¿Los altavoces caros son mejores y valen la pena?

Entonces, si eres como yo y te consideras un verdadero audiófilo, podrías pensar que es aceptable gastar mucho dinero en un buen par de parlantes.

Sin embargo, cuando miraba los precios, comencé a preguntarme si los altavoces caros valían la pena.

¿Los altavoces caros son mejores y valen la pena?

Entonces, ¿son mejores los altavoces caros? Por lo general, los parlantes costosos funcionarán mejor que los parlantes económicos, especialmente si buscas la mejor calidad de audio. Sin embargo, es más importante asegurarse de que los altavoces hagan lo que necesita, en lugar de centrarse en el precio.

Mira:

El problema es que cuando se trata de decidir si los altavoces caros son mejores, terminas usando un término muy subjetivo.

Caro para una persona puede no serlo para otra. Creo que es mejor asegurarse de que los oradores hagan lo que usted necesita que hagan y que aún esté trabajando dentro del presupuesto.

El resto de este artículo le brinda más información sobre qué buscar en los buenos altavoces y algunos consejos para encontrar el mejor para sus necesidades.

Qué buscar en buenos altavoces

Como mencioné, costoso es un término subjetivo, pero a los fines de este artículo, lo definiremos como una cantidad que es más de lo que pagaría generalmente por un equipo similar.

Al mismo tiempo, la calidad es subjetiva, ya que un juego de altavoces puede ser fantástico para jugar o ver películas, pero no muy bueno para escuchar música.

Sin embargo, la calidad se puede medir utilizando términos objetivos. Hay ciertas cosas que debe buscar en un buen conjunto de altavoces que los definen como de buena calidad, que incluyen:

Bajos profundos

Si sus altavoces previstos tienen un subwoofer o no, es irrelevante. Consulte mis principales recomendaciones de subwoofers para todos los presupuestos en función de pruebas reales en entornos domésticos realistas. De cualquier manera, debe esperar graves profundos que se noten a cualquier volumen.

Borrar agudos

Los agudos son el extremo superior del espectro de ondas de sonido, y un buen conjunto de parlantes debería continuar brindando agudos claros independientemente del volumen.

Sonoridad

Los parlantes de alta calidad deben tener poca o ninguna distorsión de sonido cuando los subes al máximo.

Los altavoces de baja calidad comenzarán a distorsionarse y vibrar cuando suenen demasiado, y esto debería ser una indicación de bajo rendimiento.

Sensibilidad

Los altavoces de buena calidad generalmente deberían ser más sensibles que los altavoces de mala calidad. La sensibilidad se refiere a cuánta potencia necesita el conjunto de altavoces para producir sonido, por lo que los altavoces más sensibles requieren menos potencia para producir el mismo volumen.

Decibelios

La sensibilidad de los parlantes se mide en decibeles de nivel de presión de sonido por cada vatio de potencia del amplificador, generalmente medido a 1 m de distancia de los parlantes. Todo esto suena muy confuso (y lo es), pero todo lo que necesita saber es que los buenos altavoces estarán entre 85 y 91 dB , y nada menos que esto no vale la pena mirarlo.

Estos son algunos puntos generales a tener en cuenta al elegir un conjunto de altavoces. Muchos de estos pueden probarse simplemente escuchando los parlantes, aunque obviamente esto no es algo que pueda probar antes de comprarlos.

Otro consejo útil, especialmente si está comprando en línea, es leer las reseñas de los usuarios. Los foros son un buen lugar para este tipo de información, ya que a muchos audiófilos les gusta compartir sus experiencias para ayudar a otros.

Si estas cifras no fueron suficientes para ayudarlo a tomar una decisión, o desea estar muy bien informado antes de partir, aquí hay algunas cosas más que debe buscar:

Impedancia

La impedancia del altavoz es la medida de cuánta potencia necesitará un altavoz para funcionar y se mide en ohmios. 8 ohmios es una medida bastante estándar y sin duda hará el trabajo.

También puede obtener altavoces que funcionen a 4 ohmios, pero estos son mucho más caros y necesitará un amplificador mucho mejor para usarlos en todo su potencial.

Distorsión armónica total

Esta es la cifra que mide la precisión con la que los altavoces reproducen el sonido de una fuente de audio. Debe buscar números bajos aquí al elegir altavoces de buena calidad, y debe esperar ver entre 0,05% y 0,08% .

Espacio libre

Esto mide el tipo de volumen que los altavoces pueden emitir en ráfagas cortas, por ejemplo, picos de sonido mientras mira una película. Si desea esto, busque altavoces con un gran espacio libre.

Puede usar una combinación (o todas) de estas cifras para decidir si un conjunto de altavoces es de buena calidad. As I mentioned, the most important thing is to make sure they do what you need them to, and this should be more important than the price or objective quality.

For example, a cheaper set of speakers might be perfect for gaming, but would be useless for music. Pay attention to your priorities to narrow down your search, and then bring in objective measures to make your choice.

Now that you have a sense of what to look for, follow the advice in the video below on speaker selection.

How To Select The Right SpeakersWatch this video on YouTube.

Do Different Audio Tracks Make The Same Demands On Speakers?

Realistically, sound waves are sound waves, and so one set of speakers should be appropriate for all jobs. However, this isn’t actually the case due to the different demands audio will put on the speakers.

I looked into this because I mainly wanted to use my speakers for music, but also wanted ones that performed well when watching films.

So, in a nutshell, sound waves come in a wide range of frequencies. Music, as a general rule, contains a much wider range of frequencies than a film’s audio track would, but conversely you typically won’t find many lower frequency tones in music tracks.

Sure, songs will have bass in them, but unless you’re listening to church pipe organs, you won’t be going that low.

On the flipside to this is film audio. Special effects will tend to use much lower frequencies than music, and need to do so at much higher volume.

If you think back to the last explosion you saw in a cinema and remember how deep and resonant that bass was, then you’ll understand what I mean.

The other thing to bear in mind is that the dynamic range, which is the difference between the ends of the volume spectrum, and the frequency range, which is the range between bass and treble, are both generally much larger in films.

Music stays within a reasonably confined range of both frequency and dynamics, whereas there’s much more scope in a film.

So, what does this mean for you when it comes to choosing a set of speakers? Basically, it means that if you want to watch films and have good quality audio, make this your priority. A set of speakers that has the range needed for good audio quality will have absolutely no problem keeping up with any music you play through them.

You obviously need to make sure that the speakers are also capable of handling dialogue, which means they need to be very clear, regardless of the volume.

Also, all speakers should have a subwoofer installed somewhere (whether this is integrated or separate doesn’t matter), otherwise they won’t be able to handle the bass needed for either films or music.

Does The Size Of Speakers Make A Difference?

One of the things I noticed when researching different speakers is that there’s a growing market for very compact speakers, both in stereo and surround sound systems.

When it comes to a home theater setup, you might be thinking smaller is better, simply because it can offer a cleaner and less cluttered look.

However, when it comes to speakers, size does tend to matter. Bigger speakers will generally be more powerful, and capable of putting out louder audio.

Also, bigger speakers give manufacturers more room to include bigger, and often better, parts. They also tend to put out better and deeper bass, and can do so at pretty much any volume. You should also find that proportionately, large, high quality speakers will be cheaper than small ones.

That said, you can still get compact speakers that pack a punch, but they will be much more expensive. Some high-end models can really deliver excellent bass and do so at very high volumes, but these are usually top of the line speakers, and will be outside most people’s price range.

You should also bear in mind the size of your room. Large speakers will do a much better job at filling a big room, and you’d probably find that small speakers wouldn’t be capable of delivering the volume and bass needed.

The reverse isn’t true in small rooms though, and if you’ve got the space, stick with larger speakers. You’ll have better sound and will probably be able to go much louder than necessary.

Surround Sound Vs. Stereo, Which Is Better?

When it comes to picking the right speaker system for your home theater, the type you choose will have a big impact on the price you can expect to pay.

Remember, more expensive isn’t always better, but there will be quality increases with price increases. As a general rule, surround sound systems will be more expensive simply because they have more speakers.

Choosing the right speaker system for your home theater should be one of the most important decisions you make, and you should ideally build the rest of your setup around this decision. So which is better, surround sound or stereo?

Stereo

• Stereo speakers are the typical and most common choice, and come in pairs (this is where the stereo part comes in).
• Stereo speakers divide sound into two channels, which are generally labeled as left and right.
• All music tracks are recorded in stereo, so this is their default output. Music can be played through surround sound, but it obviously doesn’t use all the speakers.
• What does this mean for you? If your home theater is mainly going to be a music listening station, stick with stereo. You won’t get full use out of a surround sound system.
• Stereo is also fine for films because it’s the standard audio track for these too. So if you just want a good set of speakers that don’t break the bank, stick with stereo.
• Stereo speakers can also be paired with a separate subwoofer to make them a 2.1 channel system. This is still recognized as stereo, so won’t have any impact on your music (apart from making the bass much deeper).

Surround Sound

• • Surround sound systems typically come in 5.1 and 7.1 channel systems. This refers to the amount of speakers (5 and 7 respectively) that are connected to the system. The .1 refers to the subwoofer.
  • These are the best choice if you want a home theater that prioritizes films over everything else.
  • Many film audio tracks offer surround sound (particularly Blu-Ray, which may even give you several options).
  • Surround sound systems can still play stereo tracks, but the audio will only come from the two main speakers, and the rest will remain inactive.

• Surround sound is generally more expensive, but you’re paying for the extra equipment.

The main takeaway from this is that surround sound is great for films, but will still only play music in audio. So if you want a music heavy home theater, go with stereo. If not, go for surround sound.

Tips For Getting The Most Out Of Your Speakers

Hopefully I’ve made it clear that price isn’t always the thing to look at, and that while quality and price are both subjective, there are some things to look for when choosing speakers.

You might decide to spend that little bit extra on some speakers to make sure you’re getting as much as possible from your audio. However, they won’t be worth the investment if you cut corners elsewhere, so here are some helpful tips for getting the most out of your speakers.

1. Don’t scrimp on audio cables

You’re probably going to need to connect things up to your system, and for this you might need to buy some wires. If this is the case, make sure you don’t cut corners.

Poor quality wires will lead to loss of sound quality, and might not be able to keep up with the demands your speakers are making on them.

You ideally should look for wires with the best conductivity. The best metals for this are copper, silver, and gold. They might cost a bit more, but it’s definitely worth the investment to get the most from your speakers.

2. Room acoustics are everything

Why spend hundreds (maybe even thousands) on a good speaker system, only for the sound waves to bounce around the room?

Hardwood floors are one of the worst culprits for reflecting sound waves, and should generally be avoided in home theaters.

If you can’t do much about this, lay down a rug to help absorb sound better. You can also buy acoustic panels to help deal with reflection issues.

Read my article on acoustic panels

3. Nothing should sit in front of the speakers

This should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway:nothing should block the speakers. There should be a clear path between the speaker and your sitting area, so if this isn’t the case, make it so.

While it might not have a noticeable effect on volume, it can massively impact clarity, making your expensive speakers essentially worth it.

Read my article on which way a subwoofer should face

4. Be very careful with your speaker placement

This point basically follows up from the previous two points, and is the most important. Speaker placement is crucial, and should provide appropriate coverage for the whole room. If you notice any quiet spots, reposition and try again, or add more speakers.

There’s no real correct placement for speakers in terms of layout, but you should always aim for balance. For example, if you have 2 speakers, make sure they’re equal distances away from your seating area.

The same is true for 5 and 7 channel systems, but these require a bit more work. All rooms are different, so trial and error is your friend here.

5. But also be careful with your seating placement

You’ve probably noticed that I consider setting up a home theater to be a military exercise, but it is. Everything needs to be carefully positioned to get the most out of the potentially expensive equipment. Seating is important here too, as you need to be able to enjoy your home theater.

The most important rule is don’t place your seating in the middle of the room if using a single subwoofer. There will be a massive bass void directly in front of the sub, meaning you’re missing out on the best bit.

Either position your seating slightly off center, or install 2 subwoofers to compensate for audio gaps.

Final Thoughts On Expensive Speakers

When it comes to speakers, expensive isn’t always better, but you will generally get better performance from higher end equipment.

While there are objective measurements you can use to test a speaker’s quality, it’s much more important to ensure they do what you need them to.

There’s little point in getting a set of speakers that are fine for music, but can’t keep up with the demands of film audio. After all, don’t you want to get your money’s worth from those expensive speakers?