Choosing a good loudspeaker is pretty much the same as choosing a good woman. Obviously, they come in all shapes and sizes, and you want the model that's perfect for you. Looking for a speaker that's rich, or perhaps a woman with a wood-grain finish? Don't forget to consider the size of the woofers (or whether, in fact, they are tweeters).

Overall, measurements are extremely important. I like a woman who's about the same size as me. We can economize by sharing clothes and shoes. On the other hand, you might want a woman who's much bigger than you, so she can carry you to safety during floods.

A speaker's technical measurements are a different matter, and trickier. Let's consider these individually:

• Frequency response. This shows the lowest and highest reproduced frequencies and, more important, the variations in between. A spec such as "20 Hz to 20 kHz" is useless without the ± tolerance. Flat is best, but don't fret about narrow peaks and dips; the ear is amazingly slack at hearing those. But do worry about broad frequency variations and rolloffs. Also check that the combined frequency responses of the subwoofer and the satellites dovetail smoothly.

• Sensitivity. Speakers, like women, are indeed sensitive. A sensitivity rating (in dB) reflects how efficiently a speaker converts an amplifier's electrical energy into sound energy. For a given amp output, a speaker with higher sensitivity will produce louder sound. That's important if your amp is low-power. Higher sensitivity doesn't mean higher sound quality, but for a big room, you'll need loud speakers, literally.

• Impedance. This is the electrical "load" that the speaker presents to the amplifier. The speaker's impedance (for example, 8 ohms) should match the amp's capabilities. A low-impedance speaker can draw more power from an amplifier than a high-impedance model, but if a speaker's impedance is too low, it may damage the amp or cause it to shut down to protect itself.

• Power handling. This is the wattage a speaker can accommodate before extreme distortion or damage might occur. You can use a higher-power amplifier, but don't crank it up too much!

• Dispersion. Check the speaker's coverage pattern, or dispersion, both horizontally and vertically. Good speakers can produce sound that is consistent over a wide area. (For example, the center-channel speaker should create a wide sweet spot for good dialogue intelligibility.) If you want a huge ambient sound field, choose dipole surround speakers, not direct radiators. When dispersion is measured as a "Q" value, the lower the value, the wider the coverage angle.

Of course, there are other criteria to consider. When it comes to the subwoofer, for example, think big. A sub with a large cone (a 12-incher is nice) and high amplifier power (maybe 300 watts) is required to rock your neighbor's world.

But in the end, you'll still have to just listen. If you're patient, and a good listener, you'll find the speaker that's perfect for you. Same thing goes for finding the perfect woman.

See an update on last month’s CableCARD column

Reality Bytes Home
Back to Homepage
What's New on S&V