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Home Tech: Speakers Matter (and Can Look Good, Too)
See why high style and high fidelity needn't be mutually exclusive
When we talk about home electronics, it's typically about TVs and home cinema. But there's so much more to the subject. Home audio is one of the most overlooked subjects. but rest assured — sound matters. Not everyone has a TV, and most TV viewers have a love/hate relationship with their screens. Audio lovers are not as conflicted, and for good reason: music soothes the soul.
Unfortunately in the arena of home design, speakers get a very bad rap. Clunky, ugly and trailing wires, speakers are relegated to cabinets or inside the walls, or left out altogether. This leaves homeowners out in the cold when it comes to the joys of rich, warm sound.
Unfortunately in the arena of home design, speakers get a very bad rap. Clunky, ugly and trailing wires, speakers are relegated to cabinets or inside the walls, or left out altogether. This leaves homeowners out in the cold when it comes to the joys of rich, warm sound.
We also have to add speakers to video systems. I've mentioned this in other posts but it bears repeating: TVs have gotten skinny, in part, by sacrificing the internal speakers. If the sound on that amazing HD TV is less than amazing, or even barely audible, that's why. Thankfully, companies are now manufacturing speakers expressly for flat-panel home-theater use. Slim, stylish and wall mountable, these beauties will deliver attractive audio on a variety of levels.
However, when it comes to true high fidelity, it's the two-channel system that reigns supreme. Home theater surround sound uses five or seven channels to deliver the cinematic range of sound to the sides and rear of the room. That means multiple speakers.
Music requires just the two traditional left and right speakers. It doesn't break up the components of the audio and distribute them to multiple devices. It keeps the sound together for a more nuanced listening experience.
Don't worry about speakers not being elegant; these are from Steinway Lyngdorf and come in the same classic finish as their pianos.
Music requires just the two traditional left and right speakers. It doesn't break up the components of the audio and distribute them to multiple devices. It keeps the sound together for a more nuanced listening experience.
Don't worry about speakers not being elegant; these are from Steinway Lyngdorf and come in the same classic finish as their pianos.
Bespoke Colours with Meridian Select - Meridian
Speakers can also cost as much as pianos. Quality loudspeakers can range from $1,000 to $200,000 each. There's a lot of engineering on the research side and components are made of metals, which makes them costly. Exterior options range from exotic hardwoods, hand-carved or custom ordered to glossy shellacked surfaces made with the same surfaces and lacquer finishes as a rare sports car.
Thiel Gibson
Some speakers are special for more reasons than the sound. This is the Limited Edition Les Paul Signature version of Thiel's CS3.7 loudspeaker. Thiel is known for its engineering prowess and these were designed by the late Jim Thiel and signed by Les Paul before his death. There are only 10 pairs in the world and they sound as good as the story they tell.
KEF Blade
Speakers may not be attractive to everyone, but it's often a matter of individual taste. Depending on the style of your home and layout of the room, a speaker can make as much of a statement as any piece of furniture can.
Bookshelf speakers are good options for those with smaller budgets or less available floor space. Compact enough to sit on a shelf, these still allow air to flow around the entire unit for better sound than many in-wall speakers.
Scandyna Pressroom
There are so many interesting styles to choose from that it's hard to resist mixing and matching these little guys all over the house. But remember, regardless of the style, pay attention to the fidelity. Listen to the speakers in a store, preferably with a music selection of your choice, and pay close attention to online reviews.
Quality audio adds something special to a home and the quality of the life led there. Don't forgo speakers because of design; there are plenty to match every aesthetic and budget.
More:
Style in Stereo: Fine Design for Your Media Center
Home Tech: Making a Media Console Work
Well-Styled Electronics
Quality audio adds something special to a home and the quality of the life led there. Don't forgo speakers because of design; there are plenty to match every aesthetic and budget.
More:
Style in Stereo: Fine Design for Your Media Center
Home Tech: Making a Media Console Work
Well-Styled Electronics
An audio lover I know once equated in wall speakers with hiring a quartet to play at a party, then putting them in a closet and closing the door. A slatted door, but still. Sound needs to travel. If it's only permitted to go through a small grill it won't sound as full and rich as it should. Much of it goes into the walls or gets trapped inside its own hidden box.
In-wall speakers are a luxury to be sure, and a welcome solution to the design challenge of what to do with speakers. But they aren't the best solution for achieving high fidelity. To get that, we have to take the speakers out of the walls and put them into the room.