 
by Maurice Lewis
We are nearing the end of our odyssey, and you have one last thing to worry about before you can begin setting up your home theater system: speakers. The everyday layperson thinks all speakers are alike, and that the type of speaker you purchase does not affect the sound that comes from them. Of course, they are completely wrong and you should know better. Does this mean that you have to be familiar with intricate wiring and subtle differences between speakers? Not at all, but a basic understand of speakers, as with all components of your home theater system, will not only help you buy quality speakers, but avoid being duped by convincing advertising and pushy salespeople.
Before I even continue, I would like to provide an example of a speaker company that preys on the ignorance of the general public to create a deceptive image: Bose. Bose has gone out of its way to portray itself as the high-end of speakers. As a result, they have been able to jack up their prices and sell incredibly overpriced speakers to those who believe that they are receiving the top-of-the-line since the word Bose is stamped on the speakers. Not only are Bose speakers overpriced, but also they are considered among those in the know to the bottom dwellers of speakers. The sound that comes from Bose speakers is usually awful, and the materials used in their construction are usually nothing more than extremely cheap plastic. How many of you thought that Bose was a quality brand of speaker? You see what a little research reveals? Spend the extra time to check out your speakers, you will be happy you did in the long run.
A speaker's job in a home theater system is to take the electrical currents emitted by the receiver and convert them into sound. No need to get into the specifics of how this is done, but the quality of the "ingredients" of a speaker, such as a speaker's driver (which moves air to actually create the sound) greatly impacts how efficiently the speaker converts the receiver's energy into superior sound. Therefore, the lower end speaker you buy, the more inferior its "ingredients" tend to be, and the worse your sound is. Of course, you do not have to go to a specialty sound store and by the top-of-the-line foreign speakers for your first home theater system, but a few extra bucks and some extra research will go a long way.
A home theater speaker system is made up of six different components. These include two front speakers, to rear speakers, a center channel speaker, and a powered subwoofer. All are essential to completing the home theater experience (I'm a particular fan of the subwoofer). You can buy these components separately, or often they are offered as packages together. Also, make sure to consult the salesperson to ensure that the speakers are compatible with the outputs on your receiver.
Packages of speakers often do make sense for the first time user. For one thing, speakers in these package deals are always timbre-matched, meaning they are tonally the same. If you bought different speakers from different manufacturers that are not timbre-matched, you would hear markedly different sounds coming from each speaker. You do not want to hear any difference between the speakers. In fact, you do not want to be able to distinguish what speaker is the source of each sound. A good home theater speaker system should blend all the sounds into a seamless and all-consuming film experience.
In addition to doing research, I strongly recommend you bring some of your favorite CDs to the retail store to distinguish between different speakers. You may feel a little goofy bringing these CDs in (particularly if you bring in some pansy Backstreet Boys CD), but fear not, a good speaker salesman will understand your purpose in doing so. Try to bring a few different styles of music, from rock to techno to classical to jazz. This should really give you a good idea of the range of different speakers and their abilities to highlight the subtleties of different musical styles. The general rule of them is that if a speaker system can handle your various musical styles, it will be more than sufficient for watching movies at home.
In sum, spend a little extra time doing research, and be willing to spend a few extra bucks on a good speaker system (don't worry, you won't have to break your bank, just don't buy the cheapest stuff out there). Also, be sure to ask your salesperson exactly why certain systems are more expensive than others. Is it the parts? Or is it the brand name? A good salesperson should know, and if not, consider shopping elsewhere, it's important to get good help when it comes to speakers.
So let's recap everything...you have a TV, a DVD player (and/or a VCR), a good receiver and a good speaker system. Congratulations! That should be more than enough to get you on your road to putting together a strong system. You are really going to enjoy the benefits of a strong system, and once you pop in your DVD of "Heat," you will be delighted that you spent every penny you did.
Most of the manuals for receivers and speakers will explain how to put everything together and will feature a good way to set up the system in your home. But, if you're looking for some other tips, keep your eyes out. The next article in Electronics and Gadgets will discuss how to set up the placement of your new home theater system. Happy viewing! |
