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How to purchase speakers [message #83699] Fri, 07 October 2016 05:23 Go to next message
sawyer25 is currently offline  sawyer25
Messages: 169
Registered: July 2016
Master
Most of my friends tell me that they do not care much about the kind of speakers to be bought. What they do is walk into a shop, choose what they want and that's it.

In my opinion, such purchases ought to be guided by factors like size, quality, performance, aesthetics as well as price.

These are what I put into consideration whenever I'm shopping around.
Re: How to purchase speakers [message #83702 is a reply to message #83699] Fri, 07 October 2016 10:04 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18670
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

In my opinion, loudspeakers are where there is the largest quality spread of all components in the audio chain. Not that there aren't great amps and terrible amps, same with source devices. I've seen cheap CD and even BluRay players that distorted sound like a 1960s pocket radio. But once you've dismissed the trash, you'll find most components in audio chain are capable of making good sound as long as the speakers are good. The opposite is not true though - I can't say the same thing about speakers - I've seen/heard a LOT of speakers that were absolute trash at all price points, even some costing more than $10K.

Choose your loudspeakers wisely. They're potentially the weakest link in the chain. Loudspeakers set the limits on the performance of the system more than anything else.

Re: How to purchase speakers [message #83703 is a reply to message #83699] Fri, 07 October 2016 13:42 Go to previous messageGo to next message
bcharlton is currently offline  bcharlton
Messages: 112
Registered: August 2016
Viscount
Wayne, you've really explained all that in a really straightforward and easy-to-understand manner.

In the past, I have had loudspeakers that malfunctioned even before 3 months were over but I will now be more careful when going to buy.
Re: How to purchase speakers [message #83707 is a reply to message #83703] Fri, 07 October 2016 20:28 Go to previous messageGo to next message
gofar99 is currently offline  gofar99
Messages: 1895
Registered: May 2010
Location: Southern Arizona
Illuminati (5th Degree)
Hi, I agree with Wayne, speakers are going to have a greater effect on your listening experience than anything else. Superior sound system and crappy speakers equals crappy sound. Mediocre system and good speakers will often sound just fine. You really need to listen to them with the type of music you like...not what the store chooses at levels you like to use. Retail stores like to choose music that hides the flaws and then play it too loud to clearly tell what is going on. My personal opinion is there is more hype on speakers than any other component of the system. If I could have a dime for every 2 inch speaker that the seller said was good for 200 watts or every 3 inch one that could reproduce 20 HZ I would own a Lear jet. I get really annoyed about the current nomenclature for speakers. A sub woofer is not a 5 inch driver powered by a 5 watt amp. I would hardly even call it a woofer. Still you see that label all the time. Speaker buying is really a buyer beware issue. If you can't hear the speakers you think you will like and you don't have a trustworthy person to ask about them then be sure the company that sells them has an unconditional return policy.

Good Listening
Bruce
Re: How to purchase speakers [message #83751 is a reply to message #83699] Fri, 21 October 2016 05:23 Go to previous message
Cortney is currently offline  Cortney
Messages: 66
Registered: October 2016
Viscount
To be honest with you, I have never really put much consideration into what kind of speakers I get up until now. I used to just buy things based on if I liked the way they looked.
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