands if you have a cheap mini system or just want to stream via Bluetooth.
Whatever size speaker you settle on, positioning them properly will make all the difference. You’re aiming for around ear level (when sitting down), and pulled away from the wall as much as is practical.
Don’t forget, too, the importance of your local specialist retailer. Head in for a demo, and even ask about a free home trial.
Good bookshelf speakers can have real punch and dynamism