Some aren’t completely sure about the capability of bookshelf speakers. We often get asked if bookshelf speakers are good for home theater setups. Our response is always an emphatic yes. Bookshelf speakers have characteristics that allow them to function well all over your home theater sound system. We will list all the reasons why bookshelf speakers work so well in home theater.
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Why Bookshelf Speakers Are Great For Home Theater
Everyone wants good sound quality and an immersive movie-watching experience in their home theater. It’s important to realize that every home theater system will be configured differently though. One dedicated basement theater might have a 150″ projector and a 9.2.4 surround sound system capable of Dolby Atmos. Smaller home theaters will have audio equipment configured differently. A smaller home theater might have a 40″ TV on a stand with no available floor space for speakers. What speaker fits seamlessly into either home theater setup? Bookshelf speakers. Here are a few reasons why.
Bookshelf Speakers Have A Small Footprint
The fact that bookshelf speakers are so compact gives them a leg up in many use cases. Space is at a premium in a lot of homes. Especially for those who want an enjoyable movie-watching experience in a smaller space like a bedroom. A bookshelf speaker can fit comfortably on a bookshelf, tv stand, entertainment center, or speaker stand. People often connect bookshelf speakers to PCs for this exact reason. They make an ideal option for a small 2.0 or a 2.1 speaker setup.
Do floorstanding speakers have their own benefits for a stereo setup? Sure. The only issue is they are way too large to place on the aforementioned furniture. Floorstanding speakers placed that high also would also not properly project sound to a normal listening position. What height should bookshelf speakers be? A bookshelf speaker should be placed with the tweeter at a height near the ear level of the listener for optimal sound quality. You’ll notice a bookshelf speaker is naturally close to this level while sitting on a coffee table or TV stand.
Bookshelf Speakers Have A Wide Frequency Response
Frequency response on a speaker is the measure of how much of the audio spectrum that speaker is able to reproduce. This is important because every song or movie score is made up of low, mid-range, and high frequencies. A speaker’s ability to produce the best quality sound is partially dependent on having speaker drivers that can produce a wide frequency response. You’ll need that for the best sound in your home theater or media room. Bookshelf speakers do have that wide frequency response. Most bookshelf speakers have a frequency response ranging from around 45Hz to 25,000Hz. While technically not full range, it’s pretty close.
Unfortunately, that’s not frequency range doesn’t extend that far into the sub-bass region. That’s typically why you’ll need a subwoofer with bookshelf speakers. Bookshelf speakers aren’t unique in that regard though. That’s what you’ll find powered subwoofers in many home theaters no matter the configuration. Subwoofers are unparalleled in their ability to reproduce deep and full bass for music or home theater. Most floorstanding speakers or tower speakers can rival this frequency response and even go lower. You’ll also be extremely limited in where you can place them. That leads me to the next reason.
Bookshelf Speakers Perform Well All Over A Home Theater
A bookshelf speaker’s ability to be relatively small and produce just about the full frequency range is key here. Bookshelf speakers are popular in a 2.0 set up as stereo speakers in a dedicated listening setup. They are also popular as front speakers in a home theater set up. The best bookshelf speakers are capable of so much more though. Especially for those on a budget. Why? Shuffling speakers is a normal part of upgrading your audio equipment.
When starting a home theater system, it’s best to start with bookshelf speakers. They are affordable and work great as front speakers. Home theater is an addictive hobby. You’ll want to eventually upgrade for additional speakers for the best performance. It would be natural to eventually add a center channel and subwoofer next. Let’s say you want more drivers or more power for your front speakers. If you buy floorstanding speakers, you can use your bookshelf speakers as rear surrounds. You’ll now have a 5.1 surround sound home theater system.
Believe it or not, some people even use bookshelf speakers as center channel speakers. Unfortunately, it won’t be as aesthetically pleasing as a proper center channel under a TV. There is still some evidence that they can perform better than a typical center channel. There’s even the possibility of using a bookshelf speaker for Dolby Atmos. Building a home theater system with Dolby Atmos without ceiling speakers is possible. A quick google search will prove many people are using bookshelf speakers with solid results. A Bookshelf speaker can be easily wall-mounted, unlike many other speakers. That means installing it high on your wall can recreate those realistic overhead Dolby Atmos effects.
Bookshelf Speaker Are Affordable
Your best bet to stretch your money in a home theater is to start with Bookshelf speakers for front speakers. There is no comparable pair of speakers that will provide a quality audio experience for less. Passive and active bookshelf speakers can be bought for less than $100 dollars. Floorstanding speakers are of course popular as front speakers too. They are harder to place though and usually much more expensive. There are also more options for active speakers for bookshelf speakers. Why is this important? Active bookshelf speakers won’t require a receiver or amplifier. You’ll have more budget to work with if you don’t have to buy additional equipment. In the future, you can move the speakers elsewhere or use them with pre-outs in a larger speaker setup.
Bookshelf speakers are truly the best speakers to build a home theater. You’ll have more budget for other home theater equipment and they are versatile to use in a larger speaker setup. Let’s say you buy the best floorstanding speakers you can with a limited budget. You have created somewhat of the floor for your home theater system. You’ll likely be able to afford better in the future. Moving your floorstanding speakers to rear surrounds will be hard to pull off in most spaces. Mounting is out of the question. Unless you sell or upgrade your floorstanding speakers, they will likely be the weakest link of your home theater system. The front 3 speakers should actually be where you spend the most money in your system. Buying bookshelf speakers really allows you to stretch your budget and keep your options open.
In Conclusion: Bookshelf Speakers and Home Theater
Building a home theater can be complicated. The versatility of bookshelf speakers is straightforward. Satellite speakers are smaller. Floorstanding speakers are larger speakers with more drivers and power. A Subwoofer has more bass. Bookshelf speakers are really the kings of versatility though. They check more boxes in total. Are bookshelf speakers good for home theater? YES! Their ability to be the swiss army knife of home theater is extremely useful. While they aren’t the solution to every problem, they are great for a lot. Take this into account when building your home theater for the smooth transition to the perfect sound for your home theater.
Keith Collins has been writing for over 15 years for various publications. He’s a lover of music, home theater, and excellent sound quality. His fondness for technology in addition to his non-stop curiosity fuels his writing ventures.