Bookshelf or Satellite Speaker Systems


Bookshelf or satellite speakers are smaller usually two-way speakers, meaning they have a tweeter and a small woofer in each box. The smaller footprint of a satellite speaker system means they tend to have greater spousal approval factor, they're often economical and a perfect acoustic match for smaller rooms.

A lot of research has gone into making speakers smaller but sound like large floor standing speakers. Although they've come a long way in this regard, small boxes just don't have the deep frequency response and impact of comparably priced larger box speakers.
This is where the subwoofer comes in, to take over the deep bass smaller speakers miss. The point of this low-frequency change from satellites to sub is called crossover, a very important principle when you bring home a new satellite speaker system. Crossover to the sub usually occurs at such a low frequency that the sub's position in the room doesn't matter as much. Low frequencies pass through solid objects relatively easily. This is realized any time a self-infatuated teenager drives by with a subwoofer in his car.

Most manufacturers of satellite speaker systems have the complete home theater speaker system which includes mains (front), rears, center and sub all sonically matched. If playing music from two channel sources such as a CD player is just as important as home theater, consider larger mains. A popular configuration utilizes bookshelf speakers as rear surround speakers only and larger floor standing speakers as mains (front left and right), a matching center speaker and sub.