Looking to buy a surround sound setup in my room, what should I look for when purchasing is this? budget of $2000
What specs do you look at to determine how good a speaker is?
donkeydoc on 17/12/2016 - 09:13
Comments
Second this.
Also carry a cd with the music you like.
Remember a lot depends on the source eg CD player , pre amp, power amp etc.So sample them out in store then search for them online for deals would be the best way?
Or just bargain competitively and see whether they can come within a few hundred of the online price.
specs are meaningless, always trust your own senses, do your research, reviews are a very good way to differentiate what you want to buy, then your own listening powers to actually make a decision.
Size.
It's gotta be huge, bro…
Its gotta have the flashy lights that pulsate to the beat.
Hmmm, you sure know your stuff…
Lol
Most people won't be able to truly understand the specs unless they had some clue about power electronics and physics. Audiophile community ( e.g. http://www.head-fi.org/) are helpful, though. They give a pretty good lay and technical interpretation of what each spec means.
Once you have candidates in mind, organise to bring in your own amp, and maybe your source (CD player?), hook it up, and listen to music you brought with you. Most serious places that sell speakers have listening room(s) for such purposes. The room may also have an impact (making it sound different from your home) but the largest ones are the amp, connectors and source.
If your room at home is fairly big, consider large speakers, which have advantages where low frequencies are concerned.
Edit: Re-read your post; guessing aim is more for movies, not so much audiophile criteria(?)
Watts. It's all about the Watts.
I'm currently working on a Doof-o-meter to help with an objective metric for speaker comparison…those current front page deals on Corona & Stella slabs will help a lot with the R & D…now I just need a deal on some napkins for the new blueprints! ;)
Sampling is the only way to go.
Years ago I did the ‘audition’ thing. I told the salesman I liked both Classical and Rock’n’Roll, so he fired up 4 different sets of speakers. I ultimately settled on a set of B&Ws. Now, I was/am no audiophile, but he reckoned I picked what suited me. The B&Ws were ‘warm’ so suited Classical, yet also had enough ‘oomph’ to suit Rock’n’Roll. I can’t remember what the other brands were, but do remember a Bose(?) - very punchy and loud, but no subtlety - which would have been ideal for movies with lots of explosions etc.
These speakers are over 30 years old and are attached to my home theatre. The only addition I ever made was a middle speaker and two satellites near the ceiling. I reckon when these B&Ws finally die I’ll look at them again as part of any audition.
While I applaud your recommendation to directly compare multiple sets, hose are not good quality for the money. As others have said, drop in at headfi they will advise you well.
Um, are you suggesting B&W "are not good quality for the money"? If so, I beg to differ but with a caveat of sound quality being very subjective.
B&W arent good value.
Neither is BMW or Audi.
Doesnt mean they aint good.
IMO there's only a few specs you need to take notice of… efficiency is one.
You ideally want a speaker around 90dB.
You can get away with less but then if you make this assumption you're probably an expert and know how to match to any amp.
Basic stuff is binding post quality and port type/direction.
Also it comes down to brands. I gravitate towards the UK brands.
The sound quality of your surround setup speakers will depend not only of characteristics of speakers, but also on many additional factors e.g. the sound characteristics of the room, characteristics/quality of AV receiver, cables/connectors, quality of installation and setup, quality of audio material.
- If you want best sound in your room and have money and have no time - get professionals to do that to avoid possible disappointment later.
- If you have time and want best value for money - join local audio forums and start building your knowledge and you can save a lot.- Frequency response - ideally they'll publish a curve. +/- 3dB numbers aren't so good, 3db is a lot of power and can hide some terrible effects.
- Impedance - no good having a great speaker if no practical amp can drive it.
- Sensitivity - no good having a great speaker if you need a million watts to hear it.
I'd suggest not looking at specs, and using your ears instead. Go to any real HiFi store and audition as many as you can until you find something you like.
Speakers are not something that should be bought on specs