Bookshelf speakers can work!


I don’t post here much so please take in stride that fact. I’ve loved music systems since I was 10, and I am 67.   I’ve heard many times that speakers in bookshelves are wrong. All I want to say is that I’m listening to a beautiful wall of sound in my space with Von Schweikert VR-1 speakers and an REL sub and the speakers disappear leaving a seamless wall of sound with height, width and depth. For those of you with limited rooms or secondary rooms like mine with long walls in front of you especially with tall ceilings, pick the right speakers properly positioned in the bookshelves and it can be a fabulous soundstage. Pick either closed speakers or front ported ones designed for bookshelves. Fix the height at or slightly above your ear level and at at a 45 degree angle for most speakers to the listening position. Could it be better on stands out in the room?  Absolutely. But it’s still damn good this way too. Don’t limit yourself with dogma!
tgrisham
Exactly. Use the space you have instead of the space you’re “supposed” to have. Enjoy the music!
This is such a perfectly timed thread. I was wondering if I could put a a  large "bookshelf" speaker where my KEF LS50's currently reside.

Living Room System - Virtual Systems (audiogon.com)

My ceiling is over 25 feet tall in this room.  The sound is rather good in the existing setup, which was very surprising.

You're not getting rear reflection the wall of books is your front baffle. Have fun.
I noticed that on my office system having my large wooden bookshelf which is filled with very thick books, made an improvement to the acoustics. 
bookshelf speakers can sound absolutely great, especially if implemented well with supporting subwoofers... but invariably not with the speakers sitting on bookshelves!
no worries, many paths of sonic bliss in this pursuit

i should probably have said... "bookshelf speakers sound best properly placed, on stands, in room, away from boundaries - but that doesn't mean the right bookshelf models can't sound darned good placed otherwise!!"

cheers and enjoy!!