Speakers
Buyer’s guide
and more!
Speaking about speakers… If getting the perfect speakers seems baffling, this guide answers questions about what speakers are right for you, untangles the mystery of cables, and dispels common myth-conceptions.
What’s your speaker number? 5.1-channel speaker system: “I like watching television, and enjoy movies every once in awhile.”
7.1-channel speaker system: “I love movies, and want to get the full experience from my Blu-ray player and game consoles.”
2-channel speaker system: “I mostly listen to music, and only occasionally watch television or movies.”
Gauging — what matters? Properly terminated cable can make a big difference in your speaker sound, and can improve the lifespan of your system by preventing wire corrosion and breakage. The most common types of terminations, or ends, are banana plugs and spade lugs. Each speaker wire will require four terminations: positive and negative to the amplifier, positive and negative to the speaker.
Number of speakers / terminations: 2/8 3 / 12 5 / 20 7 / 28
Speaker wire thickness or gauge can affect how your speakers sound, especially when dealing with long runs of wire. These general guidelines can help you choose the right wire for your home.
Distance / gauge: < 50’ runs / 16-gauge wire 50’ – 150’ runs / 14-gauge wire 150’< runs / 12-gauge wire
Remember that other considerations like inwall installation, surrounding environment, and speaker type can change what wiring you need. If you think you might have a special situation, ask one of our product advisors for help!
Speaker types… Breaking down your basic speakers.
1
Floorstanding speaker
Best for front main speakers in large rooms Height: 30” – 58” Width: 8” – 17” Frequency range: Sub-bass to high 2
1
Satellite speaker
Best for surround speakers in most rooms, front speakers in very small rooms or space limited situations Height: 3” – 22” Width: 3” – 16” Frequency range: Mid-range to high 3
Bookshelf speaker
Best for front speakers in most rooms, surround speakers in large rooms Height: 8” – 18” Width: 6” – 11” Frequency range: Bass to high
3 5
4
Sound Bar
4
Best for rooms with limited space. Simulates surround sound, most act as all surround speakers except subwoofer Height: 2” – 10” Width: 13” – 40” Frequency range: Mid-range to high
2
5
Center Channel speaker
Best for center front of room for home theater installations, anchors sound in multi-channel surround to prevent audio from ghosting Height: 5” – 10” Width: 10” – 36” Frequency range: Mid-range to high 6
Subwoofer
Best for enhancing bass and providing low frequency sound effects Height: 6” – 21” Width: 9” – 16” Frequency range: Sub-bass
6
Common myths Common misconceptions about home theater.
MYTH: Bigger is better. While bigger speakers produce better bass, smaller speakers can create incredible sound for your home. Adding a subwoofer takes up less space, and can supplement the bass that often gets lost in smaller speakers. Engineering advances have produced smaller speakers that can be just as loud and full as their larger counterparts. For great sound, size is never an obstacle.
MYTH: Surround speakers are hard to wire. Long runs of wire into your home can conjure some ugly images, but the situation isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always as dire as you might expect. In many homes, running wiring through crawlspaces or attics is a less expensive, more visually attractive option than running it straight across a room. Putting wiring near baseboards can keep wiring out of sight and away from being underfoot, while strategically placed furniture or rugs can help camouflage your speaker wire.
MYTH: No space, no surround.
MYTH: Wireless means less wire.
There are times when a room just doesn’t have the space for a full surround system. This shouldn’t stop you from getting better audio, however. Sound bars are great options for creating a virtual surround system without having to run additional speakers or wiring to the back of your room, and many systems can replace a full surround system, including the front speakers, with just one bar.
Wireless speakers, despite their name, are not islands unto themselves. In reality, wireless systems still use some wires to connect to a transceiver to take in audio signals from a transmitter, and a power source. But, even though they still use some wire, it’s still less than what would be used for an entire room. Wireless systems can also be more expensive than the equivalent run of speaker wire, so plan and budget accordingly.
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