Previously we have talked about things you should consider when deciding on which HDTV or Home Theater Receiver you should buy. Today we will finish the discussion with speakers.

 

 

Speakers are very important. This step is highly subjective and requires a lot of fieldwork. As we said before good speakers can make average electronics sound good while bad speakers will make good electronics sound bad.  The first thing you want to determine is whether form or function is more important to you. What we mean by that is do you want free standing, bookshelf/wall mount, or in-wall speakers. If you want the best sounding speakers and have the space you'll want to select free standing speakers. Bookshelf or wall mountable speakers have the benefit of being easier to place and being less obtrusive. In-wall is the easiest on the eyes but may not sound as good as the other two. There are excellent sounding in-walls and bookshelf speakers that will give free standing speakers a run for the money but you will have to pay a premium for them. In many cases the decision comes down to what will fit in the room or be dictated by the room layout. Either way once you decide on the type of speaker you need to start your research.

 

In the end you will want to listen to the speakers and that's what it all comes down to. Do the speakers sound good to you. Here are some objective things to consider when trying to decide on speakers that should make the cut for the final listening test:

• Sensitivity - This is a measure of the speaker's efficiency. Sensitivity is measured by putting a 1-watt signal into the speaker and measuring the output at a distance of 1 meter. Speakers with higher ratings require less power to create sound. You may not be able to find this rating on speakers that have a sensitivity of less than 87dB as it is considered low. A rating of 92dB and higher is considered high. A low sensitivity does not necessarily mean that the speaker is not good. It just means that you will need a higher power amplifier to drive it. An added benefit of efficient speakers is that the receiver will last longer because it requires less power to drive the system.
• Frequency Response - Simply put, this is a range of frequencies that the speaker generates sound. It will look like 42Hz-20kHz +/-3dB. The qualifier, +/3dB, states how much one tone will differ from another across the frequency range. You don't want a speaker that deviates more than +/-3dB as that is the maximum sound can deviate without being perceived by humans. Humans can hear from 20Hz to 20Khz. If you have a subwoofer, and you know you should, don't be to concerned that the speaker can't produce sound down to 20Hz. Most of the low frequency sound will come from the sub. 
• Power Handling - This is a statement of how much power you can put into the speakers. It is typically listed as continuous and peak (150 watts maximum continuous (600 watts peak)). You'll want to buy speakers that match the power of your receiver/amplifier. 
• Impedance - This is a measure of the load put on the receiver by the speaker. It is usually stated as nominal impedance and its units are ohms. Nominal impedance is used because its value will vary with the signal frequency. Typically the speakers you will use in your home theater will be 8-ohms.  Note: a speaker with a 4-ohm rating will draw twice as much power as a speaker with an 8-ohm rating and put a bigger strain on your receiver. 

So now you have decided on some potential speakers that on paper meet the requirements of the aesthetics, finance, and  science committees. There is only one thing left to do. Listen! Go to a specialized electronics store and listen to the speakers. Listen to both music and movies sound tracks. Take music and video that you are familiar with to the store with you. Does it sound better than what you are used to listening to? Listen to dialog, does it sound clear? Do effects take you to the action. Are you hearing things in the music that you have never heard before? Good speakers should be able to reproduce details that bad speakers can't. There is one scene in the movie Immortal Beloved that helps me do this. When the orchestra plays Ode to Joy I listen for the triangle. I was on the sound stage and saw the mixer spend an inordinate time on that instrument. If I hear it I know that the speakers are faithfully reproducing the sound.

Speakers may be the most important part of your home theater. The good news is they will last you for years so don't feel bad about spending a little more money on this component.

Audition shortcut:
 Scott in Bethlehem, PA sent us an email saying he used to buy equipment the same way we have been have been advocating. He says "It is VERY time consuming to do that for every TV, receiver, speakers, DVD player and video processor on your short list". He is right it is time consuming. Here's how he buys speakers now:

I think you get the best bang for your buck and it is the most efficient use of time.  As a father of three, I don't have many evenings and weekends to hang out AV stores and geek it up with the help. The only way to do this is in your house.  So, do lots of online research augmented by publications.  My most recent purchase was from Aperion.  They are a small outfit who sells right to the consumer.  I learned about them in Sound and Vision.  They will send you speakers with a 100% no questions asked return policy. It's less trouble to return a piece of gear than it is to mess around in a store working a demo.  You can never be sure that comparisons are accurate, be it between TV's, receivers or speakers.