Satellite speakers are smaller and designed to complement surround sound entertainment speakers. Satellites are typically paired with a subwoofer. Bookshelf speakers are larger speakers with more low-end range.
My name is Donovan, and I’ve been a music lover my entire life. I’ve built several home studios and entertainment systems and have lots of experience with many different types of speakers, including satellite and bookshelf styles.
This post will explain the difference between satellite speakers and bookshelf speakers. I’ll highlight all the differences between these speakers and give you some pros and cons to help you determine which option is best for your setup.
Let’s get after it.
Key Takeaways
- Satellite speakers are smaller than bookshelf speakers and are typically used as part of a surround sound system.
- Satellite speakers don’t have much low-end range, so they are typically paired with a subwoofer to increase lower audio frequencies.
- Bookshelf speakers are larger speakers that can be used for various purposes with home audio or entertainment setups.
- The larger size of bookshelf speakers means they have more mid and low-end range than satellite speakers and aren’t always paired with a subwoofer.
Satellite Speakers vs Bookshelf Speakers
| Satellite Speakers | Bookshelf Speakers | |
| Size | Smaller speakers that can fit easily into a listening room | Larger speakers that take up more space in a listening room |
| Common Uses | Home theater, surround sound setups | Home audio and some home theater use |
| Audio Quality | Can get decent sound quality but are typically paired with subwoofer due to lack of low-end | Better audio quality and does not always need to be paired with a subwoofer |
| Cost | Varies, but typically lower priced than bookshelf | Varies, but typically more expensive than satellite |
| Wireless Connectivity | Yes | Yes |
Knowing the differences between commonly used home speakers can help you understand when and why you might want one style compared to another. Satellite speakers and bookshelf speakers can both work for various purposes, but they are different.
Size
The main difference between satellite and bookshelf speakers is their size. Satellite speakers are smaller by design, and this is because they are typically used as part of a home theater system where you want speakers to blend into a room.
Satellite speakers get their name because of this surround-sound intent they are designed for. They basically orbit around your listening room, and you can use anywhere from two to seven satellites in a typical home theater setup.
The smaller size of satellite speakers is useful when installing multiple speakers in a room. They are lighter weight and easier to deal with than bookshelf speakers. This is especially true for surround speakers in a 5.1 or 7.1 setup.
Bookshelf speakers are larger and will take up much more space than satellite speakers. There are plenty of advantages to this, which I’ll explain below. But a larger size makes them more difficult to mount on a wall or hide in your listening room.
Bookshelf speakers get their name because they are often placed on a bookshelf. Visually this can give you a good idea of their size. There isn’t one exact size that a bookshelf speaker will be, but it’s almost always larger than a satellite speaker.
Common Uses
Another big difference between these two types of speakers is how they are commonly used. If you want speakers for a specific purpose, knowing what satellite and bookshelf styles are typically used for will help you figure out which option is best for your situation.
Satellite speakers are most commonly used for home theater setups where you want surround sound capabilities. You can also listen to music through these setups, but most music is not recorded in surround sound.
Satellite speakers are almost always used with a subwoofer. This is because the smaller size of the satellite speakers means they don’t have a great low-end response. I’ll highlight that more concerning audio quality in the section below.
If you want a solid home theater setup with surround sound capabilities, using satellite speakers with a subwoofer is a must. And you’ll want anywhere from two to seven satellites for the most impressive surround sound experience.
Bookshelf speakers are more like traditional speakers. These are designed to listen to music as part of a home audio system. You can set them up to listen to almost anything (a home theater system included), but they are more for music than TV and film.
A simple bookshelf speaker setup only involves using two bookshelf speakers. You don’t need to pair them with a subwoofer if you don’t want to. And you don’t need to get more than two bookshelf speakers for a quality audio experience.
Some people use bookshelf speakers for their main left and right channels and then add satellite speakers for surround sound capabilities. Using a pair of bookshelf speakers for regular music listening is the most common use of this type of speaker.
Audio Quality
There are also some key differences in audio quality between satellite and bookshelf speakers. You can get good quality out of both options, but bookshelf speakers typically have a more dynamic range because they are larger.
Before diving into this a little more in-depth, it’s essential to know that there is a wide range in audio quality depending on how much you spend on the speakers and what brand they are.
A really cheap set of bookshelf speakers won’t always sound better than a decent set of satellite speakers. And really cheap satellite speakers will sound noticeably worse than a decent set of bookshelf speakers.
This is true of any type of speaker in that the more you spend, the better quality of speaker you get. And this leads directly to the audio quality you can expect.
All that said, satellite speakers aren’t designed to give a full dynamic range. They need to be paired with a subwoofer because their smaller size doesn’t leave room for a low-end driver that puts out bass frequencies.
If you were to listen to music on your satellite speakers without a subwoofer, you will hear this lack of dynamic range. For a casual listener, it might not sound that bad. But an audiophile will certainly want more low-end.
Bookshelf speakers sound better than satellite speakers because of their larger size. This leaves more room in the speaker’s design for low-end drivers that will give a more authentic audio experience.
Because of this, Bookshelf speakers don’t necessarily need to be paired with a subwoofer. You can still do so for increased low-end, but you can get quality audio from a pair of bookshelf speakers, as long as they are quality speakers to begin with.
There is a wide range of various qualities within different models of bookshelf speakers, so you can expect different audio quality between a cheap and expensive option. But in a side-by-side single-speaker comparison, bookshelf speakers will sounder better overall.
Cost
Cost is another important difference between these two types of speakers. Satellite speakers are typically cheaper than bookshelf speakers, but there can be a wide range between lower-quality and higher-quality options.
One important thing to remember is that costs will go up with a satellite speaker setup, depending on how many speakers you want. The cheapest setup would be a 2.1, which is two satellite speakers and a subwoofer.
But a 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound setup is the goal for many home theaters, which means you’ll need to purchase 5 or 7 satellite speakers plus a subwoofer. A seven-speaker setup will obviously cost more than a two-speaker setup.
Most bookshelf speaker setups only require two speakers. A good pair of bookshelf speakers will cost more than two satellite speakers, but they will probably cost less than seven. And you can always add more speakers later if you need to save costs.
If you don’t have a need for surround sound, you’ll likely be just fine with a two-speaker bookshelf setup. For home music listening, this is a quality choice that can still fit into most budgets.
But if you want surround-sound capabilities, you’ll need to invest in a satellite setup with multiple speakers and subwoofer.
Regardless of which route you choose, there are still plenty of options to match any precise budget considerations you have.
Wireless Connectivity
Both satellite and bookshelf speakers can be equipped with wireless connectivity. It’s more common for wireless features with satellite speakers, but you can also easily find bookshelf options.
Using wireless speakers, especially for a surround sound setup, can be really convenient. You don’t need to run a bunch of speaker wire through your walls or any other similar parameters when setting things up.
If you are looking for a quick and easy setup, then choosing satellite speakers with wireless capabilities is the way to go.
Bookshelf speakers can also be wireless, simplifying the setup of an audio system. The downside is that any type of Bluetooth or other wireless connection won’t have the same audio quality as a wired one.
An average listener may be unable to tell the difference between a wired speaker system and a wireless one. But I would choose a wired connection any day because of its increased audio quality.
Modern Bluetooth technology is improving, but the main advantage of wireless versus wired speakers is convenience and not audio quality. If you have the capability, stick with wired connections for this reason.
FAQs
Here are a few short answers to some of the most frequently asked questions related to the differences between satellite and bookshelf speakers.
What is the purpose of a satellite speaker?
The main purpose of a satellite speaker is to provide surround sound audio without taking up too much space. Satellite speakers are typically spread around a listening room to provide theater-like audio when watching movies or TV shows.
Why do audiophiles prefer bookshelf speakers?
Audiophiles prefer bookshelf speakers because they have a better frequency range than satellite speakers. This means that you can hear more of the mix coming from the speakers, with all the dynamics and other elements this creates.
Do satellite speakers have wires?
Some satellite speakers have wires, and some do not. It just depends on the specific setup and preferences. Older satellite speakers are wired just like regular speakers and require speaker wire. Newer models can be wireless and function through Bluetooth connectivity.
Do bookshelf speakers sound better than towers?
A good set of bookshelf speakers can sound really great, but tower speakers often include a subwoofer. This provides more low-end frequencies and can lead to better overall sound. But it all depends on the quality and design of each individual speaker.
Do bookshelf speakers need to be away from the wall?
Positioning your speakers at least a few inches away from a wall is always a good idea. This will prevent audio abnormalities and increase the overall sound quality. This is more important with bookshelf speakers than satellite speakers because they have more low-end.
Should you mount bookshelf speakers on the wall?
You should not mount bookshelf speakers directly on the wall. If any type of speaker is right against a wall, the air created through normal speaker operation won’t have anywhere to escape, and this can lead to audio abnormalities.
Final Thoughts
Satellite speakers are most commonly used for surround-sound home theater setups, and bookshelf speakers are used for music listening. You can get quality options with both speaker types, but the more you spend, the better they will be.
If you want an excellent listening experience for movies and TV shows, you’ll want to get satellite speakers and a subwoofer. If you just want to listen to music, you’ll be fine with using bookshelf speakers. Either way, you have many options to choose from.
Do you use satellite speakers or bookshelf speakers in your home audio setup? Why? Let me know in the comments below.
