What are floor standing speakers?
Floor standing speakers, also called tower speakers or speaker towers, stand on the floor in a tall cabinet. The height gives room for more and larger drivers and more cabinet volume, so a tower plays deeper and louder on its own than a bookshelf speaker. For the smaller option, see bookshelf loudspeakers.
Speaker towers and bass
How low a tower goes is in its frequency response. Among the speaker towers here, SVS's Ultra Evolution Tower is rated down to 20Hz, its Ultra Evolution Titan to 28Hz and its Prime Tower to 32Hz. Acoustic Energy's Corinium reaches 30Hz, Alare's Remiga 1 35Hz, Opera's Quinta v.2 42Hz and Cambridge Audio's SX-80 40Hz. Deeper isn't always better: in a small room, a tower that reaches very low can make the bass boom, and placement matters as much as the number.
2-way, 3-way and 4-way tower speakers
- 2-way: one driver for bass and midrange, one for treble. Diptyque Audio's DP 140 MKII and DP 160 MKII, Unison Research's MAX 1 (with a 12-inch woofer) and Perlisten's R5t.
- 2.5-way: a second woofer that only plays the bass: Acoustic Energy's AE309².
- 3-way: the midrange gets its own driver. 3-way tower speakers here include Alare's Remiga 1, Opera's Quinta v.2 and Grand Callas, Perlisten's S5t, SVS's Prime Tower and Ultra Evolution Titan, Acoustic Energy's AE320² and RBH's Inspire and Impression towers.
- 4-way: Perlisten's R7t, with four 165mm woofers.
More woofers also spread the load. Perlisten's A4t uses three 215mm carbon fiber woofers, and SVS's Ultra Evolution Tower and Pinnacle mount their woofers opposite each other to cancel cabinet vibration.
Floorstanding speaker placement
- Rear ports: these need space behind the speaker: Opera's Quinta v.2, Acoustic Energy's AE320² (a rear slot port) and AE520.
- Front ports: a front port lets a tower sit nearer the wall: SVS's Prime Tower.
- Either: Perlisten's S5t, S7t and R7t can run as bass reflex or acoustic suspension, so the bass can be set for the room.
- Rear tweeters: Opera's Callas Diva and Grand Callas add rear-firing tweeters in a dipole layout, so leave room behind them too.
Start with the towers well clear of the back wall and toed in slightly toward the listening seat, then adjust by ear.
Floorstanding speakers and your amplifier
Sensitivity decides how much amplifier a tower needs. Unison Research's MAX 2 is rated at 96dB and Opera's Grand Mezza v.2 and Acoustic Energy's AE320² at 92dB, so a low-power tube amplifier can drive them. Diptyque Audio's DP 85 is 85dB, and Alare's Remiga 1 dips to 3.3 ohms, so give those an amplifier with power to spare. See integrated amplifiers and power amplifiers.
Floor standing speakers for home theater
Towers make strong front left and right speakers. Keep the center and surrounds in the same family so voices and effects sound the same across the front and around the room: Perlisten's A, R and S series, SVS's Prime and Ultra Evolution lines and RBH's Inspire and Impression series all include them. A home theater subwoofer still takes the deepest effects.
High-end floorstanding speakers
At the top of the range, Diptyque Audio's DP models use ribbon tweeters up to 65cm long, Alare's Remiga towers use Accuton ceramic midranges (the Be versions with beryllium tweeters), and Perlisten's S7t pairs a beryllium tweeter with its DPC array. See high-end speakers for what sets them apart.
Floorstanding speaker brands
- SVS is based in Youngstown, Ohio.
- Perlisten Audio was founded in 2016 in Verona, Wisconsin.
- Acoustic Energy was founded in London in 1987 with the AE1 loudspeaker, and every AE tweeter uses its Wide Dispersion Technology waveguide.
- Diptyque Audio makes flat-panel loudspeakers in its workshops in Montauban, France.
- Opera has made loudspeakers in its Treviso workshop since 1989.
- RBH Sound was founded in 1976, moved to Utah in 1986, and still makes a series of its products in the US.
- Unison Research, near Treviso in Italy, was founded in 1987 and is known for its tube amplifiers.
- Alare is the loudspeaker brand of Audia Flight's team in Italy.
- Cambridge Audio, from London, has made hi-fi since 1968.
Why buy floorstanding speakers from ODSY
- Talk to Kellen, ODSY's co-founder, before you buy. Share your room's size and what you listen to, and get a recommendation that fits.
- Design and installation. ODSY can plan the system and put it in.
- Free shipping. Every floorstanding speaker here ships free.
- A new unit if it arrives defective. Tell us within 30 days and we replace it with a brand-new one, so you don't wait for a factory repair. If we ship the wrong item, we send the right one.
Floorstanding speaker FAQs
Can I return a speaker? ODSY sells mainly on a final-sale basis, so check the fit with us before you order. Defective units and shipping errors are covered, as above. Opened items and preorder deposits can't be refunded. Read the full policy.
Is the price for one speaker or a pair? It varies, and many titles don't say. Some say "Each" or "Pair"; where one doesn't, ask us before you order.
Do floorstanding speakers need a subwoofer? Not always: many towers reach low enough for music on their own. For movies, or a large room, a subwoofer takes the lowest effects and can go where the bass is smoothest.
Complete your floorstanding speaker setup
Home Theater Subwoofers · Center Channel Speakers · Integrated Amplifiers · Power Amplifiers · Power Cables
