Powered Towers

[Zero]

A rather new type of speaker to enter the market in recent years, I have noticed quite a few mixed feelings towards amplified towers.

I am interested to see what is your stance on powered-towers.... Both pro's and con's. Do you feel that this may evolve into the standard for main speakers in the mass-production industry?

[tony27]

hope not. buy a external sub. no need for powered subs in speakers. bad idea

[mantis]

I'll give you the short version then if you want the long.

Powered tower's are good if you have no room for a sub.They hit hard and somewhat low and can sadisfy most people.For Home Theater that is.

Now for music everything changes.There not the easiest speakers to setup.Not only do you have placement issues but the sub level can be a nightmare to make blend in.Some powered towers(not Polks)have wwent even further with adding a crossover adjustment on the speaker...this is where you jump off a bridge..........

But I own them and have for about 4 years or so.I liked them and hated them over the years for many different reasons.

Dan

[joe logston]

they make good surounds, i use my rt-20p for surounds and they work better than mains.

[TroyD]

Essentially, I view them as a compromise, an expensive one at that. They have thier place and can sound good. They are just something that I don't particularly care for.

BDT

[Zero]

Here is my stance on powered-towers.

They seem to be a viable solution for those who require the deep bass while being limited on floor space. As mentioned already, placement can also become quite an issue. Once you find the right place however, the sound is quite rewarding.

I own a pair of Polk Audio RT2000p's. I both love and hate them. Mantis said it best:

"liked them and hated them over the years for many different reasons."

Perhaps one of the most forboding things is adjusting the amplifcation knob, due to the inconsistancy of the various applications and audio signals. For Home-theatre applications, powered subs seem to be just fine. Considering over-powering bass during action thoughts or dramatic scenes are common-place in theatres and are sonnomus *sp* with the movie experience... most seem to enjoy it.

As Mantis said, music is a whole different field. If you enjoy the new age rock, hip hop, R&B and tecnho, setting up bass may not be a problem. But if you like various types of music, creating a perfect balance may be an uphill battle.

On a positive note however, the bass is controllable and most of the low-end signals are sent to the powered woofers. This means you can turn the volume up without having to worry about parents/neighbors/roommates when you turn them almost completely off.

Dare I forget to mention they are much heavier then the average speaker its own size, as well.

I forsee powered-towers becoming more commonplace in the mass-production market. Hopefully as their popularity grows so will the technology and over-all quality.

However, I do grow tired of constantly adjusting and moving the speakers around my room. I am seriously considered the LSi15's as a replacement.

My stance with them are neither hot, nor cold. Just in-between at the moment.

[bigsexy1]

If they are set up and dialed in PROPERLY (key word there which may take some trial and error), I think it is a great system as opposed to one stand alone sub. It's a pain to correctly set up and may take some time and effort to do, but once it's done, the results are well worth it. I understand Infinity is supposed to have some kind of system or program to best optimize your sub for the specific room that it will be in. Too bad all of us can't use it.
I believe the ideal set up is to dial in the powered towers for music, and yet still have a seperate dedicated sub for movies, as what's best for one isn't always best for the other.
I borrowed the following from Hometheatermag.com that best sizes up powered towers:

"Def Tech unleashed the idea of a powered subwoofer built into a tower speaker with the BP2000. Reviewers and consumers ate up the idea like a hot bratwurst late in the fourth inning. It's definitely convenient. There's no need to find room and run wiring for an extra subwoofer box in your listening room. That alone might have made the idea a bestseller, but, according to Def Tech, the idea really originated as a way to make the speaker sound better. Dual subwoofers (one in the left speaker and one in the right speaker) can provide more-linear bass reproduction throughout the room than a single one can. Since the sub is right there near the tweeter and midbass drivers, there are fewer potential timing or phasing problems. And, since Def Tech knows which subwoofer is going to be used with the mid and upper portions of the main speaker, they can optimize the entire system to take advantage of what each part does best."

[mantis]

ATCVenom,
I also am considering the lsi15's.I am not considering the lsi25's due to the fact they are powered.