Are speakers Analog or Digital

Speakers by their physical nature are inherently analog. They are a physical device affecting physical space. 

Then why are some speakers sold as "digital ready"?

Because, marketing. Speakers work when current, a small amount, is sent through the speaker wire to the electric current flows through the coil, it becomes a temporary electromagnet. The permanent magnet on the speaker is attracted and repelled which moves the speaker cone, which moves the air to create sound.  

Are some speakers better at working with digital sources than others? The short answer is no because the source has nothing to do it the speakers function. 

Does a digital source have an affect on the sound?

Yes, what will have an affect on the sound of a digital source is the type of DAC (Digital Audio Converter) that is in your amplifier. 

Help, My Home Theater Speakers Don't Work

Speakers don't often break, really, they don't. But when they do you're sitting there hurting without the music. Fortunately speakers are pretty simple things, there just isn't much to them. As often as not  if you're not hearing the music it's another link in the audio chain that's causing the problem. Let's examine the flow of the audio and music in a typical home theater system first.

 

Banana plugs

1. We're going to assume that all the electronics are plugged in and receiving electricity. Right? Is your surge protector plugged in?
2. In most cases the example above where the cable, blu ray player and TV all feed into (and out of in the case of the TV) AV Receiver via an HDMI port. Check these first.
3. If any of your connections are via a RCA or Digital Optical Cable then you should check these next. 
4. After securing all the cables check the to be sure all your speaker cables are plugged in, and not touching each other. If you wear glasses, use them please. It's easy to miss one strand of speaker wire hitting an adjacent terminal and shorting out you sound. Using banana plugs helps eliminate this problem. 
5. If some of your speakers are working and others are not and the wires are correct then try swapping out the speaker from one side to the other to eliminate that it's the receiver that is malfunctioning. 
6. If the speaker sounds muffled, or tinny then one of the drivers might be out. Here's where it gets tricky. It's generally easy to replace a speaker in a cabinet but unless you purchase it from the manufacturer you risk having distinctly different sound from that speaker.

This all assumes that we're looking at an all wired system. If your surround sound speakers are wireless surrounds or you're feeding the audio or audio and video via bluetooth from a phone or tablet, you'll need to check that source as well.

I know the check list above sounds basic but you cannot imagine the number of times someone has called me and one of the above was the culprit. 

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Wireless TV Speaker for Easier Listening

If you are hearing impaired or just want to not disturb your partner while watching TV in bed at night a wireless TV speaker might be just the thing for you.

Although soundbars and sound bases sound great and can increase your ability to hear a TV from a distance, a Wireless TV speaker can sit next to you on your night stand or end table as you watch TV.

Best way to hear a TV in your bedroom at night

A portable, wireless TV speaker is often a better solution to hearing a television at night than a soundbar or even wireless headphones. Soundbars are too far away and the volume they need to be at may disturb your partner or other household members. Headphones can be uncomfortable and could wake you if you fall asleep with them on.

A portable, rechargeable TV speaker can sit in it's base by the TV and on your night stand at night offering clear, easier to hear sound without blasting out the entire house.

How do wireless TV speakers work?

Regardless of the technology used, the basic principal is a base unit takes the output from the television and sends it to the speaker across the room. If your TV is less than 30-40 feet from the speaker it will often be a bluetooth speaker, not that the technology matters that much.

Is my TV compatible with these speakers?

If your TV is less than 15 years old the answer is likely yes. You'll have either an audio in the form of a headphone jack or a pair of RCA plugs that can output the audio to the base unit.

What are the best TV wireless speakers I can get?

We could only find one pre-packaged TV audio solution we'd recommend if you're not technically inclined. That is the Serene Innovations TV portable speaker (pictured above). It does not require extra components and setup. If you have even a little savvy in the tech department you can hook up almost any bluetooth speaker using a bluetooth adapter like those shown below. It may also require some accessories.

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Replacing a Subwoofer Amp

On most occasions when your subwoofer blows it is the speaker that needs to be replaced. Sometimes when your subwoofer blows it's not the speaker but the amp. But from time to time it will be the amp. On most home theater subwoofers the amp is a one-piece device that is screwed on to the back of the subwoofer. You can find replacement amps from lots of places including parts express.

Is it hard to replace a subwoofer amp?
Replacing the amp is not difficult and requires only a screwdriver and some common sense. Here is the common sense part.

• Unplug the subwoofer from the power outlet.
• Don't touch any part of the inside of the amp, the capacitors may still have a charge in them.
• Don't try to Fix the amp unless you're a qualified repair person, which you're most likely not
• Don't even attempt this unless you are at least moderately handy.

Ordering your replacement amp

• When you order your replacement amp be sure that the size of the faceplate matches the one on your current unit
• If possible make sure that it also matches the screw holes on the back of your unit. Remember subs do a lot of shaking and you don't want this thing falling out.

When installing your new amp Follow the Instructions. Really, read them before taking the unit out of the box. Go have lunch and then read them again. Then you're ready to try this.

Disclaimer: If you get hurt doing this in any way, you're on your own. I don't recommend messing with an amp replacement I'm just letting you know you can if you really really want to.

That said, here are some amps to consider.

Dayton Audio SA240-B 240W Subwoofer Amplifier with Boost

Bash 300W Digital Subwoofer Amplifier

Bash 500W Digital Subwoofer Amplifier
100 Watt Subwoofer Amplifier Module

Want to purchase a new subwoofer instead? Click here

Finding the Best Speaker Reviews?

Since more and more loudspeakers are being purchased sight unseen these days, it seems a logical question to ask where do I find the best speaker reviews. One would assume that the copy on a speaker companies web site would be biased toward their own brand, D'oh, but what about review sites?

Audioholics, one of my favorite audio sites and forums online posted a great article today about Double

Blind Listening Tests where neither the person running the test nor the listener knows what they are listening too in order to cancel out any bias. "A Double Blind Test (DBT) is one in which neither the participants nor the experimenters know who is receiving a particular treatment."

The article suggests that if you're a consumer purchasing a pair of speaker in a showroom, that a double blind or at least blind listening test would be the way to go. I would agree with this. Of course the caveat here is that no matter how good the room you experience the speakers in, the speakers will sound different in your home. 

Back to where to find the best speaker reviews.

Although review sites like Audioholics have trained listeners, near perfect listening rooms (though still not YOUR room) and reference electronics to drive the speakers, they still have one inherent problem: 

The reviewers don't have your ears, musical preferences or taste in what resonates with your body. 

Your age, physical condition, listening habits, habitat, specific musical taste and listening history will make your best sounding speaker be different than everyone else. 

Does that mean you can't rely on a review, professional or not to help you choose your next speaker? Of course not. Just don't treat it like a magic bullet. Follow the time honored tradition of bringing a CD of your favorite music to the store and sit and listen to as many speakers as you can, in your price range. Why your price range? For the same reason bed sales people tell you which beds to lay on first, if you start with the ones you can't afford you might end up never being happy with your purchase. 

So final advice on buying speakers

• User your favorite music to audition speakers.
• Find articles on how to listen.
• Take your time.
• Make sure you have a return policy in case they don't sound good in your home.
• And yes, Read reviews. If nothing else they will make you a more educated consumer.

Read the full article on double blind testing here.

Make Your Jawbone Speaker Sound Better

The one inch drivers in any speaker are barely capable of producing bass of any volume. Even the best designed speakers on the market will have difficulty producing noticeable bass response without a sizable speaker surface to move enough of air for low frequency sound.

Even so, there is a simple trick to making your Jawbone JAMBOX Wireless Bluetooth Speaker  sound better, and produce better bass; put it in time-out.

Place it caddy-corner. By placing your Jawbone in a corner of a room you be able to take advantage of the corner to magnify the bass that the unit does produce. This will not get you jaw dropping lows but it will make it sound fuller. I found that putting it on the ledge of a kitchen counter back splash pleasantly increased the bass response.

No available corner? Place the unit 1 to 3 inches off a wall for a similar effect. One wall will not work as well as a corner but it will still help. Move the Jambox back and forth until you find a sound that you like. Got a tip? Let us know in the comments.

Finding Deals on Speakers

In a recent article about the cost of speakers the author talks about 5 reasons good speakers cost so much.

• 2000% Increase In Price of Neodymium -Neodymium is a rare earth material that is a very effective magnet. 
• Chinese Labor - One of the dirty little secrets that no speaker company will tell you is that after Chinese New Year in February, many of the workers return home after a year of training, work and gaining experience. And then they never return back to the factory to work again. 
• Other Raw Materials Costs 
• Transportation and the Cost of Oil -A gallon of gas costs a lot less three years ago than it does today and that affects the price of good speakers in many ways. Petroleum products go into speakers, speaker drivers and speaker materials including boxes, packing materials and beyond. 

The author goes on to say "good speakers are not very different than commodities, as they are more expensive today than in the past. Unlike video and computers, the cost of producing heavy, durable goods like speakers are being passed onto the consumer for all of the reasons stated above. Will speaker prices come down? I don't see it any time soon but as long as performance is up, finishes are excellent and the value is there - buying a new pair of gleaming speakers is one of the world's great joys. As an owner of some new Paradigm Signature Reference S8's (made in Canada),  

Our thoughts on Speaker prices

Interesting article but the only factor that holds any weight (excuse the pun) is the cost of Neodymium, which does not effect all speakers which typically use traditional magnets. Certainly material costs fluctuate and the cost of labor in China has been increasing, but likely has less to do with migrant workers moving out of highly automated factories, but with a rising standard of living. The real reason speakers cost so much is pretty simple.

Multiple Mark ups Drive Speaker Costs

Due to the nature of many people justifiably wanting to listen to speakers before purchasing them they are sold at retail. This causes extreme price pressures at the point of purchase. ... 

• Factory Costs 
• Manufacturer Markup 50%. 
• Distributor Markup 50%. 
• Retailer Markup 50%. 

Once each player in the distribution channel takes their profit, the price goes up. (the above percentages are for example only, they could be higher or lower). Though this is also true of many products speakers are a particularity tough sale direct to a consumer who has not heard them. I would more easily purchase an amp or receiver than I would a set of speakers I have not heard. There are many fine online direct speaker makers who sell their goods at reasonable prices. Buyers just need to be prepared to buy them on faith, and a good return policy.

Examples of High End Speaker Companies that Sell Direct - So You Save

Try these direct to consumer speakers as an example, both companies sell direct to consumer and through Amazon, at no additional markup. Real high quality, without the crazy markup.

Aperion speakers
NHT speakers

What is a 2.5 way Speaker?

Two.Five way speakers are a weird duck but can sound quite amazing. We know what a 2 way speaker is and what a 3 way speaker is, and the difference there. But what the heck is with the 1/2?

First let's do a quick review of what a 2 and 3 way speaker does.

Two-way speakers usually has two drivers in them

• A Bass Speaker which produces all the mid and low frequencies
• A Tweeter which produces all the high notes

Three-way speakers usually has three drivers in them

• A Bass Speaker which produces all the low frequencies
• A Midrange Speaker which produces all the mid frequencies, like voices and saxophones
• A Tweeter which produces all the high notes

What's in a 2.5-way speaker?

Two.Five way speakers can be found in two types of setups.

A speaker where there are at least 3 speakers

• A Tweeter
• A Midrange
• A Mid-Woofer

Note that there is no "woofer" in this configuration. Usually these are not large speakers and the mid-woofer does not produce very low notes and requires a subwoofer to complement it as in these speakers that were once sold by The Speaker Company.

I've read other posts suggesting that a 2.5 way speaker would have a configuration with a tweeter, midrange and a woofer, where the mid produced both mid and lows. This however would actually constitute a 3-way speaker since the cross-over is still covering all the available musical frequencies. Also you'd loose the benefit of splitting the signal so you still allow the low frequency to not interfere with the Mid range speaker.

Here are some speakers that purport to be 2.5 way speakers

 Energy CF-30 Floorstanding/Tower Speaker (Black), Each

New Table Saw = New Speakers?

It's summer. The weather is hot and the home wood shops are open! Are you the woodworking type? Want new speakers but don't want to purchase commercially available ones? Well maybe you want to build your own speakers.

With the number of kits and parts available you can easily build your own speakers, and they will sound great. You can either build them from scratch by choosing your own wood, (we'd recommend MDF over wood) or buying pre-built cabinets and adding your own custom speaker selection.

Either way you can get some great satisfaction from building your own speakers. Here are some of the advantages.

• Choice of finish - While many prefer black speakers, sometimes the significant other does not. There may even be a mandate to have them match the rest of the furniture. No problem is you do it yourself.
• Choice of drivers - Choose the tweeters that match your sound preference rather than what the manufacturer wants to sell you. Speakers are very subjective on what sounds good and what does not.
• Choice of cabinet size & Style - By building your own you get to choose the style and size, along with the finish and drivers. Win, win, win.

If you go the pre-built cabinet route (rather than routing the speaker holes yourself!), then configuring your own custom speakers can be accomplished with nothing more than a screwdriver. If you want a custom finish, finishing small square boxes is much easier than a piece of furniture.


For a great selection of cabinets and speakers, try PartsExpress. Get $5 off on purchases of $50 or more at Parts-Express.com Use coupon code Save52010

Speaker Height Placement

The height your speakers are at makes a difference in how they will sound. Makes sense right? In general speakers should be placed so the tweeter is pretty much at ear level of the listener. This is because many tweeters don't have a very good dispersion range. This means as you go off-axis on them you start to lose some volume and possibly tone. While it may be difficult to get all listeners directly in front of the speakers it is much easier to get them at ear level.



Things To Consider When Choosing a Speakers Height

• Floorstanding speakers usually have tweeters at the correct height
• Bookshelf speakers are best on an open shelf or on a speaker stand
• In general speakers should be placed with the woofer at the bottom
• If you need to put speakers on their side, position them so the tweeters mirror each other
• Do not mount rear ported speakers against a wall, it will diminish the bass output

Height Placement of Surround Sound Speakers

Surround sound speakers should follow the same rules as the main front speakers. This is usually not ideal however. Since surround speakers can be much smaller, many people opt to mount them on the wall, in the corner between the wall and ceiling, or just purchase in-ceiling speakers for the task. Surround sound speakers can also be placed on a stand. As long as the surround sound speakers are pointed toward the listening seats they will sound fine.

Speaker Safety

• Speakers mounted on a wall should be securely fastened to avoid injury if one falls
• If possible anchor speaker stands to a wall if small children are in the house

Shop Amazon.com for speaker stand sales and reviews

Get More Bass From Your Speakers

Even if you have a small bookshelf or tower speaker, if it has a rear port, you can likely get more bass than you are getting today.

The rear port on a  bass reflex speaker design is there to increase the bass response of the speaker. These ports are usually tuned to a frequency that compliments the overall tonality of the speaker.

Simple Changes that Increase Bass
Ideally a rear ported speaker should be at least 1 to 2 inches off the wall. Speakers create sound by moving air. The port on the speaker creates sound in the same way as when you blow in to an empty or partially empty bottle. If the speaker is against the wall or the back of a bookshelf, then you're keeping the air from coming out, as well as the sound. Blocking the port will also add additional air pressure against the inside of the cabinet,changing the way the main driver will sound. Not good.

Experiment with Speaker Placement for Optimum Bass
As we mentioned, keeping the speaker away from the wall will change the sound. Moving it different distances from the wall will also change the sound. Play with it until you get the sound that works best for you. It is also recommended that:

• Each speaker is at an equal distance form the wall
• The wall is material is the same for each speaker
• The speakers are at the same height

Special Note on Corners
Corner placement of a speaker can have undesirable consequences and is best avoided if possible. If you must put a speaker in a corner be sure to play with the placement till you get an acceptable sound.

Is bi-amping worth it?

Many a speaker owner asks this question. I have speakers that are capable of bi-amping but will I gain any benefit out of it? According to Rod Elliott of ESP the answer is a resounding yes!

Basically Bi-amping is a technique which uses one amplifier for the low frequencies, and another for mid and high frequencies. The choice of crossover frequency is not too critical, provided that the amplifier powers are properly balanced to achieve the maximum benefit, and the drivers used are operating well within their frequency and power limits.

Here are the main benefits of bi-amping he lists

• Effectively (up to) twice the 'real' power of the amplifiers themselves
• Reduced intermodulation distortion
• Elimination of the low frequency passive crossover, its inherent losses, potentially poor linearity and crossover point inaccuracy
• Reduction of the difficulty of the load presented to the power amplifier
• No padding is required to align the driver sensitivities, so we are not simply wasting power
• The damping factor is greatly improved for both the low and midrange loudspeakers
• Complete freedom from any interaction between the loudspeaker driver (and its environment) and the crossover network
• Cost savings, since complex passive crossover networks are not needed
• Bi-wiring is included free!
• The flexibility to choose amplifiers which are at their best within a defined frequency range
• Ability to match amplifier power to the exact requirements of the drivers for maximum overall efficiency

Here is the down side of bi-amping

• Two power amplifiers are required for each channel of a stereo system
• An electronic crossover is needed

Now the advantages are certainly very nice but consider that on the down side you need to almost double your electronics cost plus an electronic crossover.

Here is a nice graphic explaining how bi-amping works.



Note that bi-amping should not be confused with bi-wiring which looks like this and does not deliver the same benefits as bi-amping.


Should you bi-amp your system?
Well it comes down to what it always comes down to, if you have the money and your spouse will let you then why not.

Otherwise get yourself a really nice Receiver or Pre-amp and Amp and of course a Great set of speakers and you'll do just fine.

To read the entire well written but VERY technical article click here.