Are Bookshelf Speakers Made to go in Bookshelves?

[upwardspiral]

I'm building a new system for the first time with "wife constraints". Though she is fairly open to what I buy, she hates large obnoxious speakers. I have the 15in Infinity Studio Monitor 150's for a long time and I think those put her over the edge.

So my main constraint is I need speakers to fit in with this furniture:

The AV123 X-CS speakers will fit in each side bookshelf with very little room to spare.

I am still working on the Center channel placement (will be another X-CS). That will probably go under the TV or in front of it.

Question - with this setup hinder the sound? I have seen various comments on here saying you have to be careful when placing speakers in cabinets - I have tried doing a more detailed search but the commonality of the key words jumbles everything.

Any advice would be appreciated, even if it is recommending different speakers.

Thanks

 

[ParadigmDawg]

It seems like a bookshelf speaker would work on a bookshelf doesnt it?...lol...

A bookshelf will probably sound best on a stand but we all have to live with compromises. AV123 says that these can be wall mounted so they may sound ok in your new entertainment cabinet. Try to set them where the front edge is as close to the cabinet edge as possible and maybe use port plugs if they are rear ported.

 

[j_garcia]

The X-LSs are rear ported, but the X-CS is sealed so placing them into a bookshelf should work reasonably well. It is never the ideal situation, as a speaker really should have some room to "breathe" but if you have to put them in shelves, then sealed is the way to go.

 

[mazersteven]

The X-LSs are rear ported

AV123 claims that all you need is the distance from the read the same as the diameter of the port. So a 2" port means 2"s from the rear.

Is this a rule of thumb with all speakers?


I would put these into a bookshelf.

Usher S-520

Front ported, shielded, and sound quality like nothing else in it's class.

http://www.usheraudiousa.com/products/loudspeakers/usher-series/s-520-shielded

 

[ParadigmDawg]

If Maszersteven recommends Ushers 500 times he gets a free pair; he is on 439…

 

[j_garcia]

I had the X-LSs for a while, and I believe they recommend at least 6" behind the port, IIRC, and I found that they seemed to want more than that as the bass was overly pronounced. Compared to that, my Mordaunt Short 902s were fine being just 2-3" from the wall with the rear ports. My current speakers (all of these in the same setup) don't seem to mind being ~6" from the wall. The port isn't the only issue, as there are other factors as Greg noted earlier - boundary effect can cause issues even if the speaker is sealed, if you don't bring the speaker face somewhere near flush - an factor that is both vertical and horizontal. All that said, it really depends on the size of the space the speaker ends up in as well as how the whole thing is setup as to whether it will be a big issue or not.

 

[mazersteven]

If Maszersteven recommends Ushers 500 times he gets a free pair; he is on 439…

I already have a free pair.

But just look at why I recommended them.

1-sound great (I know that is subjective to the listener, but a lot of others think so too)
2-front ported (would help in a entertainment center)
3-shielded (if it's going to be close to a display unit)

Now here's one for you. Can you name a reason not to recommend them?

 

[billnchristy]

If you can "hang" the front out so the speakers are actually forward of the shelves you should be fine.

I have X-LS in bookshelfs and they sound fine...Im sure they could sound better but no one that has ever heard my system found it lacking...

 

[mazersteven]

If you can "hang" the front out so the speakers are actually forward of the shelves

Not challenging, just questioning.

Shouldn't the face of the speaker be exact with the face of the entertainment center? I thought in to far or out to far was a bad thing?

 

[silversurfer]

I thought the rule of thumb for distance behind a rear ported speaker was 2 times the diameter of the port.

That said, if you crossover high enough above the tuning of the port, it will minimize the issue.

Also, make sure the front of the speaker is in front of the plane/face of the bookshelf and TV.

Shouldn't the face of the speaker be exact with the face of the entertainment center? I thought in to far or out to far was a bad thing?

Actually, no. What happens is you are increasing the baffle area when you have it even with the face, which causes a rise in FR around 500hz I think. To minimize this, you want the speaker in front of that face. Of course, behind face will cause even more pf a megaphone effect and dispersion problems.

 

[upwardspiral]

Thanks for all of the feedback. I think the speakers will be ok - though I need to go measure the exact dimensions of the side towers to make sure I can have the speakers protruding from the front.

Does anyone know of any other companies with sealed speakers they would recommend? I have been reading up on the NHT Classic 3 set but cannot find any pics or literature stating if they are sealed or ported. Due to their size I am assuming they are ported.

Anyone have the NHT Classic 3's in a bookshelf?

Thanks again.

 

[EJD]

The 3s are sealed.

Link

 

[Davemcc]

Since we're recommending favorites, I like to suggest the Era Design 3 for this application. It is designed to be wall mounted and the port is designed not to be an issue for your application. They were designed by Micheal Kelly of Aerial and have a high WAF for their quality finishes and small size. I've heard them and to be honest, they aren't as nice sounding as the D4 or D5 (which I am totally enjoy), but sound very nice just the same. I think they would fit your cabinets nicely, but the real hangup for these is whether you have the equipment to run 5ohm nom./4ohm min speakers.

Here's the page anyway.
http://www.signalpathint.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=17&Itemid=35

 

[Joe Schmoe]

For shelf mounting, I would strongly recommend either a sealed or front-ported design. I think it is going to be very difficult to get rear ports to sound good. I would also look for speakers that image well without toe-in, as you wil be limited in your ability to toe them in.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

You know I am just giving you a hard time. I would like to hear a pair....

I already have a free pair.

But just look at why I recommended them.

1-sound great (I know that is subjective to the listener, but a lot of others think so too)
2-front ported (would help in a entertainment center)
3-shielded (if it's going to be close to a display unit)

Now here's one for you. Can you name a reason not to recommend them?

 

[jcPanny]

AV123 X-cs

If you are planning on the AV123 X-cs for your mains and center, you will want the main L/R speakers in the vertical orientation not horizontal like the center channel.

My understanding is that rear port distance and boundary interaction is directly related to the speakers capability to produce low frequencies (the X-ls can play down to 60 Hz) and the frequencies they are required to produce (crossover setting on the receiver).

The AV123 bookshelf speakers have a risk free trial period so you could test them in your application.

For a sealed speaker option in a similar price range, check out the 5.1 system from SVS. It is on sale for $800 in white and silver.

 

[j_garcia]

The Paradigm Studios are all front ported now. Not exactly the same price range as the X-series though. The NHTs are a good choice as mentioned, but also not quite the same price point as the X-series.

The SVSs are also a good option, but IMO, the X-series are a step up from them sound wise. For the package price, the SVS subs are pretty killer though.

 

[upwardspiral]

Since we're recommending favorites, I like to suggest the Era Design 3 for this application. It is designed to be wall mounted and the port is designed not to be an issue for your application. They were designed by Micheal Kelly of Aerial and have a high WAF for their quality finishes and small size. I've heard them and to be honest, they aren't as nice sounding as the D4 or D5 (which I am totally enjoy), but sound very nice just the same. I think they would fit your cabinets nicely, but the real hangup for these is whether you have the equipment to run 5ohm nom./4ohm min speakers.

Here's the page anyway.
http://www.signalpathint.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=17&Itemid=35

Would you not recommend the 4 or 5's for use in a bookshelf? They fit size wise (the 5's would be snug on the sides) in the the shelves we have picked out.

Thanks

 

[Davemcc]

Would you not recommend the 4 or 5's for use in a bookshelf? They fit size wise (the 5's would be snug on the sides) in the the shelves we have picked out.

Thanks

I've found the D5's to be somewhat sensitive to having the port too close to the wall. There does seem to be an increase in mid-bass if I set them too close. I'm not sure they would be appropriate for a tight cabinet fit. The D4's share a similar design and I've heard that they also share this trait, but they are much smaller and if the cabinet has enough space behind the speaker, you might be able to get away with it.

To be honest, the D4 is one of the sweetest speakers I've ever heard, but I got the D5 because I wanted more mid-bass to blend with my sub. It is possible that cabinet placement for the D4 will give it a mid-bass boost that improves the overall system sound. In this case, I'd try the D4's with D3 center and surrounds. I've found with the D5 center, it is so much larger than the mains, its almost overpowering and I have it turned down quite a bit relative to the other speakers.

The 3's are designed to be wall mounted and on the web page, it explains how the port works to not be affected by proximity to the rear boundary. But as I've said, they don't sound the same as D4 or D5's. If you can find a dealer, the D3 and D4 are really worth the time to audition and maybe the dealer will let you try them at home to see if cabinet placement will work.

 

[upwardspiral]

If the L&R channel speakers do need to be vertical, that definitely takes av123 speakers out of the picture.

I think several other speakers mentioned would work in a vertical state.

Another caveat - the room is 12*12 and the couch where we will be sitting is against the back wall. For the surrounds, what mounting application would you recommend? Ill do some searches for ideas - I was planning on mounting them high on the side walls in line with the couch, but I read another thread that warned against that.

Would ceiling speakers firing down on either side of the couch work best in this situation?

I will try and draw a layout of the room so you can get a better visual idea.