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Anyone Successfully Go from Floor Standers to Bookshelf Monitors w/ Subs?

My system is in a Large Living room which opens to dining room & Kitchen. I figure about 6k cu ft. I have Silverline Sonata speakers now with subs. Unfortunately I did not build my addition when I should have 10-15 yrs ago. Now I'm not really up to the task. Too old & wore out. So I'd love to make the LR a prettier room for my wife. One thing we talked about was the large speakers, and possibly using Watkins Gen 4 monitors. But as good as they sound, I am concerned about the ability to fill the room, or at least my listening area. As I understand, it is about moving air. I cannot see how a 6.5 & 1 inch speaker can move as much as a 10, 7, 3 & 1 inch. So I am quite concerned about that. Right now, the system sounds very pleasing to both of us. We don't want to take a backward step but can live with a sideways step if it is more visually pleasing.

Has anyone made this kind of a step from floor standers to monitors, both with subs, in a large room, with success? Or am I thinking correctly about the small speakers inability to move the proper amount of air for the room size? Thanks for your help.

OH, FWIW, The addition may not be completely out of the picture. But it depends on whether I can get one of my previous sub contractors to do a large part of it. 
artemus_5
alcoholbob
20 posts
 
Depends on your listening level. If you listen loud in a large room, then I would stick with 3-way bookshelf speakers. You want something that has a driver that can be dedicated for mid-bass (assuming a 80hz crossover) that can play the 80-200hz range dynamically without the output bleeding into the mids because of excessive driver excursion.
scchengmus
93 posts
 
I have, with horn-loaded bookshelves.
rauliruegas
13,125 posts
 
Dear @lee_r_allen :  ""  In my current system, the mid/bass drivers handle both the midrange and mid bass, down to the 24dB sloped crossover point at 55 Hz. I think the wider bandwidth the mid/bass drivers handle results in just a bit of compromise compared to the dedicated midrange driver.  ""

Absolutely rigth about that " heavy " compromise for that speaker driver.

You own very good quality system but your speakers as any other passive two way design develops high levels of IMD and THD rigth on that speaker driver.

I think that you can forget for ever the Revels if you mates subwoofers with the Micro Ones crossing both: subs and main speakers at 80hz-90hz or even 100hz.
In that way you liberates the Mini Ones on those frequencies that are developing the " problem ".

The rewards that comes from that crossover changes are outstanding. I think you could try it.

Btw, the best self powered subs you can mates with any main speakers is the Mini Sub by EA not your JLs.

R.
ryder
1,746 posts
 
I went from bookshelf to floorstanders, then to bookshelf again. There are small bookshelf, there are medium-sized bookshelf and there are large bookshelves. Some example of large bookshelves are from the likes of Harbeth 40.2 and ATC.

It will depend on the size of the room as well. Personally I favor bookshelf for its practicality, lower cost (in comparison to similar range floorstanders) and 3-dimensional sound in medium to large rooms. I don’t prefer using subwoofers with bookshelves and run them full range even though they do not have the capability of hitting the lowest octaves.
artemus_5's avatar
artemus_5 OP
1,994 posts
 
Well, FWIW, I have decided to stick with the floor standers (Silverline). They  sound excellent. Kind of concerned that unless one has a fat wallet, the monitors will be too much chance of going backward instead of forward. Thanks for the input

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