Speakers are the devices through which amplified sound is projected. They are essentially acoustic items: transforming electronic signals or minute vibrations into audible noise. The simplest form of a speaker is a horn. Complex speakers are made using the finest woods and acoustic materials. Speaker price ranges all the way from twenty euros to two hundred thousand euros and beyond. Here is a quick guide to some of the kinds of speakers available on the market today.
Portable Bluetooth
The boombox is back! Portable Bluetooth speakers have seen a huge surge in popularity in recent years, thanks to their increasing quality and affordability. Modern Bluetooth speakers contain powerful drivers and amplifiers that allow them to produce relatively good – and loud – audio despite their tiny size. Bluetooth devices communicate with each other using very low-frequency radio waves. Interestingly, Bluetooth technology is named after the 10th Century Danish King Harald Bluetooth.
Portable Bluetooth speakers often contain drivers and amplifiers that allow the user to increase the bass frequencies being produced or customize the EQ altogether.
Tower/ Floor Standing
Tower speakers are large – more suitable for big rooms. They usually have large speaker cones that are able to handle bass very responsively. Be careful not to get speakers that are too large for your room. Speakers work best when they are operating at a volume that is high in relation to their capabilities, so large speakers are rarely used to their best effect in small rooms. Large houses with open plan arrangements can often benefit from a tower speaker system.
Bookshelf
Bookshelf speakers are traditional rectangular wired speakers. They still offer some of the best sound available and are recommended if you want to use a high-quality turntable and amplifier. Some of the best speakers ever made have been bookshelf speakers. The large cabinet size allows for innovation – using the best materials and shapes to create the most sensitive frequency response and deepest tone. If you are intent on purchasing a high-quality set of bookshelf speakers, you might want to consider buying low noise speaker cables.
Surround/ Satellite
Surround and satellite speakers are used to complimenting the main speaker system. They are placed around a room in order to create a great deal of three-dimensional depth. Great care needs to be taken when installing surround sound speakers. Incorrectly positioned speakers can cause phasing and make sound far more muddled. If you have a large budget, hire in an audio professional to correctly install your surround sound system. Don’t worry about installing these systems unless you absolutely must have a completely three-dimensional sound. Most records and films are not made with this kind of sound in mind, so it might not be all that necessary.
Soundbars
Soundbars are often used for amplifying television signals to a high quality without necessitating the installation of a complex speaker system. They are usually very simple to install. They typically take an aux or HDMI input as opposed to traditional (and fiddly) speaker cables.
