If you’re planning to set up a mini home theater in your living room, then you need to get the best floor standing speakers for music. Aside from the fact that they won’t take up a lot of space, they look really great and can easily blend with the overall decor of your living room. You can place them right next to your TV or perhaps beside a bookcase.
Aside from its excellent design, a lot of people love floor standing speakers because they are known for producing excellent quality sound. They can fill your entire living room with theater-quality sound, which is perfect for your home theater setup. Read on to find out more about these types of speakers and learn some tips on how to find the best floor standing speakers for music.
What Are Floor Standing Speakers?
As the name suggests, floor-standing speakers are those types of speakers that are installed in a way that they are standing on the floor. Also known as “free-standing speakers” or “tower speakers”, these speakers offer enough space in a room, which is why they tend to produce generous sound.
Furthermore, the floor-standing speakers are very versatile and the largest among the different types of home speakers. Most of them stand at 3 to 4 feet, although some of the modern designs are slimmer and more compact.
Floor standing speakers can fill your room with theater-quality sound, which is better than smaller speakers. Music enthusiasts would mostly prefer them since they have better capacity and adaptability.
Despite their large size and setup ability, they won’t require more power since large speakers usually respond with less physical effort on lower frequencies, although there are a few power-hungry models in the market. And since they are set up vertically, they can save more space in your home, which you can use for other things.
The best floor standing speakers are usually integrated into a home theater setup. Some of the best models are able to stand alone as a center, left, or right speaker, and will produce great quality sound even without a subwoofer.
The main component of a speaker system is the AV receiver. When looking for a speaker to buy, it’s a good idea to look for an AV receiver that comes with features that suit your room well. After that, you can then proceed to the main component, which is a pair of floor standing speakers.
Make sure you choose a speaker that matches your receiver’s amplification rating. So how much will these speakers cost you? Like any device, the cost will vary depending on certain factors.
Most of the speakers that we have featured in this review are less than $1,000 each, which is the price for entry models that appeal the most to casual home audio and home theater enthusiasts.
Of course, you can always spend more. In fact, some of the higher-end models cost $10,000 and more per pair. But you need to also take into consideration the amplification components and acoustic characteristics of your room when buying these expensive, high-end models.
Things to Consider When Shopping for the Best Floor Standing Speakers
When looking for the best floor standing speakers for music, there are important factors that you need to consider.
Here are some of them:
Frequency Response
Frequency response is a measurement of how much between the 20 and 2000 Hz ranges will the speaker be able to produce. High-frequency speakers usually have a broader range and thus, its highs and lows are often more detailed and clearer.
Impedance
Impedance refers to the ability of the speaker to restrict the electric current that’s flowing into the speaker. This is usually rated based on Ohms. An 8 ohms rating should be capable of meeting your listening expectations. Furthermore, the speaker with 4 ohms as its impedance rating has to be integrated with a high-powered amplifier in order to produce the best audio quality.
Size
Make sure you think of the size too. It should be large enough to be able to fill your room with music. But if you need something that won’t occupy plenty of space in your room, then go for compact designed freestanding speakers.
Remember that bigger speakers are usually louder compared to the small compact ones that occupy only a small amount of space in the room. Think of your preferences and the area where you intend to set up the speaker when it comes to deciding the size of the speaker that you plan on buying.
Wiring
You must also take into consideration the wiring of the floor-standing speaker. Some of the speakers come with wire terminals and there are those that come with terminals that have crossovers. For instance, Bi-amped speakers are equipped with 2 separate sets of cables that connect them towards the amplifier. These cables will carry a signal coming from another amplifier.
On the other hand, the Bi-wired comes with two sets of cables that connect to speakers using one output connector. The bi-wiring won’t offer the same level of power into the floor standing speakers at the same level as the bi-amping does. Although you won’t find a lot of differences between these two wrings, your decision will depend on your personal preferences.
Terminals
Most of the cheaper models of floor standing speakers come with spring clip terminals. These work best for pin-type connectors or for speaker wires with a small gauge. The best floor standing home theater speakers are those that come with binding post terminals. Although they are more expensive, these terminals are very versatile and are threaded well to make sure that the wires are tightened once they are connected.
Sensitivity
The speaker’s sensitivity refers to how the device can effectively convert power to volume. Basically, the higher the speaker’s sensitivity, the louder the music sound. This means that speakers with more sensitivity use less power.
Durability
You definitely want the speaker to last a long time. Therefore, look for a model that’s strong and durable. So, find out how the speakers have been made and take time to read reviews from customers who have owned that particular speaker you’re buying to see if it’s durable and long-lasting.
Looks
Usually, the aesthetic aspects of the speaker will depend upon your personal preferences. Most of these speakers have a classic design that’s suitable for most types of decors.
Now that you’re familiar with the floor-standing speakers, it’s time to begin your search. To help you save some time, we’ve narrowed down a list of the best floor standing speakers for music below.
Take time to read each review before you decide if it’s the right one for you.
1 – Sony SS-CS3 3-Way 4-Driver Floor-Standing Speaker
If you’re really serious about music, then you should invest in a good speaker like this Sony SS-CS3 3-Way 4-Driver Floor-Standing Speaker. This is a great choice for serious audiophiles as it’s packed with features that make it capable of delivering excellent sound quality even in a spacious room setting.
Equipped with Sony‘s very own super tweeters, these speakers can deliver more immersive and excellent sound quality output. There are also mica-reinforced drivers that can deliver impressive sound performance while the diaphragm’s bottom layer delivers an improved bass response.
The 5.25″ twin woofers of the speakers are made from durable materials that are truly long-lasting and offer excellent performance. Furthermore, the speaker’s bass response is pleasant, which is suitable for lower and midrange audio quality.
The frequency response of the speaker is 45Hz to 50000Hz, which has the broadest frequency range of all the speakers that we featured on this list. As for the audio quality of these speakers, you definitely won’t be disappointed. Plus, the frequency range is lower, which results in a better response.
Pros:
3-way four-speaker bass reflex system
Bass response is impressive
The entire set is a complete studio package
High-frequency response
Lightweight design and allows for easy portability
Cons:
Doesn’t come with a decent midrange driver
Smaller compared to the other tower speakers
The Cerwin-Vega XLS-215 is the right speaker for you if you need the best floor standing speakers for home theater. It produces incredible sound quality, yet you won’t be spending a lot of money on this device, which is really impressive. You’ll find several other Cerwin Vega speakers on the market, but this model is what we would highly recommend.
For a start, it features two 3-way freestanding speakers that have 8-inch tall excursion woofers with premium surrounds and cast frames. They also come with a 6.5-inch mid-range driver that has cones that have been produced with mica fiber impregnation. Not only that, but the speakers have a 1-inch dome tweeter that’s bolstered with a Ferrofluid cooling process that results in a faster motion exposure.
This impressive arrangement is enclosed in an impressive ash enclosure. As for the quality of the audio produced, you can expect high fidelity, crisp detail, and rich texture. It has an extensive range of balance that is skillfully managed through excellent circuitry. Indeed, these speakers are very durable, with a generous height of 38 inches, capable of handling 5500 W peak power.
Pros:
3-way class
Advanced circuitry
High fidelity audio with excellent quality bass
High performing drivers with cooling methods
Cons:
Some customers claim this speaker is a bit overpriced
When it comes to the best floor standing speakers under 500, the SP-FS52 Floor Standing Loudspeaker is what we would highly recommend. Made by Pioneer, which is one of the most reliable brands of speakers on the market, this floor standing speaker is packed with great features that offer excellent performance.
Designed by a world-renowned engineer, this speaker system integrated with advanced crossover engineering circuitry. It’s capable of delivering optimal audio performance at a competitive price.
Standing at 35 inches tall with three 5.25-inch woofers, the speakers are capable of offering excellent bass response while giving it a room-filling depth. Topped off with a 1-inch dome tweeter that features an advanced design that’s custom-engineered, this speaker system is not like any of your average crossovers.
Pros:
Curved cabinet design
Sophisticated crossover
Triple woofer and tweeter combo
Klipsch is a company that has existed for decades and is known for producing some of the most sophisticated loudspeakers on the market. In fact, the RP-280F Floor Standing Speaker is one of the best floor standing speakers 2019.
It was created with improved technologies that deliver an intense and powerful listening experience. The speaker is equipped with the newly designed tractrix horn featuring a circular throat in a cutting-edge diaphragm tweeter, which helps to further enhance its high-frequency response. Thus, it’s capable of delivering impressive sound quality.
The impedance of the speaker is 8 ohms while its sensitivity range is 98 Decibel. As such, the midranges and highs will feel detailed and cleaned in this speaker system. Aside from the excellent specs already mentioned, this speaker has an outstanding frequency of 32-25 kHz, with a power handling that’s up to 600 W peak, which should be good enough for everyday use.
The Klipsch RP 280 F Speaker has flared openings on its cabinet and projects sound waves into space for an enjoyable listening experience. Unlike other speakers that tend to spill out the sound in different directions, this speaker will spill the sound in only one direction. This feature minimizes the reflections that could affect the sound and improves its dynamics resulting in crystal-clear sound quality at any volume level.
Pros:
Affordable price
Comes with brass speaker banana plugs
Elegant and sleek design
Equipped with dual copper woofers
High-resolution audio
Cons:
None
5 – Martin Logan Motion 60XT Gloss Black Floorstanding Speaker
This next speaker is from Martin Logan, a US-based company known for producing different types of speakers, including subwoofer speakers and floor standing speakers, such as this Motion 60XT Gloss Black Floorstanding Speaker.
According to the company, the “XT” refers to “extreme”, which is what the tweeter of this speaker system is all about. Its folded-motion tweeter has a height of 2.4 inches and a width of 1.25 inches. The company further states that having a larger tweeter doesn’t necessarily mean that it sounds different from a tonal perspective, but this also allows the speaker to play louder sound but with less distortion.
This feature makes it possible to use a lower crossover point that’s at 2,200 Hz, which is lower compared to the Motion 20, which is at 2,600 Hz. The speaker uses a 6.5-inch driver, which makes it play music even louder.
The woofer complement of the Motion 60XT is also extreme. It features a dual 8-inch woofer, which is bigger compared to the Motion 40’s 6.5-inch and Motion 20’s 5.25-inch. There’s a 5.5-inch midrange, which links the speaker’s woofers to its tweeter. As for the sensitivity range of this device, it’s rated at 94 decibels.
One of the best floor standing speakers for home theater, but pricey
Floor Standing Speakers vs. Bookshelf Speakers
When searching for speakers to buy, you’ll come across another type of speaker called the bookshelf speaker.
So how do these speakers differ from the floor standing speakers?
Upon looking at them, you can immediately tell the difference in terms of appearance. While the floor-standing speakers are thin and tall, the bookshelf speakers are usually fat and short. But aside from their appearance, there are more differences that come with these two.
When it comes to home hi-fi use, floor standing speakers are a fantastic choice because they are capable of delivering a wider and more powerful sound compared to bookshelf speakers.
Although bookshelf models are also great, they are not as powerful as the higher-end models of freestanding speakers. But this is not always the case because there are now bookshelf speakers that are way better than floor standing models.
Passive vs. Powered
It’s quite easy to differentiate the passive speaker from floor standing speakers. The passive speaker doesn’t come with a built-in amplifier. Thus, it will require the need to use external amplification, which is why it’s sometimes necessary to plug the speakers into a separate receiver or amp.
On the other hand, powered floor standing speakers, also known as active speakers, come with their own amplifiers. Most speakers for home theater are usually the passive type.
Three-Way vs. Two-Way
You will most likely encounter the three-way or two-way floor standing speakers when searching for the best floor standing speakers for music. There’s no need to complicate things. 2-way speakers basically divide the frequencies that they produce in terms of highs and lows. For this to be possible, they use two types of drivers – tweeters for the highs and the woofers for the lows.
On the other hand, 3-way speakers separate their frequencies into three different types – high, low, and mid. Thus, they also need midrange drivers. Usually, 3-way speakers are better than the 2-way and are capable of generating a more precise sound quality. However, this isn’t always the case.
Hi-Fi vs. Home Theater
When deciding between Hi-Fi or home theater, it will usually depend on what you would personally prefer for your home theater system. Do you need a pair of floor standing speakers to be a part of an entire home theater system or do you need the speaker simply for playing music?
If you want to set up a home theater system in your home, then floor standing speakers are, no doubt, the best option for you. These speakers are specially designed for home theater applications.
But, of course, you can also use floor standing speakers in a Hi-Fi setup if you want to. This might not be ideal for some audiophiles, but if your space is restricted, it should work. Of course, make sure you pair it with an appropriate amp.
Additional Reviews of Best Floor Standing Speakers for Music
The NS-F210BL 2 Speaker from Yamaha is one of the best floor standing speakers under 1000. Despite its affordable price, the speaker’s performance is pretty impressive and is capable of delivering dynamic sound from high definition sources.
Equipped with a one-inch aluminum tweeter that impressively handles midrange and high frequencies, this device is truly one of the best on the market. It has 2 8-inch woofers that are responsible for the lower frequencies as well as the bass. Yet, the bass is powerful enough to cover the entire area of your living space.
Customers truly appreciate the clear lows and crisp highs that the speakers can deliver. It produces a natural sound that’s very appealing on the ears and could fill your entire living space. The speaker’s vocals are well defined and you’ll certainly not get enough of the sweet sound that the speakers are capable of producing.
Featuring a slim design that goes well with the flat-screen TV, you will surely love having this speaker to be part of your home theater system. You can set them up anywhere you want to without worrying about the limited space. It’s also worth noting that you’ll get an extra gauge wire for this speaker, which you can use for connections. Furthermore, this speaker is equipped with a detachable grille on the front.
Pros:
High quality and deep bass audio
Excellent design
Floor standing, compact and portable
When it comes to delivering high-quality sound, the ELAC Uni-fi UF5 is truly impressive, which is why we consider it one of the best floor standing home theater speakers. What’s more, it’s very durable and a great choice if you’re looking for a long-term audio solution.
The speaker’s midrange unit comprises of a soft dome tweeter that’s enclosed in a four-inch midrange driver made of aluminum. As such, this speaker boasts an impressive tonal balance. Furthermore, its midrange, treble, and bass, are certainly sophisticated.
With this unit, you’ll get three 2.5-inch woofers made of aluminum that is responsible for the distortion of the driver’s working frequency. What’s really great about this speaker is that it uses aluminum, which is a perfect choice of material for floor standing speakers due to its stiffness and lightweight.
This floor-standing speaker has a lower than average impedance of only 4 ohms plus a sensitivity range of 85 decibels, which means it can produce excellent sound quality.
Pros:
Durable construction
Elegant and sleek design
Reasonable price
Sound is of superb clarity across all ranges
Cons:
It has low nominal impedance with relatively low sensitivity.
When looking for a floor-standing speaker with decent quality, one of the speakers that we would recommend is the Onkyo SKF-4800. This is a great choice if you don’t want to purchase a separate subwoofer for your home theater setup.
These speakers are capable of producing the best quality of sound in all kinds of audio. Furthermore, the speakers are specially engineered to provide full-spectrum of power in the home entertainment system.
Featuring a one-inch dome tweeter, these floor standing speakers are capable of offering excellent frequency vocals. Furthermore, its tweeter driver is perfectly designed to cover some portion of the mid-range frequency to achieve a better quality of sound. This speaker is also equipped with two 6.4-inch woofers with a built-in equalizer that can produce detailed and sweet bass.
These speakers have a frequency response of 55-35000 Hz, which is quite impressive for serious audiophiles. Furthermore, they feature a maximum output of 130W, which is truly great compared to the other speakers of this same caliber. Given this power output, this speaker certainly performs well when it comes to the quality of sound that it produces.
Pros:
Affordable
Bass response is fast and accurate
Frequency response is impressive
Lightweight design
Cons:
The stands could be better
9 – GOgroove Bluetooth Tower Speaker with Built-in Subwoofer
The GOgroove Bluetooth Tower Speaker is the perfect floor-standing speaker for anyone looking for affordable speakers but still wants to build an excellent quality home theater system. It features a built-in powered subwoofer as well as dual drivers that deliver 120W peak power while producing a booming sound with impressive clarity.
These tower speakers come with a device dock and side USB power port that will give you the option to place your phone on the docking slot of the speaker and then plug it to a USB power port so you can continue charging and prevent the device from draining as you listen to music on the speaker.
These floor standing speakers are 38-inches tall and have an excellent design that perfectly blends with the decor in your living room. And thanks to its compact design, these speakers are ideal for those who need to place the speakers in apartments, condominium units, offices, or anywhere with limited space.
Pros:
38-inch speaker with built-in subwoofer
It comes with a dock with a USB charger for phones and tablets
120 W peak power offering superior sound quality
3 audio inputs for different devices
When it comes to the best floor standing speakers for home theater, another product that we couldn’t recommend enough is the BP9020. This is a set of speakers that are capable of providing incredible quality of sound to any area in your home, especially in your living room Thus, it can make for a perfect component for your home entertainment system.
Featuring the company’s own patented technology, these speakers are completely unique and not like those average floor standing speakers on the market. It produces the type of sound that can fill up the entire room with excellent clarity.
The BP9020 also comes with a subwoofer, which ensures that the bass is not just a rumble. With this speaker, the bass can provide enough power that can shake your living room without losing sound definition. This device has dome tweeters made of aluminum that help to ensure sharp clarity without any distortions.
Pros:
Equipped with built-in subwoofers that produce trembling bass
Forward-focused bipolar technology
High-quality dome tweeter made of aluminum
Cons:
Not the easiest to set up
Where Should You Place Your Floor Standing Speaker?
The placement of the floor-standing speaker is not really as important as the placement of the other components, such as the subwoofer. But it’s recommended that you avoid placing these speakers in a corner as this could lower the speaker’s bass detail. The most ideal place for these speakers is on the side of a stereo or TV set. Make sure there’s plenty of space behind.
Don’t be afraid to experiment by moving the speakers around. Look for a suitable location that can make these speakers produce the most optimal sound. And remember that some of the things in your room can also affect the performance of the speakers.
Most people make the mistake of placing their speakers against a wall right in the corner of the room. But you should know that the presence of the wall could affect the quality of the bass and will turn the mighty oomph into a muddy squeak. Try to place the speakers at least 6 inches away from the wall.
Depending on the shape and sound of your room, this factor is something that you may have to compromise. But then again, don’t be afraid to play around and experiment to achieve the most appropriate speaker positioning and placement.
Of all the floor-standing speakers in this list, what really caught our attention was the Cerwin-Vega XLS-215 3-Way Floor Tower Speaker. This speaker is packed with excellent features, such as the 6.5-inch woofer, 1-inch dome tweeter, and advanced circuitry.
Furthermore, it has high performing drivers that come with cooling methods. But what’s really amazing is that this speaker system doesn’t cost a lot. Because of this, we believe that the Cerwin-Vega XLS-215 is truly one of the best floor standing speakers for music.
What do you get from three nerds (Joe, Ray, and Paul) that decide to create a functioning tech gadget review site? The first is data-driven arguments lasting way into the night. You can read more…
What do you get from three nerds (Joe, Ray, and Paul) that decide to create a functioning tech gadget review site? The first is data-driven arguments lasting way into the night. You can read more...
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.
