INTEGRATED SPEAKERS VS. FLOOR STANDING SPEAKERS

In an industry where there are highperforming integrated speakers and statement floorstanding speakers, it’s important to understand the key factors that customers should be thinking about when they are trying to decide between the two options.

Aesthetics can easily override any potential differences in performance between the two approaches. Some customers want to revel in the appearance of their loudspeakers and they are keen to give them pride of place. The loudspeakers might be seen as high-quality pieces of furniture and are considered to be ornamental or even sculptural assets to the room. Other customers (and many interior designers!) abhor the idea of floor-standing loudspeakers, equating them to necessary appliances or equipment which should be kept out of sight. To borrow from Le Corbusier, they are simply just part of the ‘machine for living in.’

Naturally, the potential disruption associated with the installation of in-wall loudspeakers can be a showstopper. A room which is being built or refurbished lends itself to having loudspeakers built into the walls or ceiling far more easily than a beautifully decorated and finished space.

There are sometimes occasions when a customer is happy to consider either type of loudspeaker. In these cases, the performance can be compared. Some customers won’t even be considering in-walls, believing the level of performance they are after is available only from floorstanders. However, we’ve seen cases where such customers have performed a complete volte-face once they’ve heard a system using the very best in-wall offerings.

Integrated loudspeakers keep floors clear and therefore increase flexibility for the position of other items in the room, such as furniture and ornaments. When the loudspeakers are integrated seamlessly into the control structure of the home, everyone in the household can benefit from their performance without having to ‘switch on the Hi-Fi’. Some users really like the effect of being immersed in sound without the obvious presence of large floorstanders; they report that it’s easier to disassociate what they are hearing from the kit that is producing it – always the aim for a good loudspeaker design.

The biggest issue can be the need to build integrated loudspeakers into the fabric of the house. Then, once installed, integrated loudspeakers are not easy to move! A decision that a TV would be better if it were on a different wall is complicated by the fact that the loudspeakers are likely to need re-installing.

It’s usually possible to fine-tune the positioning of floor-standing loudspeakers. This allows experimentation with spacing and toe-in to elicit the best possible sonic image at the listening position. Floor-standers can be moved within a room, or into another room should the need arise. Moving the loudspeakers may mean some work to relocate their connecting cables, but this is usually less onerous than cutting new holes into walls or ceilings.

However, floor-standers may be non-starters due to the not-inconsiderable issue of personal taste in regard to aesthetics; some customers just don’t want to see the loudspeakers. This is particularly understandable for rooms with period décor. There is an old joke about a ‘Chippendale video cabinet’; well, have you ever seen a three-way bass-reflex monitor in a regency style?! Another issue in some applications is that floor-standers are, well, on the floor! If the requirement is for sound to be produced at anything like head-height or above, almost all floor-standers literally fall short. Such use-cases can include the surround speakers in a cinema system, not to mention (obviously) any height channels. Similarly, in rooms where the seating or other furniture blocks the passage of sound to the listeners’ ears, integrated loudspeakers offer the option of getting the sound up into the air.

The Vyper range offers a visually discreet residential speaker solution, weather-resistant materials make them suitable for both indoor and outdoor use while surface and recessed mounting allow them to integrate seamlessly into the environment