Are you wondering if you should go with monitor speakers or floor standing speakers then think no further. We are going to compare both of them and you can use this information to finally be able to make a sound decision. Both loudspeaker types have their own pros and cons, so it is wise to know what they are.
Table of Contents
Which is Better: Monitor or Floor Standing Speakers
As mentioned earlier, we will do a side-by-side comparison where it is easy to understand and straightforward.
Affordability
A good pair of studio monitors is usually more affordable than a good pair of floor-standing speakers. Even when we are comparing entry-level models, studio monitors are still cheaper to get and could provide better overall sonic performance. If your budget is tight, a pair of monitor speakers are probably the way to go.
Active/Powered Choices
Studio monitors have a lot more active models to choose from and this means they come with an in-built amplifier to drive them. Whereas for floor standing speakers which are mainly passive models, they will need additional amplifiers to drive them and that means spending more money.
Required Space
A pair of studio monitors take up lesser space than a pair of floor-standing speakers. You will need to place the floor-standing speakers away from the side and rear walls based on the distance recommended by the manufacturers. Whereas some studio monitors can be placed nearer to walls due to their acoustic setting feature as you could use it to calibrate them accordingly. This will ensure they will still perform optimally. Listeners who are facing space constraints should consider going for monitors instead.
Room Size
Floor-standing speakers are suitable for medium to large-sized rooms. Studio monitors on the other hand are suitable for small rooms and/or desktop use as they are usually designed for nearfield listening distance.
Bass Performance
Floor-standing speakers have higher bass output than studio monitors, not to mention, that they are able to dig deeper into the low-end extension as well. The floor-standing speakers have more punch in the midbass and this makes them more suitable for home theater use. Studio monitors are more agile and articulate when it comes to bass delivery. They focus more on the bass accuracy, details, and textures but high-end floor-standing speakers could provide the same level of details or even more since they could produce deeper low frequencies.
Musicality
Good studio monitors focus on accuracy, they can sound clinical as they reveal everything to you., including how bad the recording sounds. Floor-standing speakers are usually more forgiving and their makers want the users to enjoy the music they are listening to as much as possible. For this reason, the floor-standers are typically more musical sounding than a pair of studio monitors of equal caliber.
Soundstage and Presence
Floor-standing speakers are capable of projecting a larger and more spacious soundstage partly due to their bigger cabinet size. Having a larger speaker cabinet also means you could integrate more drivers such as woofers, subwoofers, etc. More bass drivers mean the floor-standers could add more weight and presence onto the soundstage.
Studio monitors tend to focus on precision and project a soundstage accurately without exaggerations. They also have sharper and more focused stereo imaging, leading to highly defined musicians being produced onto the soundstage.
For Work or For Play?
Studio monitors are designed and made for professionals who require highly accurate speakers for their audio mixing and other music-making work. Not saying you can’t use floor-standing speakers for professional work as their full-range sound reproduction can be helpful.
Casual music listeners or audiophiles might want to stick with floor-standing speakers as they are made for enjoyment and high fidelity. Analytical audio enthusiasts might find studio monitors more appealing though.
To Conclude
The above comparisons should be enough to help you decide on whether to focus on studio monitors or floor-standing speakers to be part of your sound system setup. Some limitations can be resolved, for instance, you can partner an active subwoofer with your studio monitors to improve their bass performances. Bookshelf speakers with subwoofers can compete with floor-standing speakers when it comes to bass output and low-end impacts.
After you have run through the comparisons, there is another major aspect to look at which is to hear them out. By listening to these loudspeakers, you will be able to tell which type you like to hear the most. Do include the subwoofer during the auditioning if you are planning to add one.
We hope the comparisons and information provided here have helped you to either choose to go for monitors or floor-standing speakers. There are no right or wrong answers, more importantly, the speaker type you have chosen is what you want and need.
