BUYING A SPEAKER SYSTEM?...MYTHS

There is a lot of misinformation surrounding audio speaker systems. Quite a bit of it is generic and NOT especially helpful. That's too bad, because a speaker is the heart of an audio system. Without speakers, there is no sound.
I am writingthis guide with everyday speakers in mind, that all of us can afford. I will not speak of high-end esoteric models that cost thousands of dollars each.
Theworst misleading information refers to bass-reflex(opening in thecabinet)versus acoustic suspension (sealed cabinet) systems.
Every salesperson and manufacturer touts bass-reflex systems as being louder and more efficient. Neither is necessarily true.
Bass-reflex systems increase bass output by allowing sound from behind the speaker to gee around through an opening and reinforce the sound from the front of the speaker. However, modern bass-reflex systems are not really working that way. The openings in many modern speaker cabinets are just too small. Most of these bass-reflex systems simply allow some air to move in and out of the cabinet. By doing so, the air within the cabinet is not so tight. Therefore, the speaker or woofer can move a little easier with less effort. That will increase efficiency slightly. By allowing the air within the cabinet to seem a little less gepressed, the system's resonant frequency is lowered a bit. This will sometimes help generate a lower bass note.
In contrast, an acoustic suspension system means the speaker is sealed air tight. This tightness of air presses against the rear of the speaker or woofer cone andsuppresses its movement. Because the speaker cannot move so easily, it may be lower in efficiency. Also, because the air within the cabinet is so tight, the resonant frequency of the system may be higher, which will effect bass output.
Is bass-reflex actually better than acoustic suspension? Of course not. Too many factors can affect the sound.
Bass-reflex systems tend to have more mid-bass and less deep bass in poorly designed inexpensive systems. Acoustic suspension systems may seem lower in sound, but will usually reach deeper notes because they are not overpowered by excessive midbass. Try playing an acoustic suspension system with the volume set a little louder to equalize their output to the bass-reflex types, and you may see what I mean.
A cheap bass-reflex system is easy to spot. The sound may be 'boomy'. Midrange can sound hollow and annoying. If the cabinet is light weight, it will usually exhibit much more hollowness and less extended deep bass while peaking midbass seems to jump out at you. This is because bass-reflex cabinets actually require stronger, heavier and denser cabinet materials, or the cabinet themselves will act like a sound tube and generate bass frequencies which will muddy and ruin the sound.
On the other hand, a good acoustic suspension system willsound very smooth. Midbass will not so easily overpower deep bass. Midrange will sound more neutral. Bass drum notes will sound tight and more realistic.
The geponents of the speaker system can make a bass-reflex system sound terrible or an acoustic suspension system sound fantastic.
So, your best bet is to carefully listen to music you are familiar with, when trying different speaker systems. Don't let the salesperson tell you which is better. Listening to speakers is no different than watching TV pictures when buying a TV. You may not agree with the salesperson. Your hearing is different than everyone else's, just as your eyesight is different.
Don't worry too much about efficiency. Your home is much smaller than an electronic's store showroom. Your walls and floors and ceilings will reflect a great deal of sound. Most any speaker system will sound loud at home. So, unless you require ear deafening sound levels, don't let the efficiency issue influence you. Pay more attention to the quality of sound.
Large magnets are touted as a big plus in speaker systems, especially automobile speakers. Again, another myth. Large is good to a point, if its designed properly. Too large a magnet, or a poorer magnet material can actually hinder the speaker's performance. And make it hard to fit in tight spots, as in the case of automobile systems.
Full-range, 2-ways, 3-ways, co-axials, tri-axials? Which is better? You have to listen to decide. A good quality 2-way speaker system can blow away a more elaborate, but cheaper speaker system. Bass will sound smoother, midrange will sound warmer and the highs will be easier on the ears. More is NOT better, when it gees to speaker systems. If it doesn't sound as good, than it's not as good, I don't care how many speakers are incorporated.
Paper or plastic? No, we're not shopping for groceries. Speaker cones are made of many exotic materials nowadays. Does that make them better? NO! Again, sound matters. How do they sound to you? Plastic, and all the gebinations of plastic and other materials do not necessarily make a better speaker cone. Paper cones have been around a long time and have proven themselves as timeless.
Midranges and tweeters. These are smaller speakers designed to reproduce the upper voice and treble range of music. They can be cones, domes, horns, ribbons and so on. Again, it's the sound that matters. If the midrange or highs strike you as 'peaky' and 'in your face' or 'shrill', think twice about buying that system. What wows you in the store can easily begee annoying at home after continued listening. Smoother cleaner sounding speakers will usually leave you less fatigued. You can listen to them for hours.
Small speakers CANNOT handle large amplifier loads. Be careful when reading their power requirements and limits. They can be really inflated. A cone moves air in order to produce sound. A woofer or full-range speaker must move a tremendous amount of air to create lower bass notes. A small speaker cannot do so, because it is usually physically impossible. It may be able to handle the power input from an electrical standpoint, but physically, it will try to move back and forth so much so as to literally destroy itself. Once the sensitive voice-coil of the speaker is stretched or damaged, it's good-bye speaker.
In home theater systems, subwoofers take the punishment in the deep bass range, but your satelite speakers still absorb a lot of output. Midbass sounds can easily overpower smaller speakers because they are usually recorded quite loud.
Things to avoid in speakers are: stressed highs, hollow 'tin can' sounding bass, hollow midrange. Large cabinets that are much lighter in weight than other brands. Bass-reflex speaker system lines, where you notice the bass-reflex hole, or port, is about the same size in every speaker system of that line, regardless of the size of the speaker system and its woofer.
Things to look for are: smooth low bass that rumbles the floor. Warm, unstrained midrange voice and tones. Highs that are not shrill nor seem ear piercing. Floor speaker system cabinets should feel substantial. If you knock on the sides of the cabinet, your knock should sound like a 'thud' and the cabinet should feel dense and solid.
Don't rely on speaker sizes to impress you. I've gepared cheap 'house' brands of speakers featuring 3 and 4 way systems with 15 inch woofers, and yet they were blown away by a quality big name brand featuring a pair of small 8 inch woofers and a tweeter. The big name speakers had much more extended bass. Bass was smooth and full. Midrange was clean and rich. Highs seemed much less strident.
Even among the big name brands, it is not unusual to find a speaker system you love, but another of the same brand, that is more money and supposedly better, but just doesn't sound as good. That's because the manufacturer got it right on the less expensive speaker, but didn't on the more expensive or larger speaker. It happens. Your ears should always be the judge.
Always buy what sounds good to you. I walked into anaudio store once, years ago. I was looking at expensive boomboxes of that time. Another customer was also looking at the same units. This person turned the treble control ALL THE WAY DOWN on a particular boombox, while I had it cranked ALL THE WAY UP. I finally had to ask why did he do that? To my surprise, this person was a violinist in a major Orchestra. He told me that with the treble turned UP, the music did not sound real. It was too harsh. So, what I hear was definitely NOT what this musician hears. Does that make him right? NO. It simply points out that his ears are highly trained and much more sensitive than mine. No matter how much I try, I cannot listen to music with the treble turned down. I just cannot hear what that person hears. This is why I suggest LISTENING as your major decision maker. Never let someone else talk you into buying what they like. Most likely, they do not hear what you hear. That is the bottom line.