Speaker tone and how it can effect what you hear

When it comes to speakers, the first question people always think to ask is “what size is the speaker.” Although that is certainly an important aspect of speakers, today we are focusing instead on “how does it sound?” You can look at specs on paper, but if you have ever tested two similar speakers you have undoubtedly come to the realization that they can actually sound quite different from one another. Since this article is not a review of an actual speaker, nor is it a comparison of two or more speakers, we will instead focus on what you can expect to generally hear out of a speaker based upon it’s size and location.

Speakers playing loud and with little bass are great for 7.1 sides due to rapid sound placement really standing out. These are also great for sitting up high for the rear center and for sitting up high for the front left and right “effects” speakers. They are also good for recreating “live” sound effects from concert videos and music that was recorded live. The purpose of “effects” speakers is to make it sound more lively to create that “you are there” feeling. Typically these will be small or smaller speakers than what is used in the rest of the your home theatre. For instance, try testing this out with speakers that use only 6.5″ to 8″ woofers. I cannot recommend super small speakers as rear speakers unless the room is small or you are just starting out and plan to upgrade later.

Now try them again only this time using 3″ to 51/4″ woofers in the same location and at the same height. How did they sound? Odds are the larger speakers had more mid bass tone to them, needed more power to drive them so the volume was turned up higher and they were not as quick (possibly) at recreating quick moving sound effects. If using the smaller speakers they were not as rich in tone quality and therefore did not sound any near as good and left you with the feeling that something was missing from the sound you should be hearing, but not sure what it would be (until turning up the volume some with larger speakers). Not to knock the smaller speakers for they do have their advantages too! 1) They are most likely wall mountable which saves space, they cost less money, they required less volume to drive them and therefore did not need a high current receiver which also costs more money. Also, if you move frequently packing them up and moving them is much easier. Right now as I write this I am getting to move from one apartment to another and have started packing. I disconnected my massive speakers (8’s, 10’s and 12’s) and for now am running only a 7.2 channel system mostly comprised of satellite speakers (2″ maybe?) with 6 1/2’s for the main speakers and full size center with dual 4″s in it. Listening to this I can tell you that lots of sound is missing, however what little sound that is still there does move around quickly.

Tip: – Experiment with the height and angle and size of speakers. Keep in mind no two rooms are exactly the same.

Tip: – Make sure your receiver is powerful enough to properly drive your speakers. Check the ohms and wattage on the speakers to. A “High current” receiver is always better than one that is not “high current.” If it is not a “high current” receiver an Equalizer (EQ) can help immensely. If however, you are running satellite speakers there is no reason for an EQ or a “high current” receiver since you will not notice a difference and even if you do it will not be enough to be beneficial.

When considering the size of speakers you are after, first think of the tone quality you want to hear. Tone is a matter of personal preference so keep in mind there is no right or wrong answer. For me personally, I have always liked good mid base with accurate natural sounding highs. Based on this I prefer medium to large sized speakers. Others prefer super loud and clear, or as I refer to as overly clear, unnatural and tinny sounding speakers. Note: This is pronounced as “tin-e” and is not a typo in my spelling. For them a smaller speaker might just be what they are looking for. Keep in mind the sound you are after and hope to re-create is whatever is the closest match to what you want it to sound like within your budget. The sound you are after is not necessarily what I or someone else wants and that is ok since it’s your home theatre to enjoy however you so choose.

Curious to see what different speakers are available? Check out the Premium Audio online store to learn more.

What is your tone preference? Premium Audio would like to know!

Originally published 7/11/15 on our old site Copyright Premium Audio