There are many different types of speakers you can choose for your home theater, media room, outdoor areas or other rooms in your home or your business. In order to choose the correct type of speakers it is important to know what the choices are available.
Following are the different types as well as their pros and cons.
In Room Box/Cabinet Speakers
These types of speakers are designed to perform in a specific and predictable way. The enclosure, or box, design is as important as the speakers that go into it. A properly designed and constructed enclosure can reproduce audio in a controlled and predictable way.
Pro- High Quality, very predictable acoustic characteristics, aesthetically pleasing (to some)
Con- Aesthetics-some people want a clean, unobstructed look and do not want to see speakers.
In Ceiling/ In Wall Speakers
These types of speakers are designed to be mounted in the wall or ceiling. In a new construction project, the speaker locations will have mounting brackets attached to studs or joists
Pros -Almost hidden, cleaner overall look of the home or business – all the wiring is hidden where they are to be located. The drywall or other wall material will be cut out around the bracket by the wall installers, and the speakers can then be mounted into the bracket. In a retrofit application, the installer will find a suitable location and cut out the hole for the speaker to be placed. The speaker will have some type of “ears” that pop out and secure the speaker to the wall/ceiling material.
Con -Sound quality can be less than an in room or box speaker
On Wall Speaker
These are very similar to in-room speakers. The difference is that the design is compromised in order to make the enclosure smaller and fit into the format of fitting around a TV. They have mounting hardware to attach them to the wall. These are speakers mounted on walls that are similar to in room speakers
Pro- Predictable acoustic properties
Con- Some people so not like the look of speakers surrounding the TV. Acoustical characteristics can be compromised to fit the form of the enclosure.
Outdoor Speakers
Outdoor Speakers are designed and built to withstand the elements and can be placed outdoors. There are many variations to these types of speakers. They are made to look like rocks or planters, or can be wall/ceiling surface mounted.
Pros- Designed and built to withstand weather. You can blend or hide within the décor of your landscaping Examples include rock, planter, or
on wall
Sub Woofer Speakers
Pro- Adds low frequency energy to the program (music, spoken word, TV, etc)
Now that you have an overview of the different types of speakers available how do you choose the best on for your application?
The other factor that needs to be considered prior to purchasing is level of detail, power handling, and sound levels of the speakers, as well as your level of expected performance. Even 2 speakers that are the same type and generally appear the same can have drastically different sound quality. The primary differences include the components used to construct the speakers which have a major impact on the level of sound detail you can hear, and power handling capabilities.
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