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Q:
What's the difference between a subwoofer/satellite system
and a conventional speaker system?
A: A subwoofer/satellite system is a room-friendly,
space-efficient alternative to the conventional stereo speaker
system. Sub/sat systems use small enclosures for the tweeters
and midranges, and a separate, specially designed box to house
the subwoofer.
Subwoofer/satellite systems are very popular because they
save space, blend into the room's decor, and offer full, rich
sound. The bass module can be placed almost anywhere because
it produces only low, non-directional bass frequencies.
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Q:
Can I hook up a powered subwoofer if my receiver doesn't have
a subwoofer output?
A: Absolutely. Most powered subwoofers have
speaker-level connections for use with virtually any receiver.
Just run one set of speaker cables from your receiver's main
left and right speaker outputs to the subwoofer, then another
from the subwoofer to your main left and right speakers (you'll
need an extra pair of speaker cables).
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Q:
If I buy a set of large floor-standing speakers, will I still
need a powered subwoofer? What about speakers with their own
built-in powered subs?
A: The answer to the first question is going
to depend on individual taste. If your main interest is home
theater, and you enjoy re-creating the body-slamming bass
that you experience in the movie theater, it's difficult to
achieve without a powered subwoofer. Also, a powered subwoofer
gives you many more placement options.
A pair of floor-standing speakers
with built-in powered subwoofers will usually deliver plenty
of deep, room-filling bass.
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Q:
Can a pair of smaller speakers and a powered sub really sound
as good as a pair of larger speakers?
A: Definitely. In fact, there are some folks
who prefer a bookshelf/sub system to tower speakers. You must
be sure to choose bookshelf speakers and a subwoofer that
blend well together, and you may need to tweak the crossover
to get the ideal sound. But a bookshelf/sub system can deliver
impressive, full-range sound without taking up too much space
in your home.
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Q:
What should I know about my speakers' impedance?
A: A speaker's impedance rating refers to
the amount of electrical resistance it presents against current
flowing from your amplifier or receiver's powered outputs.
Though impedance actually fluctuates as the speaker reproduces
different frequencies, manufacturers usually publish a single,
average figure, known as nominal impedance.
Most home speakers have a nominal
impedance rating of 8 ohms; likewise, practically all home
A/V receivers are designed to be stable when pushing an 8-ohm
load. There are a number of higher-end receivers that are
capable of handling a 4-ohm load (if you're not sure about
your receiver, check the specs in your owner's manual). Speakers
with significantly lower impedance (4 ohms or less) may cause
problems with 8-ohm receivers by asking them to deliver more
current than they are capable of producing.
When you drop from an 8-ohm to a 4-ohm
load, you cut the electrical resistance in half, which usually
causes your receiver to increase its total power output. Some
people are tempted to mate their 8-ohm receivers with 4-ohm
speakers, in order to get more wattage. It's wise to avoid
this temptation, since it can lead to greater distortion,
and cause the receiver to run hot or activate its protection
circuitry.
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Q:
Can I use my receiver's "B" speaker connections
for surround speakers?
A: Definitely not. Your receiver's "B"
speaker outputs provide the exact same stereo signal as its
"A" speaker outputs. (The "B" speaker
outputs are useful for connecting a second pair of stereo
speakers for some other area in or around the house.)
Surround sound, on the other hand, consists of multiple audio
channels which carry different portions of a soundtrack. These
channels must be decoded by a multichannel surround sound
processor.
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Q:
What surround speakers should I get for my home theater system?
Do I need special speakers?
A: Surround speakers are responsible for creating wide, diffuse
effects around you (rainfall, for example), while occasionally
giving directionality to distinct sounds (like jet fighters
passing overhead). You do not need special speakers for your
surrounds, but with Dolby® Digital systems, surround information
is in full-bandwidth stereo, so it's important to go with
surrounds that have enough punch to handle the job.
While most people use regular speakers
as their surrounds, some use special speakers designed specifically
for surround sound known as "Dipole/Bipole" or "Solid/Diffuse."
Each of these speakers has two sets of drivers, with a switch
that lets you select dipole mode (out of phase) or bipole
mode (in phase). If you're mounting the speakers on the side
walls in line with your listening position, the dipole mode
will create a diffuse, ambient soundfield. If you're placing
them behind your position, the bipole mode fires the drivers
in phase to flood your room with surround sound.
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Dipole mode creates
a diffuse, ambient soundfield when
the speakers are placed on the side walls. |
Bipole mode fills
your room with surround sound when the speakers are
placed on the rear wall. |
And remember, it's vital that your
speakers work well together in a home theater setup. If all
your speakers are voice-matched, you will experience a seamless
surround sound effect. Sounds will move smoothly around your
living room just like they do in a movie theater. If your
budget and cosmetic preferences allow, try to go with surround
speakers from the same "family" as your front speakers.
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Q:
My receiver puts out 100 watts per channel — should I get
a speaker with the same power rating?
A: Unless you plan to run your speakers at
extremely high volume levels, there is no need to worry if
they're rated to handle less power than your receiver delivers.
The power rating most manufacturers assign to a speaker is
the amount of continuous (RMS) power the speaker can absorb
without damage.
Receivers and amplifiers are also
usually rated for continuous power, so as long as the ratings
are fairly close, you shouldn't encounter any power-handling
problems. Actually, an amp or receiver with a high power rating
is often safer for speakers than one with a low power rating.
A low-powered model may "clip" and produce distortion
at high volume levels, which is a common cause of tweeter
damage.
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Q:
Can I use my TV's speakers for the center channel in my home
theater?
A: Well, yes, as long as your TV has separate
audio/video inputs, and your receiver has a preamp-level center
channel output. However, we don't recommend this approach.
In Dolby® Pro Logic® and Dolby Digital
soundtracks, nearly all the dialogue and on-screen sound effects
come through the center channel. So you want an accurate speaker
that's capable of reproducing a full-range of frequencies.
You'll add to the realism of your
system if you choose a speaker that matches well with your
left and right speakers. Otherwise, you may hear a distractingly
audible "hand off" as the sound moves between your
front three speakers. Most speaker companies offer center
speakers that are voice-matched to blend in well with their
other models.
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Q:
What is the difference between a 2-way and a 3-way speaker?
A: A 2-way speaker's crossover splits the
frequency band into two ranges: bass frequencies go to the
woofer, and treble frequencies go to the tweeter. In a 3-way
system, the frequency band is divided into three ranges. The
middle frequencies are sent to a third driver commonly referred
to as the midrange.
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Q:
What does a speaker's sensitivity rating tell me, and why
is it important?
A: A speaker's sensitivity rating (sometimes
called efficiency) tells you how effectively the speaker converts
power into sound. The higher the number, the more efficient
the speaker, and the louder the sound it creates with a given
input signal.
An efficient speaker helps you maximize
your available wattage. Believe it or not, a 3 dB increase
in speaker sensitivity produces the same audible increase
in volume as doubling your amplifier power. So when you're
shopping for speakers, it always pays to check the sensitivity
spec — especially if you have a lower-powered receiver or
amp.
It's a common myth that larger speakers
require tons of power and smaller speakers can get by with
minimal wattage. In fact, the reverse may be true — some of
the smallest speakers we sell are actually pretty power hungry,
while larger speakers can be quite efficient.
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Q:
Does "bass reflex" mean a speaker puts out a lot
of bass?
A: Not exactly. Unlike an acoustic suspension
speaker that uses a completely sealed, airtight enclosure,
a bass reflex speaker includes a tuned port hole in the cabinet
to produce more bass output in a specific frequency range.
Bass reflex speakers are highly efficient, and will usually
play louder than acoustic suspension speakers when driven
with the same amount of amplifier power. However, they may
sacrifice some bass accuracy in exchange for the added bass
output.
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Q:
How do I know if I should use speaker stands? If so, which
size? And what exactly will spikes do for me?
A: Because midrange and treble frequencies
are very directional, your speakers will sound their best
when your ears are at the same height as the tweeter. Floor-standing
speakers are designed to be used without speaker stands, but
small- to medium-sized speakers will most likely need stands
to raise the tweeters to ear level.
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You'll experience better
directional accuracy and hear more treble when your speakers'
tweeters are at ear-level. Small- or medium-sized speakers
may require stands to raise the tweeters to the optimum
height. |
It's worth taking the time to measure
to determine what size stand will work best with your speakers.
If you have a carpeted floor, and
your speakers or speaker stands accept spikes on the bottom,
installing them may improve your sound. Spikes often "tighten
up" bass response by reducing sound-muddying vibrations.
Spikes also provide greater stability on carpeted floors.
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Q:
I've never heard these speakers before — what happens if I
don't like them?
A: If you're not fully satisfied with your
new speakers, you can return them within 30 days and try a
different pair, or get a refund. That's the beauty of our
return policy.
You can choose to audition the speakers
in a local store before you order them, but keep in mind that
you still won't know how they're going to sound in your home.
The size and shape of your listening room, the placement of
furniture, rugs, and draperies, and your other A/V components
all play a major role in determining how your speakers will
ultimately sound.
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Q:
Where in the room should I put my subwoofer?
A: The best answer is to experiment. You
can start by placing your subwoofer in a corner reasonably
close to either your listening/viewing position or the front
speakers — the surrounding walls will automatically boost
low-frequency output. Many audio/video enthusiasts are very
satisfied with this solution.
Another technique is to temporarily place the subwoofer in
your listening spot, play some music, walk around the room,
and listen. The spot that sounds best is where you should
put the subwoofer.
The best answer is to experiment. You can start by placing
your subwoofer in a corner reasonably close to either your
listening/viewing position or the front speakers — the surrounding
walls will automatically boost low-frequency output. Many
audio/video enthusiasts are very satisfied with this solution.
Another technique is to temporarily
place the subwoofer in your listening spot, play some music,
walk around the room, and listen. The spot that sounds best
is where you should put the subwoofer.
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Q:
I've heard that to get the best sound from my speakers, they
need to be "in phase" when I hook them up. What
does that mean?
A: When your stereo speakers are connected
in phase, the drivers of the left and right speaker move in
and out at the same time. When they're out of phase, the drivers
of the left speaker move in, while those of the right move
out. If your speakers have removable grilles, you can pop
them off and actually see this.
Stereo speakers should always be connected
in phase. Out-of-phase speakers sound "not quite right"
— imaging is vague and there isn't as much bass.
To hook up your speakers in phase,
just make sure that your positive receiver (or amplifier)
terminals are connected to the positive speaker terminals,
and your negative receiver terminals are connected to your
negative speaker terminals.
It helps to pay attention to the markings on the wire — look
for print, a stripe, or a rib that may be molded into the
wire's jacket. If you find that your speakers are out of phase,
don't worry, it's easy to fix. Just switch the positive and
negative leads at one of your speakers (not both).
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