5 Must-Have Features to Consider When Buying Home Speakers
Home speakers are one of the most important components of any stereo system. But deciding which ones to buy can be overwhelming with the vast array of options.
Start by understanding how and where you’ll use the speakers. Then visit a store with a helpful return policy to test out models.
Power
No matter the cost, speakers are available at discounted prices with coupons like a Bose promo code. When selecting speakers, it’s important to ensure they have enough power to fill your room with sound. You can determine this by examining their wattage rating. Speakers with higher wattage ratings can handle louder volumes without sustaining damage. Additionally, wattage impacts the speakers’ distortion when played at high volumes.
Another metric to look at is the sensitivity rating. This tells you how efficiently the speakers convert electrical power into sound energy. Speakers with a lower sensitivity rating require more power to play loudly.
When shopping for home speakers, try them with songs you know well in the store. Bring your CDs or a flash drive with digital tracks. Also, ensure your store has a helpful return policy if you don’t like them or they need to be more suitable for your space. This is especially important if you’re buying online and need help to test them. Then, listen to them again at home with the same music and make a decision. Then you can be sure you have the best quality at a fair price.
Size
The quality of your speakers isn’t just down to how much power they have but also how they’re matched to the size of your room. You want to minimize sound reflections and ensure that the drivers don’t overpower your room.
That’s why visiting a brick-and-mortar store, or at least a hi-fi show, is always worth visiting if you’re in the market for new home speakers. You can hear how they perform with all of your equipment in a setting that is more like your own, and most hi-fi dealers have generous cooling down periods and return policies so that you can make a sound decision if you’re unhappy.
The most important thing to listen for when testing speakers is clarity. Play some familiar music, and be sure it sounds natural to your ears without any parts of the song sticking out or being drowned out by others. This can be tricky to evaluate if you’re shopping online, but most sites have a listening library and a dedicated expert to help with any questions.
Connectivity
Choosing the best speakers for your home stereo system depends on several factors. Consider how you will use the speakers, your listening room, and your preferences and needs. The speaker type also has a significant impact on how the speakers sound.
For example, bookshelf speakers fit on shelves or tables, but they sacrifice some sound quality in return for their compact size. Floor and standmount speakers occupy more space but offer a richer sound and better performance. Surround speakers are designed to create a fully immersive audio experience but are more expensive than simple stereo speakers.
Connectivity is the technology that allows your speakers to communicate with your receiver or amplifier. You’ll want to choose speakers with a similar impedance rating for the best results. This prevents the speakers from overworking your amplifier and causing damage. Speakers are also equipped with ports for connecting speaker cables. Many speakers are designed to accommodate bi-wiring, which uses two sets of speaker cables so that your amplifier can drive the upper and lower frequencies independently.
Style
Whether you’re building a high-end home theater or want to add depth and richness to your TV, movies, and music, it’s important that you take the time to choose speakers that fit your lifestyle. Listen to them before buying – and make sure the store has a good return policy.
The sound characteristics of speakers can vary wildly, and size isn’t necessarily an indicator of quality. Listen for balance and clarity, not just bass power or wattage. A mellow tone can balance a bright one, and a smooth sound is preferable to an overly harsh or shrill one.
The room where you plan to place your speakers also affects their performance. Carpets and rugs absorb audio energy, while exposed walls and furniture reflect it toward your ears. Large rooms may benefit from larger, fuller-range speakers. Some speakers allow you to biwire, which allows two sets of speaker cables to be connected to a single amp so that upper and lower frequencies can be driven independently with superior precision.
Value
Unlike a car, speakers aren’t something you’ll walk into a store and buy right off the shelf. Whether you’re building an audiophile stereo system or dreaming of a high-end home theater, you must empower yourself with knowledge, do a little research and spend some time test-driving before making the final decision.
In-wall and in-ceiling speakers offer great value for a surround sound system. Many of these units deliver the same performance as a smaller tower speaker at a more affordable price.
The biggest disadvantage of buying your speakers online is turn-around time, which can be an issue if you need to return or exchange the product. Also, shipping and handling of your speakers add unavoidable overhead costs that are passed on to you as the consumer. However, if you have the patience to work through these issues, online shopping can be a rewarding experience if you stick with a single brand and get all your speakers from the same line, that can make things easier.