Speakers are an unavoidable part of starting an audio system, along with amplifiers.
There is a common saying in the audio industry that there is a "5-3-2 rule" in terms of the ratio of money spent.
Specifically, it seems to be 50% for speakers, 30% for amplifiers, and 20% for players. In short, speaker performance is the best! Even if you buy a high-end amplifier, it will not mean much if the performance of the speakers is poor. If we compare it to a racing car, even if it is equipped with a high-performance engine, it cannot run fast on a circuit if the tires, which are in direct contact with the road surface, do not have sufficient grip. Even if the engine (amplifier) is good, if the tires (speakers) that transmit the sound to the road surface (ears) are inferior, the car cannot run fast (cannot be heard with good sound).
In order to enjoy a higher quality music life, it is very important to choose the right speakers for your purpose. They come in a variety of prices and shapes, but be sure to choose the right one for your own particular needs.
Types of speakers - How to choose by size and basic shape
Bookshelf type
As the name "bookshelf" suggests, this type of speaker is designed to fit on a bookshelf and is compact and easy to install. Most speakers are relatively small and suitable for close proximity viewing on desktops. Ideally, the unit should be brought as close to ear level as possible by using a stand or similar device at the bottom of the speaker. In terms of sound quality, most types of speakers are difficult to produce bass, but they offer clear sound in the mid and high frequencies with excellent three-dimensionality.
Floor type
These are medium-sized or larger speakers that are placed on the floor as is. These speakers are shaped like a larger bookshelf. They are recommended for those who want to produce loud sound in a large room and want full-fledged speakers, but most speakers are quite expensive.
Tall boy type
This is a vertical type of speaker that does not take up much installation space among floor-type speakers. They are attractive speakers that do not require much space for installation and are stylish in design. The sound quality can cover a wide range of sound ranges, and the most popular speaker is the versatile type with the performance of a floor type that can hear bass sound particularly well.
A speaker with a hole in the enclosure (enclosure) is called a bass reflex type. Bass is radiated from there to increase the volume of bass sound. On the other hand, a sealed type has no holes.
Speaker Specifications
The efficiency of converting the power input from the amplifier to the speaker into sound is called the output sound pressure level or efficiency. The value ranges from the low 80s dB to around 100 dB. The higher this number is, the louder the sound can be produced even if the amplifier output is small. In the past, many large speakers were over 100dB in order to make a small tube amplifier with an output of 2 or 3W sound loud, but nowadays there are various high-power amplifiers other than tube amplifiers, so speakers with high efficiency are usually in the low 80s to around 90dB. In terms of selection, if you want to produce loud sound in a large room, or if the output power is small with a tube amplifier, speakers above 85dB are the best choice. For other conditions, it is not a matter of much concern.
Most speakers have two or more speaker units. This is because it is difficult for a single unit to reproduce the human audible bandwidth (20Hz-20kHz) cleanly, so the sound is output in separate registers. The overlap of the reproduction bandwidth of each speaker unit is called a crossover, and increasing the number of units will result in unnatural sound connections and unbalanced sound due to the dispersion of sound output locations. Full-range speakers that use only one unit are also popular because of their natural sound quality and localization, although they have a narrower sound range. High-resolution sound sources are those capable of reproducing high frequencies above 40 kHz; CDs are discs that contain only a rough approximation of the range of human hearing. A high-resolution sound source is a detailed recording of a wide range of sound frequencies above the human audible range (20Hz-20kHz). I guess that means it's closer to a vinyl record than to its ancestors. lol. If your speakers are not compatible, it does not mean that you cannot listen to high-resolution sound sources or that they sound worse. As proof of this, there are many models with high frequencies of around 20 kHz, even with expensive speakers. This is because more importance is placed on the output sound pressure level and efficiency, as well as how richly and comfortably the sound can be heard in the audible range.
And finally, there is impedance. The unit of measurement for electrical resistance is the ohm (ohm), which is approximately 4, 6, or 8 ohms. The lower the number, the greater the output of the amplifier, but the greater the load on the amplifier, so for a 4-ohm speaker, it is safe to use a 4-ohm compatible amplifier. Speakers with an impedance of 6 or 8 ohms can be used with any amplifier without concern.
If you feel that the bass sound is insufficient when listening to music, add a subwoofer, which is a speaker dedicated to bass, and if you feel that the treble sound is insufficient, add tweeters, which are speakers for treble, to upgrade the sound to your liking, which is one of the pleasures of audio.
Let's choose speakers taking into consideration the above combination, the amplifier to be used, and the installation space~!
Lastly, speakers priced up to 50,000 yen sound reasonable, but speakers priced over 100,000 yen, even if they are small, have a design philosophy and technology that more than make up for the numbers shown in the specifications, and they produce amazingly good sound that far surpasses your imagination.
TRI PHONIC MONITOR-061 6cm full range speaker
Click here to see this product page
Yamamoto Acoustic Craft 8cm Full Range TQWT Speaker System YS-08TQ
This product page is here
FAL Supreme S C40ES Desktop Speakers
This product page is here
