{"id":1344,"date":"2025-04-01T16:46:08","date_gmt":"2025-04-01T16:46:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sonicimages.be\/?p=1344"},"modified":"2025-05-11T13:46:08","modified_gmt":"2025-05-11T13:46:08","slug":"large-or-small-speakers-in-the-living-room","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonicimages.be\/en\/blog\/large-or-small-speakers-in-the-living-room\/","title":{"rendered":"Large or small speakers in the living room?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Before we examine whether it is better to provide larger or rather smaller speakers in the living room, we must first consider what the average dimensions of a large and a small speaker are. In fact, there is quite a bit of confusion about that…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In almost all cases, a large loudspeaker is a floorstander. That is, a loudspeaker intended to be placed on the floor. Such a loudspeaker is on average about 80 to 120 cm high, 20 to 40 cm wide and 30 to 50 cm deep. But it can also be (much) bigger: some manufacturers have speakers in their range that are as high as 180 cm (and sometimes even higher), and that are around 50 cm wide, and roughly 75 cm deep. Either way, there is little discussion about (very) large speakers: everyone agrees on what the dimensions pretty much are. With small speakers it is different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Small versus mini<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A small speaker is not meant to be placed on the floor, but rather on a bookshelf or something similar – which is why they are also called bookshelf speakers – or on a stand. Small speakers are roughly about 25 to 40 cm high, 20 to 30 cm wide and 25 to 40 cm deep. Thanks to their more modest dimensions, small speakers are less prominent in the interior, compared to their larger counterparts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The confusion over the size of small speakers has arisen because many manufacturers now also carry much smaller speakers in their range. Actually, that category is better described as mini speakers. These are speaker cabinets barely bigger than a milk carton, measuring no more than 25 cm high, about 15 cm wide and 20 cm deep at most.<\/p>\n\n\n\nA typical mini speaker. The credit card in the photo shows that such speakers are extremely compact.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
The advantages of mini speakers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Mini speakers are generally very cheap – given their minimal size, manufacturers can accommodate little or no high-end technology – and they can be integrated unobtrusively into the interior. These are two strong points, but unfortunately a mini speaker underperforms when it comes to sound reproduction. The main reason is the very limited low frequency response. Although there are a number of techniques to get a reasonable amount of low frequency from a relatively compact speaker cabinet, you cannot change the physical laws. And doesn’t combining mini speakers with a subwoofer help? It certainly helps, but it only partially solves the problem. Further on, we explain why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The benefits of small speakers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It is possible to integrate small speakers (if you are only starting to read from this point, better check above to see what size we are talking about here!) into your interior without sacrificing floor space. Unless you choose to place the speakers on stands, of course. In that case, small speakers take up about as much floor space as their larger counterparts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a rule, the quality level of small speakers is much higher than that of mini speakers. This is partly because the speaker cabinets are sufficiently large to accommodate high-quality high and mid units. In other words, there is no reason why a small speaker should sound inferior to a large speaker in terms of mid and highs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In fact, a small loudspeaker has only one downside, and that is the low frequency response. While the low end will be much better than that of a mini speaker, deep bass is still a shortcoming. Of course, not every small speaker is the same, but there are plenty on the market that, when combined with a decent subwoofer, can offer the full low spectrum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\nA compact speaker of just under 40 cm high (Monitor Audio Platinum 100 3G)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Subwoofer: deus ex machina?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The idea is simple: if you prefer to put small speakers or mini speakers in your living room, just add a subwoofer to fill in the missing layer (the bass), and you’re done. You can also easily give the subwoofer a place in the living room, for example by hiding it away somewhere in a corner (possibly behind a curtain), or under a cabinet or under the sofa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All this sounds like a great solution, as it allows you to opt for compact speakers in your interior, while still enjoying full bass response. And in some cases it really is, but not always. We explain why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The directionality of human hearing<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Overall, humans can determine reasonably well which angle a sound is coming from. Exceptions to the rule are for sounds coming from the posterior hemisphere – but that is not important in this story – and for all sounds below 80 Hz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In other words, people are unable to determine from which angle sounds below 80 Hz originate. As a result, it is no problem to remove sounds below 80 Hz from stereo speakers and have them reproduced by a subwoofer. And so you can feel free to put smaller speakers in your living room, as long as they have a low range that runs at least to 80 Hz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This means that mini speakers (check the average dimensions above) are out of the question, as they are nowhere near 80 Hz. And if you also let your subwoofers reproduce some of the low frequencies above 80 Hz, it will be detrimental to your stereo image. To be avoided, therefore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hocus-pocus with speaker specifications<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
So you don’t necessarily need to put a floorstander in your living room to enjoy good sound. All you need to do is make sure your speakers extend in the low end to at least 80Hz. The frequency range below that can then be supplemented by a subwoofer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The good news is that every self-respecting speaker manufacturer publishes those specifications online, so you can check without much effort whether the speaker you have in mind has a range up to 80 Hz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The bad news is that there is another big catch, in the form of a decibel (dB) number listed with the speakers’ frequency range. It then says something like \u2018frequency response: 20 kHz – 80 Hz (+\/- 6 dB)\u2019. This means that the speaker in question can reproduce frequencies from 80 Hz to 20,000 Hz, but where not all frequencies are reproduced at the same volume. In this case, anomalies (too loud or too soft) may occur, amounting to 6 decibels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You are otherwise left to guess where exactly those deviations are in the frequency range. However, experience shows that in 99% of cases it is mainly negative deviations around the border of the low range. The (fictional) speaker from this example will then start to reproduce sounds too quiet from, say 120 Hz, to end at 80 Hz with -6 db. Knowing that every 3 dB attenuation entails a halving of the sound volume, this means that -6 dB leads to sounds being reproduced four times quieter (!) than actually intended. And that means that, strictly speaking, you do reach that 80 Hz, but in practice it is of little or no use to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
You can achieve fine sound reproduction even with smaller speakers, provided their low range extends to 80 Hz, and without negative dB deviation. This is an impossible task for mini speakers, but it can be done with a slightly larger (bookshelf) speaker. All you then have to do is supplement the missing layer with a subwoofer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can also approach it differently and opt for a solution where the speakers are less conspicuous, by building them into the wall. A cinewall system even allows you to integrate the speakers (including one or more subwoofers) invisibly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before we examine whether it is better to provide larger or rather smaller speakers in the living room, we must first consider what the average dimensions of a large and a small speaker are. In fact, there is quite a bit of confusion about that… In almost all cases, a large loudspeaker is a floorstander. That is, a loudspeaker intended to be placed on the floor. Such a loudspeaker is on average about 80 to 120 cm high, 20 to 40 cm wide and 30 to 50 cm deep. But it can also be (much) bigger: some manufacturers have speakers in their range that are as high as 180 cm (and sometimes even higher), and that are around 50 cm wide, and roughly 75 cm deep. Either way, there is little discussion about (very) large speakers: everyone agrees on what the dimensions pretty much are. With small speakers it is different. Small versus mini A small speaker is not meant to be placed on the floor, but rather on a bookshelf or something similar – which is why they are also called bookshelf speakers – or on a stand. Small speakers are roughly about 25 to 40 cm high, 20 to 30 cm wide and 25 to 40 cm deep. Thanks to their more modest dimensions, small speakers are less prominent in the interior, compared to their larger counterparts. The confusion over the size of small speakers has arisen because many manufacturers now also carry much smaller speakers in their range. Actually, that category is better described as mini speakers. These are speaker cabinets barely bigger than a milk carton, measuring no more than 25 cm high, about 15 cm wide and 20 cm deep at most. The advantages of mini speakers Mini speakers are generally very cheap – given their minimal size, manufacturers can accommodate little or no high-end technology – and they can be integrated unobtrusively into the interior. These are two strong points, but unfortunately a mini speaker underperforms when it comes to sound reproduction. The main reason is the very limited low frequency response. Although there are a number of techniques to get a reasonable amount of low frequency from a relatively compact speaker cabinet, you cannot change the physical laws. And doesn’t combining mini speakers with a subwoofer help? It certainly helps, but it only partially solves the problem. Further on, we explain why. The benefits of small speakers It is possible to integrate small speakers (if you are only starting to read from this point, better check above to see what size we are talking about here!) into your interior without sacrificing floor space. Unless you choose to place the speakers on stands, of course. In that case, small speakers take up about as much floor space as their larger counterparts. As a rule, the quality level of small speakers is much higher than that of mini speakers. This is partly because the speaker cabinets are sufficiently large to accommodate high-quality high and mid units. In other words, there is no reason why a small speaker should sound inferior to a large speaker in terms of mid and highs. In fact, a small loudspeaker has only one downside, and that is the low frequency response. While the low end will be much better than that of a mini speaker, deep bass is still a shortcoming. Of course, not every small speaker is the same, but there are plenty on the market that, when combined with a decent subwoofer, can offer the full low spectrum. Subwoofer: deus ex machina? The idea is simple: if you prefer to put small speakers or mini speakers in your living room, just add a subwoofer to fill in the missing layer (the bass), and you’re done. You can also easily give the subwoofer a place in the living room, for example by hiding it away somewhere in a corner (possibly behind a curtain), or under a cabinet or under the sofa. All this sounds like a great solution, as it allows you to opt for compact speakers in your interior, while still enjoying full bass response. And in some cases it really is, but not always. We explain why. The directionality of human hearing Overall, humans can determine reasonably well which angle a sound is coming from. Exceptions to the rule are for sounds coming from the posterior hemisphere – but that is not important in this story – and for all sounds below 80 Hz. In other words, people are unable to determine from which angle sounds below 80 Hz originate. As a result, it is no problem to remove sounds below 80 Hz from stereo speakers and have them reproduced by a subwoofer. And so you can feel free to put smaller speakers in your living room, as long as they have a low range that runs at least to 80 Hz. This means that mini speakers (check the average dimensions above) are out of the question, as they are nowhere near 80 Hz. And if you also let your subwoofers reproduce some of the low frequencies above 80 Hz, it will be detrimental to your stereo image. To be avoided, therefore. Hocus-pocus with speaker specifications So you don’t necessarily need to put a floorstander in your living room to enjoy good sound. All you need to do is make sure your speakers extend in the low end to at least 80Hz. The frequency range below that can then be supplemented by a subwoofer. The good news is that every self-respecting speaker manufacturer publishes those specifications online, so you can check without much effort whether the speaker you have in mind has a range up to 80 Hz. The bad news is that there is another big catch, in the form of a decibel (dB) number listed with the speakers’ frequency range. It then says something like \u2018frequency response: 20 kHz – 80 Hz (+\/- 6 dB)\u2019. This means that the speaker in question can reproduce frequencies from 80 Hz to 20,000 Hz, but where not all frequencies are reproduced at the same volume. In this case, anomalies (too loud or too soft) may occur, amounting to 6 decibels. You are otherwise left to guess where exactly those deviations are in the frequency range. However, experience shows that in 99% of cases it is mainly negative deviations around the border of the low range. The (fictional) speaker from this example will then start to reproduce sounds too quiet from, say 120 Hz, to end at 80 Hz with -6 db. Knowing that every 3 dB attenuation entails a halving of the sound volume, this means that -6 dB leads to sounds being reproduced four times quieter (!) than actually intended. And that means that, strictly speaking, you do reach that 80 Hz, but in practice it is of little or no use to you. Conclusion You can achieve fine sound reproduction even with smaller speakers, provided their low range extends to 80 Hz, and without negative dB deviation. This is an impossible task for mini speakers, but it can be done with a slightly larger (bookshelf) speaker. All you then have to do is supplement the missing layer with a subwoofer. You can also approach it differently and opt for a solution where the speakers are less conspicuous, by building them into the wall. A cinewall system even allows you to integrate the speakers (including one or more subwoofers)…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1374,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1344","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-audio-video-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Large or small speakers in the living room? - Sonic Images<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sonicimages.be\/en\/blog\/large-or-small-speakers-in-the-living-room\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Large or small speakers in the living room? - Sonic Images\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Before we examine whether it is better to provide larger or rather smaller speakers in the living room, we must first consider what the average dimensions of a large and a small speaker are. In fact, there is quite a bit of confusion about that… In almost all cases, a large loudspeaker is a floorstander. That is, a loudspeaker intended to be placed on the floor. Such a loudspeaker is on average about 80 to 120 cm high, 20 to 40 cm wide and 30 to 50 cm deep. But it can also be (much) bigger: some manufacturers have speakers in their range that are as high as 180 cm (and sometimes even higher), and that are around 50 cm wide, and roughly 75 cm deep. Either way, there is little discussion about (very) large speakers: everyone agrees on what the dimensions pretty much are. With small speakers it is different. Small versus mini A small speaker is not meant to be placed on the floor, but rather on a bookshelf or something similar – which is why they are also called bookshelf speakers – or on a stand. Small speakers are roughly about 25 to 40 cm high, 20 to 30 cm wide and 25 to 40 cm deep. Thanks to their more modest dimensions, small speakers are less prominent in the interior, compared to their larger counterparts. The confusion over the size of small speakers has arisen because many manufacturers now also carry much smaller speakers in their range. Actually, that category is better described as mini speakers. These are speaker cabinets barely bigger than a milk carton, measuring no more than 25 cm high, about 15 cm wide and 20 cm deep at most. The advantages of mini speakers Mini speakers are generally very cheap – given their minimal size, manufacturers can accommodate little or no high-end technology – and they can be integrated unobtrusively into the interior. These are two strong points, but unfortunately a mini speaker underperforms when it comes to sound reproduction. The main reason is the very limited low frequency response. Although there are a number of techniques to get a reasonable amount of low frequency from a relatively compact speaker cabinet, you cannot change the physical laws. And doesn’t combining mini speakers with a subwoofer help? It certainly helps, but it only partially solves the problem. Further on, we explain why. The benefits of small speakers It is possible to integrate small speakers (if you are only starting to read from this point, better check above to see what size we are talking about here!) into your interior without sacrificing floor space. Unless you choose to place the speakers on stands, of course. In that case, small speakers take up about as much floor space as their larger counterparts. As a rule, the quality level of small speakers is much higher than that of mini speakers. This is partly because the speaker cabinets are sufficiently large to accommodate high-quality high and mid units. In other words, there is no reason why a small speaker should sound inferior to a large speaker in terms of mid and highs. In fact, a small loudspeaker has only one downside, and that is the low frequency response. While the low end will be much better than that of a mini speaker, deep bass is still a shortcoming. Of course, not every small speaker is the same, but there are plenty on the market that, when combined with a decent subwoofer, can offer the full low spectrum. Subwoofer: deus ex machina? The idea is simple: if you prefer to put small speakers or mini speakers in your living room, just add a subwoofer to fill in the missing layer (the bass), and you’re done. You can also easily give the subwoofer a place in the living room, for example by hiding it away somewhere in a corner (possibly behind a curtain), or under a cabinet or under the sofa. All this sounds like a great solution, as it allows you to opt for compact speakers in your interior, while still enjoying full bass response. And in some cases it really is, but not always. We explain why. The directionality of human hearing Overall, humans can determine reasonably well which angle a sound is coming from. Exceptions to the rule are for sounds coming from the posterior hemisphere – but that is not important in this story – and for all sounds below 80 Hz. In other words, people are unable to determine from which angle sounds below 80 Hz originate. As a result, it is no problem to remove sounds below 80 Hz from stereo speakers and have them reproduced by a subwoofer. And so you can feel free to put smaller speakers in your living room, as long as they have a low range that runs at least to 80 Hz. This means that mini speakers (check the average dimensions above) are out of the question, as they are nowhere near 80 Hz. And if you also let your subwoofers reproduce some of the low frequencies above 80 Hz, it will be detrimental to your stereo image. To be avoided, therefore. Hocus-pocus with speaker specifications So you don’t necessarily need to put a floorstander in your living room to enjoy good sound. All you need to do is make sure your speakers extend in the low end to at least 80Hz. The frequency range below that can then be supplemented by a subwoofer. The good news is that every self-respecting speaker manufacturer publishes those specifications online, so you can check without much effort whether the speaker you have in mind has a range up to 80 Hz. The bad news is that there is another big catch, in the form of a decibel (dB) number listed with the speakers’ frequency range. It then says something like \u2018frequency response: 20 kHz – 80 Hz (+\/- 6 dB)\u2019. This means that the speaker in question can reproduce frequencies from 80 Hz to 20,000 Hz, but where not all frequencies are reproduced at the same volume. In this case, anomalies (too loud or too soft) may occur, amounting to 6 decibels. You are otherwise left to guess where exactly those deviations are in the frequency range. However, experience shows that in 99% of cases it is mainly negative deviations around the border of the low range. The (fictional) speaker from this example will then start to reproduce sounds too quiet from, say 120 Hz, to end at 80 Hz with -6 db. Knowing that every 3 dB attenuation entails a halving of the sound volume, this means that -6 dB leads to sounds being reproduced four times quieter (!) than actually intended. And that means that, strictly speaking, you do reach that 80 Hz, but in practice it is of little or no use to you. Conclusion You can achieve fine sound reproduction even with smaller speakers, provided their low range extends to 80 Hz, and without negative dB deviation. This is an impossible task for mini speakers, but it can be done with a slightly larger (bookshelf) speaker. All you then have to do is supplement the missing layer with a subwoofer. You can also approach it differently and opt for a solution where the speakers are less conspicuous, by building them into the wall. A cinewall system even allows you to integrate the speakers (including one or more subwoofers)...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sonicimages.be\/en\/blog\/large-or-small-speakers-in-the-living-room\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sonic Images\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-04-01T16:46:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-11T13:46:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/sonicimages.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Hoofdillustratie-Scherm\u00adafbeelding-PR-kopie-1.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"451\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Thomas\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Thomas\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sonicimages.be\/en\/blog\/large-or-small-speakers-in-the-living-room\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sonicimages.be\/en\/blog\/large-or-small-speakers-in-the-living-room\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Thomas\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sonicimages.be\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/a9c88d4309723257003d3cfcaf5ebfb5\"},\"headline\":\"Large or small speakers in the living room?\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-01T16:46:08+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-11T13:46:08+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sonicimages.be\/en\/blog\/large-or-small-speakers-in-the-living-room\/\"},\"wordCount\":1250,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sonicimages.be\/en\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sonicimages.be\/en\/blog\/large-or-small-speakers-in-the-living-room\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/sonicimages.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Hoofdillustratie-Scherm\u00adafbeelding-PR-kopie-1.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Audio & Video\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sonicimages.be\/en\/blog\/large-or-small-speakers-in-the-living-room\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sonicimages.be\/en\/blog\/large-or-small-speakers-in-the-living-room\/\",\"name\":\"Large or small speakers in the living room? 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- Sonic Images","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/sonicimages.be\/en\/blog\/large-or-small-speakers-in-the-living-room\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Large or small speakers in the living room? - Sonic Images","og_description":"Before we examine whether it is better to provide larger or rather smaller speakers in the living room, we must first consider what the average dimensions of a large and a small speaker are. In fact, there is quite a bit of confusion about that… In almost all cases, a large loudspeaker is a floorstander. That is, a loudspeaker intended to be placed on the floor. Such a loudspeaker is on average about 80 to 120 cm high, 20 to 40 cm wide and 30 to 50 cm deep. But it can also be (much) bigger: some manufacturers have speakers in their range that are as high as 180 cm (and sometimes even higher), and that are around 50 cm wide, and roughly 75 cm deep. Either way, there is little discussion about (very) large speakers: everyone agrees on what the dimensions pretty much are. With small speakers it is different. Small versus mini A small speaker is not meant to be placed on the floor, but rather on a bookshelf or something similar – which is why they are also called bookshelf speakers – or on a stand. Small speakers are roughly about 25 to 40 cm high, 20 to 30 cm wide and 25 to 40 cm deep. Thanks to their more modest dimensions, small speakers are less prominent in the interior, compared to their larger counterparts. The confusion over the size of small speakers has arisen because many manufacturers now also carry much smaller speakers in their range. Actually, that category is better described as mini speakers. These are speaker cabinets barely bigger than a milk carton, measuring no more than 25 cm high, about 15 cm wide and 20 cm deep at most. The advantages of mini speakers Mini speakers are generally very cheap – given their minimal size, manufacturers can accommodate little or no high-end technology – and they can be integrated unobtrusively into the interior. These are two strong points, but unfortunately a mini speaker underperforms when it comes to sound reproduction. The main reason is the very limited low frequency response. Although there are a number of techniques to get a reasonable amount of low frequency from a relatively compact speaker cabinet, you cannot change the physical laws. And doesn’t combining mini speakers with a subwoofer help? It certainly helps, but it only partially solves the problem. Further on, we explain why. The benefits of small speakers It is possible to integrate small speakers (if you are only starting to read from this point, better check above to see what size we are talking about here!) into your interior without sacrificing floor space. Unless you choose to place the speakers on stands, of course. In that case, small speakers take up about as much floor space as their larger counterparts. As a rule, the quality level of small speakers is much higher than that of mini speakers. This is partly because the speaker cabinets are sufficiently large to accommodate high-quality high and mid units. In other words, there is no reason why a small speaker should sound inferior to a large speaker in terms of mid and highs. In fact, a small loudspeaker has only one downside, and that is the low frequency response. While the low end will be much better than that of a mini speaker, deep bass is still a shortcoming. Of course, not every small speaker is the same, but there are plenty on the market that, when combined with a decent subwoofer, can offer the full low spectrum. Subwoofer: deus ex machina? The idea is simple: if you prefer to put small speakers or mini speakers in your living room, just add a subwoofer to fill in the missing layer (the bass), and you’re done. You can also easily give the subwoofer a place in the living room, for example by hiding it away somewhere in a corner (possibly behind a curtain), or under a cabinet or under the sofa. All this sounds like a great solution, as it allows you to opt for compact speakers in your interior, while still enjoying full bass response. And in some cases it really is, but not always. We explain why. The directionality of human hearing Overall, humans can determine reasonably well which angle a sound is coming from. Exceptions to the rule are for sounds coming from the posterior hemisphere – but that is not important in this story – and for all sounds below 80 Hz. In other words, people are unable to determine from which angle sounds below 80 Hz originate. As a result, it is no problem to remove sounds below 80 Hz from stereo speakers and have them reproduced by a subwoofer. And so you can feel free to put smaller speakers in your living room, as long as they have a low range that runs at least to 80 Hz. This means that mini speakers (check the average dimensions above) are out of the question, as they are nowhere near 80 Hz. And if you also let your subwoofers reproduce some of the low frequencies above 80 Hz, it will be detrimental to your stereo image. To be avoided, therefore. Hocus-pocus with speaker specifications So you don’t necessarily need to put a floorstander in your living room to enjoy good sound. All you need to do is make sure your speakers extend in the low end to at least 80Hz. The frequency range below that can then be supplemented by a subwoofer. The good news is that every self-respecting speaker manufacturer publishes those specifications online, so you can check without much effort whether the speaker you have in mind has a range up to 80 Hz. The bad news is that there is another big catch, in the form of a decibel (dB) number listed with the speakers’ frequency range. It then says something like \u2018frequency response: 20 kHz – 80 Hz (+\/- 6 dB)\u2019. This means that the speaker in question can reproduce frequencies from 80 Hz to 20,000 Hz, but where not all frequencies are reproduced at the same volume. In this case, anomalies (too loud or too soft) may occur, amounting to 6 decibels. You are otherwise left to guess where exactly those deviations are in the frequency range. However, experience shows that in 99% of cases it is mainly negative deviations around the border of the low range. The (fictional) speaker from this example will then start to reproduce sounds too quiet from, say 120 Hz, to end at 80 Hz with -6 db. Knowing that every 3 dB attenuation entails a halving of the sound volume, this means that -6 dB leads to sounds being reproduced four times quieter (!) than actually intended. And that means that, strictly speaking, you do reach that 80 Hz, but in practice it is of little or no use to you. Conclusion You can achieve fine sound reproduction even with smaller speakers, provided their low range extends to 80 Hz, and without negative dB deviation. This is an impossible task for mini speakers, but it can be done with a slightly larger (bookshelf) speaker. All you then have to do is supplement the missing layer with a subwoofer. You can also approach it differently and opt for a solution where the speakers are less conspicuous, by building them into the wall. A cinewall system even allows you to integrate the speakers (including one or more subwoofers)...","og_url":"https:\/\/sonicimages.be\/en\/blog\/large-or-small-speakers-in-the-living-room\/","og_site_name":"Sonic Images","article_published_time":"2025-04-01T16:46:08+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-05-11T13:46:08+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":451,"url":"https:\/\/sonicimages.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Hoofdillustratie-Scherm\u00adafbeelding-PR-kopie-1.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Thomas","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Thomas","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/sonicimages.be\/en\/blog\/large-or-small-speakers-in-the-living-room\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sonicimages.be\/en\/blog\/large-or-small-speakers-in-the-living-room\/"},"author":{"name":"Thomas","@id":"https:\/\/sonicimages.be\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/a9c88d4309723257003d3cfcaf5ebfb5"},"headline":"Large or small speakers in the living room?","datePublished":"2025-04-01T16:46:08+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-11T13:46:08+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/sonicimages.be\/en\/blog\/large-or-small-speakers-in-the-living-room\/"},"wordCount":1250,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/sonicimages.be\/en\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sonicimages.be\/en\/blog\/large-or-small-speakers-in-the-living-room\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/sonicimages.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Hoofdillustratie-Scherm\u00adafbeelding-PR-kopie-1.png","articleSection":["Audio & Video"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/sonicimages.be\/en\/blog\/large-or-small-speakers-in-the-living-room\/","url":"https:\/\/sonicimages.be\/en\/blog\/large-or-small-speakers-in-the-living-room\/","name":"Large or small speakers in the living room? 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