Compare Speaker Features & Specs
Evaluate speaker quality, paying close attention to speaker direction, drivers, connectors, power handling, sensitivity, and frequency response specifications.Speaker direction
Surround speakers can direct sound straight toward a listener or to their sides.
* Monopole speakers: Monopole speakers offer the most versatility, fitting in with budget-to-high-end setups. They push sound in one direction and come standard in home theater and entry-levels sets. They also make a great choice for fans of multichannel audio formats.
* Dipole speakers/bipole speakers: V-shaped dipole speakers and bipole speakers push sound to the sides. They work well with sound from DVD movies.
Speaker drivers
Woofers and tweeters drive your speakers. Look at woofer size when comparing floor-standing speakers and bookshelf speakers. Five-inch woofers can produce some bass while 8-inch and larger woofers give you agood amount of bass response. Expect price to increase and performance to improve with more drivers.
* Full-range speakers: Less expensive full-range speakers feed an entire audio signal into an unspecialized driver.
* One-way speakers: Entry-level one-way speakers have a woofer.
* Two-way speakers: Two-way speakers with a woofer and tweeter typically outperform one-way speakers.
* Three-way speakers: Three-way speakers with a woofer, tweeter, and midrange typically sound better than two-way speakers. Speakers with multiple woofers or midranges are also considered three-way.
Connectivity
Look for speakers with binding posts instead of the spring clips found on entry-level speakers. Some high-end speakers have two sets of female connectors, one for a tweeter and the other for a woofer. This type of biwiring may produce better speaker sound with higher bass definition, but new-to-intermediate users probably won't need it.
Speaker power-handling
Different speaker manufacturers use different power-handling specifications. Only compare power-handling ratings when looking at speakers from the same manufacturer to find out if one speaker model can handle more power than another.
* Peak speaker power: Indicates how much power a speaker can handle in short bursts.
* RMS capacity: Indicates how much constant power a speaker can handle over a long period of time.
* Minimum recommended power: Indicates the minimum amount of power needed to efficiently drive your speakers. It tells you if a set of speakers will work with your amplifier. If your amplifier can only provide the minimum amount of power your speakers need, the resulting distortion sounds bad and can damage your speakers.
Speaker sensitivity
More efficient speakers require less power to reach a specific volume. For example, in order to produce sound at a specific volume, a speaker with a sensitivity rating of 3 decibels greater than another requires half the power. Sensitivity above 90 decibels is good, sensitivity between 88 decibels and 90 decibels is average, and sensitivity below 85 decibels can push your amp.
Frequency response
Manufacturers list the high- and low-frequency limits of a speaker as a range, usually indicating that it won't deviate more than a few decibels from perfect, flat response. For example, 30 Hertz to 20 kilohertz, +/-3 decibels. A low-frequency limit below 30 Hertz offers intense bass sound, perfect for sci-fi and action movies, but 40 Hertz will work fine for most people. The low range should be no greater than 50 Hertz. (The average range of human hearing is 20 Hertz to 20 kilohertz [20,000 Hertz].) The more speakers deviate from flat response, the less accurate their sound reproduction.
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