Can You Flip Your Bookshelf Speakers on Their Sides?
It’s almost a rite of passage when it comes to improving the sound quality of your home audio system. After you’ve got a great set of headphones and a pair of nicely-sized bookshelf speakers, the thought that often comes next is whether you can flip them on their sides.
It’s a critical question to ask out of more than just curiosity – the orientation of your speakers can make a monumental difference to the sound quality they produce. Read on to find out if flipping your bookshelf speakers on their sides is the right decision for you.
What Are the Benefits of Flipped Bookshelf Speakers?
When it comes to bookshelf speakers, the humble orientation can actually have a massive effect on the soundscape you’re treated to. While your intuition might tell you to leave them standing upright, you actually might be better off flipping them onto their sides.
If we look at the science behind the sounds, there are many benefits here that stem from literal physics. Here are a few of the major ones:
- Improved Radiating Area
When you stand your bookshelf speakers upright, the entire front is reserved for sound radiation from the drivers. This presents a major issue when it comes to bass, as the size and shape of the front panel is not able to fully accommodate the wide reverberations generated by the drivers.
By flipping the speakers to their sides, however, you have a larger surface area at play for the drivers to generate sound from. This works especially well for studio setups, as engineers can take advantage of the wide-open soundstage afforded by horizontal platforms.
- Curbed Sound Loss
When a speaker is in its vertical orientation, the sound waves must travel upwards to reach the listener’s ears. This regular occurrence is associated with a noticeable drop in sound pressure levels, as the sound waves struggle to combat gravity as they head upwards.
By flipping your bookshelf speakers onto their sides, you eliminate this dastardly sound suck. It’s not a revolutionary alteration, but the improved acoustic pulse wave that comes with it is certainly worth the effort.
- Captivation of Spatial Effects
Kudos to your audio game, if you listen to music on a quality system with surround sound features. By standing your bookshelf speakers upright, you could dramatically limit the usefulness of your stereo’s more creative capabilities, such as spatial effects and realistic reverb.
Flippin’ your bookshelf speakers onto their sides will make sure the sound waves produced from the rear ports reach your ears in their prime condition. This offers a greater sense of sound immersion and a more enriching audio experience all around.
Can You Flip Your Bookshelf Speakers on Their Sides?
Now that we’ve explored why you should (rather than just can) flip your bookshelf speakers on their sides, it’s time to answer the big kicker – is it even possible?
The short and sweet answer is yes, of course you can. However, there are certain precursors before you can haul them away with confidence. A few major considerations include:
• Don’t overhang your surfaces – Bookshelf speakers can be very heavy and their weight will exert a downward force onto whatever they’re standing on. Make sure your furniture can adequately cope with the speaker’s weight; otherwise you run the risk of toppling disaster!
• Keep them at a stable angle – Even when you’ve flipped them onto their sides, make sure there’s no way the speakers can tilt in any direction. This will ensure maximum sound performance.
• Utilize your receptors – If your speakers have receptors – the little inserts usually located at the bottom of the speaker – make sure the weight is distributed evenly over them.
A Great Audio Upgrade
Flipping your bookshelf speakers on their sides is a great way to spruce up the audio performance of your home audio system. While it may seem like an unnecessary event, the little tweaks you’ll see from a horizontal design can make a massive noticeable difference.
So, if you’re feeling up for a good upgrade, digging out the manual and flipping your bookshelf speakers onto their sides might just be the perfectly potential solution!
