What’s the deal with speakers? With all these 5.1 theatre systems and big screens are speakers still important?

Speakers are a VERY important part of your audio/visual system; some would say the MOST important! Whilst the quality of your CD/DVD player (source) is critical, the speakers are the last part of the HiFi “chain” before the sound reaches your ears.

In the last 10 years or so the trend has been towards small speaker packages with “room booming” subwoofers. However when it comes to HiFi I would definitely suggest that quality of sound is preferable to quantity.

The only way to try a speaker is by audition (specifications will NOT tell you how good a speaker will sound!) here are some Simple Simon tips:

• Make sure the amplifier and CD player used in the demonstration are similar to what you will be using at home.
• Make sure the room you are listening to the speakers in is relatively quiet and again, similar to your room at home. Room characteristics play a large part in how your speakers will sound.
• Take a CD that you are familiar with and maybe listen to it at home just before you go to the showroom.
• Really listen to the music you are playing, how easy is it to follow the singer’s melody? Is the bass tight and musical or thumpy and undefined? Is there a sense of space between the Musicians?
• Listen to the speakers at a number of different volume levels, do they sound as good/better at a low volume?

Also, speakers don’t have to be massive or ugly to sound good; specialist audio brands like Energy, Mirage and Bose prove that good sound can be as pleasing to the eyes as it is to the ears.