what is the difference between speakers and monitors?

hydrobud

my brother is hooking me up with a nakamichi AV-2.and i want to get something that'll get the most of this receiver.unless this is a crap nakamichi model.i really don't know.im up in the air whether to go new or used?
speaker or monitor?

thanks

VR3

a MONITOR is a BOOKSHELF.

A bookshelf is a medium size speaker ranging between 10-25" Tall!

It is usually just a mid-sized loudspeaker for smaller to medium size rooms.

A tower (my guess what you are calling a speaker) is a larger speaker, ranging between 30" and to extreme heights, up to as common as 8-9'...sometimes larger.

Satelites are smaller than MONITORS, they can range between 9 or 8-2 or 3" in height.

hydrobud

boy do i feel stupid...thanks and nice set up you have there.

VR3

You shouldnt... better than not knowing...

And your welcome...

And thank you very much!

heiney9

Welcome to Club Polk

The Nak AV-2 is a respectable piece you should enjoy. Monitor's or floor standers would work equally as well. What are you considering? What other components are in your system?

H9

hydrobud

heiney9 wrote:

Welcome to Club Polk

The Nak AV-2 is a respectable piece you should enjoy. Monitor's or floor standers would work equally as well. What are you considering? What other components are in your system?

H9

thanks..the nak will actually be the first piece of gear.i'll most likely use that for music in my bedroom.i've been eyeing the rti8 ,monitor 70,or rti10. it all depends on what kind of deal i can get.i eventually want to work on a home theater.but with the holidays, i have to take it one step at a time.

right now all i have is a cheap sony bookshelf,(props to my bro)
a 50.00 hitachi dvd player which replaced my 300.00 bad software sony dvd player a few years back. i will eventually have to get a pretty decent HT going in order to accomodate my 600 + dvd's.

heiney9

Yep, you have to start somewhere that's how most of us did it. The AV-2 is not a bad starting point. I think most here would agree the RTi line is little better sounding and better built speaker than the Monitor line (generally speaking). Do a search for RTi10 and/or RTi12 as there have been several recent discussions. The Nak AV-2 should be able to power either one w/o trouble. Next you need to get a better source, maybe after x-mas when funds permit. The Hitachi is better than nothing right now. So don't skimp on the speakers or make a quick decision. Take some time, do some research, do some demos so you will be happy with your choice of speaks for awhile.

H9

hydrobud

absolutely!!! thanks...

heiney9

Your welcome....Vintage Polks would be great as well. Try to look for local pick up as shipping can be hard on speakers, especially the older/larger ones. Even if the package isn't damaged drivers can lock up and magnets have been known to let go. So just be aware. IMO, most of the vintage stuff (generally) sounds better than todays equivalent, there are always exceptions. Vintage Polks are a great value. Monitor 7's or even Monitor 5's (my first Polks) are excellent and are really inexpensive. Plus these aren't such a hassle to ship.

H9

P.s. Again do a search as there were several series of the Monitor line over the years with upto 3-4 different tweeters, just so you know what you're getting.