Neither type is better in every room. Floorstanding speakers have bigger cabinets and usually more or larger drivers, so they tend to go deeper in the bass and play loud with less strain. Bookshelf speakers take up far less space, are easier to place well, and in a small or medium room they often sound tighter and more even. The right choice depends on your room, your furniture and how loud you like to listen.
What is the difference between floorstanding and bookshelf speakers?
A floorstanding speaker, sometimes called a tower, stands on the floor and is tall enough to put its tweeter somewhere near ear height when you are seated. The tall cabinet holds more air, which helps bass, and there is often room for two or three drivers sharing the work.
A bookshelf speaker, also called a standmount, is a smaller box designed to sit on a stand, a sideboard or a sturdy shelf. It usually has one bass or mid driver and a tweeter. Despite the name, most sound better on a stand than pushed into a shelf.
Are floorstanding speakers better?
They can be, in the right room. A larger cabinet and more driver area let a floorstander move more air, so it can fill a big space and reach lower notes with less effort. For large living rooms, open-plan spaces and people who like to listen loud, that is a real advantage.
The catch is that bass has to fit the room. In a small room, deep bass from a big speaker can excite the room’s own resonances and turn boomy, so some notes swell while others vanish. A smaller speaker that goes less deep can sound cleaner there, simply because it asks less of the room.
Do bookshelf speakers have good bass?
A good bookshelf speaker has more bass than most people expect, especially in a small or medium room. It will not reach quite as low as a well-made floorstander, but the bass it does make is often quick and well controlled.
Placement helps. Moving a speaker closer to the wall behind it lifts the bass, and moving it out tightens it up. Try a few positions before you decide a speaker lacks weight. Our guide to how far bookshelf speakers should be from the wall covers the starting points.
Which is better for a small room?
In most small rooms, bookshelf speakers are the easier choice. They leave more floor free, they are simpler to move until they sound right, and they are less likely to swamp the room with bass. A floorstander can work in a small room if it is a slim design and has space around it, but it is harder to get right.
If your room is on the small side, our guide to the best speakers for a small room goes further, and how to size speakers for your room helps you match a pair to the space you have.
What about placement and stands?
Both types need the same basics. Set the pair apart, roughly the same distance from your seat as they are from each other, with a little space from the walls and the tweeters near ear height. Our guide to where speakers should be placed explains how.
Floorstanders are simpler here, because they bring their own height. Bookshelf speakers need something solid at the right height. A low TV unit or a deep shelf can work, but a pair of stands usually sounds better, because the speaker sits clear of furniture that can colour the sound.
How do the costs compare?
As a rule, a floorstander costs more than a bookshelf speaker from the same range, because there is more cabinet and more drivers to pay for. Stands add to the bill, and a great bookshelf speaker can cost more than an average tower. Compare the whole setup, speakers plus whatever they will stand on.
It is also worth thinking about amplification. Passive speakers of either type need an amplifier, while powered speakers have it built in. Our guide to powered vs passive speakers explains the difference.
Where do uStream speakers fit?
The uStream range runs from the uStream Three, at 500 mm tall, down to the uStream Cube at 200 mm, so every pair is sized for a stand, a sideboard or a sturdy unit. The uStream Three and uStream Two each use a 165 mm woofer, and the uStream Two fills a large room without effort. The uStream One suits a small to medium living room. There is no wire between the speakers, so each one goes where it sounds best.
Frequently asked questions
Are floorstanding speakers better than bookshelf speakers?
Not always. Floorstanders usually go deeper and play louder with ease, which suits large rooms. Bookshelf speakers are often the better match for small and medium rooms.
Can you use floorstanding speakers in a small room?
Yes, but choose a slim design and give it space from the walls. Large speakers in small rooms can sound boomy, so bookshelf speakers are often easier.
Do bookshelf speakers need stands?
They do not have to have them, but they usually sound better on stands or solid furniture, with the tweeter near ear height and some space around the cabinet.
Do bookshelf speakers have enough bass for music?
For most music in a small or medium room, yes. Good placement, a little way from the wall behind, makes the most of the bass they have.
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