There are many types of speakers, but most will be categorized as two-way (meaning they contain a woofer for low sounds and a tweeter for the high ones) or a three-way (with a woofer, tweeter and midrange driver—the latter for midrange sounds). A three-way speaker is not necessarily better than a two-way model, especially if it is comparably priced. More-expensive drivers tend to produce better sound, but the best judge is your own ear.

There are also electrostatic and planar (or ribbon) speakers that use an electrically charged membrane or ribbon to produce high and midrange sounds. These are often paired with traditional woofer drivers for what is termed a “hybrid” speaker.

Floorstanding speakers, also known as freestanding, cabinet or box speakers, are the traditional type of speaker with two or more speaker drivers built into a cabinet. These are still considered the best for sound quality and are frequently used for the front channels of a home theater system. Many newer models are quite attractive and may even appear as sculptural art. Some come with wood, painted or custom finishes. Attractive “tower” speakers fit into this category as well.

Bookshelf speakers can be thought of as small freestanding speakers that are about the size their name suggests. Many can produce big sound for their small size and are great for fitting on shelves, in soffits or behind fabric grilles in cabinets.

In-wall speakers fit inside a wall, with only their flush-mounted grilles visible. The grilles can often be painted to match your room decor. They can be used for front and surround channels and are good for multiroom audio as well. If you have the budget, seek those with back boxes (or enclosures) that surround the sides and back of the speaker driver to produce a better sound and prevent noise from leaking into adjacent rooms. Also seek dampening properties so the entire section of wall won’t vibrate with the speaker. Some in-wall speakers can actually be plastered or wallpapered over to be completely invisible, but there will be some sound compromise in such cases.

In-ceiling speakers fit into a ceiling with only their flush-mounted grilles visible. Whereas in-wall speakers have rectangular grilles, in-ceiling speakers generally have round grilles to complement recessed lighting cans and other ceiling fixtures. They are best used for the side- and rear-surround channels, but many people are using them for all the speakers in their home theaters. In-ceiling speakers are more limited in their sound quality, due to the smaller space for the drivers. Look for those with pivoting tweeters or drivers than can direct sound to certain areas.

On-wall speakers actually hang on the wall or are mounted with posts. Some are flat-panel speakers that are designed to hang next to a plasma or LCD screen. Be aware that thin or small speakers, by the nature of their size, may not be able to deliver sound as well as freestanding or other types of speakers.

Subwoofers provide the “bang” of home theater by relaying low sounds for special effects in movies and the bass in a lot of music. If you want to enjoy the full effect of movie soundtracks, get one. They can be positioned almost anywhere in a room and are often large, boxy things containing one large woofer measuring 10 inches or larger. Thinner in-wall and in-floor subwoofers are available as well.

Here’s Some Sound Advice

• Try to get all the same speakers for the front and surround channels in your home theater. These will complement one an other to create a uniform sound (also called timbre matching). Failing that, try to get all the speakers from the same line or the same manufacturer. If you use a different line or manufacturer, have your electronics guy check to be sure the speakers complement one another’s sound.
• The center channel is the most important speaker in a home theater setup because it delivers all of the dialogue and at least 70 percent of all sounds in a movie. Try not to get one that receives less power or has a more limited range (called a frequency range or frequency response) than your other speakers.
• Loud is easy. Your sound system should also be able to relay quiet moments in a movie or music selection with clarity and grace and without any extra noises, hums or distortions.
• Power isn’t the most important thing. Check a speaker’s sensitivity ratings, which are expressed in decibels (dB). This measures the responsiveness to low power and should usually be about 87 to 93 dB—the higher the better. An increase of 3 dB is roughly equal to doubling the power.
• Get good speaker and audio cables. Speaker cables should be 14 gauge or lower—the lower the better.

By Steven Castle, senior editor for Electronic House magazine. To see more articles from the editors of Electronic House magazine about the connected home visit www.electronichouse.com.

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The Best Hi-Fi Experience
Upstanding Sound