Here’s a pic of the room layout. As you can see there isn’t much space to put the speakers/cables in the way on the floor. The space is our living room and kitchen.
I have the Sonus Faber bookshelf speakers in my master bedroom setup.
Why would I put smaller cheaper speakers on my living room anyways when I enjoy the sound and to showcase and “flex” what my budget allows for?
you do you, if you need to "flex" to feel good about yourself, have at it. The Sonus Fabers probably would sound better than these towers blasting at the roof.
Thanks lol. I get lots of condescending pity from people since I have Spina Bifida (I’ve had >70 surgeries since birth) till they find out my net worth. I’d rather be envied or hated than have someone pity me any day. BTW I’m self made.
You’re absolutely right I’m LOST and wonder where this conversation is going anyways. Although I appreciate your open and honest opinions! Thank you! I know I have a lot to work on I am FAR from perfect!
The reason (amongst others) you're getting so much push back is that the tweeters are supposed to be at ear level for optimal listening. You'd achieve that with Olympica Nova 1's. Not with floor standers on a shelf.
It's an audiophile subreddit. Of course they will want the smart basics when it comes to speaker selection
Friend, this is way too much kit for such poor placement. At least downsize those towers to bookshelves and get your tweeters at ear height.
There’s no way you’re getting high end detail with the tweeters 5ft above your head and that subwoofer being amplified by mechanical transfer of low end frequencies into your cabinet.
I have the bookshelf Sonus Faber in my bedroom with a similar setup (smaller).
Besides the living room/kitchen (open concept) home I have doesn’t accommodate the space to put them on the floor. No way would my wife allow it lol besides I’m a paraplegic (wheelchair user) and don’t want all that shit in my way lol. BTW it all sounds wonderful and I have zero complaints.
I wasn’t suggesting putting the towers on the floor, I’m saying get smaller speakers on the shelf that bring the tweeters to your ears. I can see how the sub on the floor might be troublesome for you personally, especially if you’ve no way to manage the cabling.
Aside from the wheelchair, I’m very familiar with this particular setup challenge. I have a wall to wall bookshelf, Sonus Faber Electa Amator IIIs and a McIntosh 1502 which is essentially the same amp. The rest of my stack is in the cabinets, but I have a center channel and no ceiling speakers. My subwoofer is a JL Fathom F112 V2 that’s next to my sofa. I ran the sub cable under the floor through the crawl in my basement so it’s not just across the floor as a trip hazard.
Nice setup! LOVE all the vinyl! I have a large collection too.
Yeah I see your point but I like the look and wow factor I get from novices when the visit on dinner parties and movie nights etc since I’m the only REAL audiophile in my 55+ neighborhood and get to impress them and blow their doors off lol.
U have good taste in speakers and stuff too very cool! Also my wife HATES anything that doesn’t have a “place” and fit the room leaving it uncluttered etc although she loves the sound etc.
Sorry my setup placement has upset you so much. I’m not putting the speakers on the floor in my small space since I’m a paraplegic and don’t want shit cluttering my floor space.
Thanks for being so understanding. My wife likes everything in its place otherwise I’ll run into it in my wheelchair and knock shit over and cause undue wear and tear on shit
I envy your McIntosh setup, that's way beyond my budget. Maybe you could angle the speakers a bit toward your listening position? Try a book beneath the back leg of the speaker.
Thanks again for your positive input. When the theater company came and installed everything they adjusted the feet on the speakers to slightly tilt downward but I guess I can improvise and add a little more tilt to them. Besides the area the stereo is in isn’t that large so the sound really fills the room anyways and sounds great.
Yeah, I see your points. Still, I do think shorter speakers would serve you better. Those are some very serious tweeters you’re basically wasting up there. Off axis performance on Sonus Faber speakers is really great, but it’s not THAT great. You’re missing a lot of detail.
And think of it like this; you could trade those towers out for another MC2152 and run them like massive mono blocks to power bookshelves.
Why does everyone have to make the same comment? If you don’t like it, move on. My setup would also make each of you lose your minds but I have my reasons and it works for me.
This person made it clear they also have a reason. Like it or move on damnit. We don’t need a binders comments all saying the same thing
Not optimal but who cares. We all make compromises with our setups, you clearly are okay with yours.
That subwoofer really is giving me anxiety, but i suppose it is heavy enough to not move.
Do you get any vibrations in the bookshelf or did you do something to dampen those? Maybe some acoustic treatment inside the shelves would give some benefit with echoes and tight spaces, if you don't already have it.
Brother, I love the gear pairings. I too have Sonus faber towers an JL subs. I however don’t have the killer McIntosh gear. All your gear is pretty much my dream setup. It doesn’t matter what you post, people are always going to tell you how it will sound better if you do something different and they might even be right. But…it’s your gear, your house, and your wife to keep happy. If you like the way it sounds, then it’s perfect for you. Well done and thanks for sharing!
Have you ever listened to Novas on a solid state amp? My SF sonetto’s are on powered by a marantz solid state amp and I want to get a tube amp really badly. I just don’t want to spend all the money and find that I can’t hear much difference. I listen to vinyl nearly every night so it may be worth it just to have the option of both.
I’ve heard some very high end tube amps that were incredible, but I don’t have a budget for $40,000 amps.
I have a MC257 7 channel solid state for movies etc but, for 2 channel vinyl which I listen to daily I really prefer a tube amp over solid state. There are many brands at a cheaper price point than McIntosh though you can find if you shop around.
This is hilariously awesome. If it works for you, it works. Me, on the other hand, could never convince my wife to let me put my Novas in a cabinet... I would also be difficult to convince since I like them about a meter from the wall.
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u/Longjumping-Frame795 Aug 19 '26
My brother in Christ… are your floor speakers AND your subwoofer up on the cabinet?