Home Audio Speakers

Sound, also perceived as the sense of hearing, is an integral part of our lives. Without the ability to hear or reproduce sound we are not complete. Sound is the vibrations that travel through air and can be sensed by our ears. Thus it is a medium of communication. It is used to gather information and knowledge about properties of the environment surrounding us. Sound can travel through air, water, and solids. These help sound waves travel and are known as medium. In normal conditions, human can hear a varied frequency range. But, sometimes we need to amplify the sound output for better quality of hearing. This requires the help of speakers.

Speakers are devices, which convert electromagnetic signals into sound vibrations. Thus speakers are machines that enable us to hear sounds, which have their origin somewhere else. Speakers, also termed as loudspeakers are attached to an audio system, which provides the electromagnetic signals that are then reproduced in the wavelength, which humans can decipher. The loudspeaker is the most variable element in an audio system, and is responsible for marked audible differences between systems.

Home audio systems have come a long way since their inception as just another loudspeaker system. They have become a part and parcel of our every day lives. Today, many versions of home audio systems have evolved into our homes. Technological enhancements have made sure that we can take our audio or sound system wherever we go. As speaker systems are the most important part in the output of sound, they have evolved greatly. Many versions of speaker systems are available in the market today. Depending upon your choice of price and your perception of quality, you can opt for the one that best caters to your requirements.

Speakers are an integral part of any audio system, be it a simple radio or a home theatre system. Home audio speakers are generally multi-drive systems, i.e. they contain two or more drive units. These include woofers, midranges, tweeters, and sometimes horns or super tweeters. A home theatre system is complete only if all the above mentioned add-ons are attached with it to give a theatre-like sound experience. In home audio speaker specifications, the speakers are classified as "N-way" speakers. It indicates the number of bands of different frequency into which the system divides the sound. A 2-way system consists of woofers and tweeters, a 3-way system consists of mid-range speakers with a combination of woofers and tweeters. It depends upon person to person; rather there exists different perceptions towards the quality of sound and thus the drives in a speaker.

If and when you decide upon purchasing a home audio speaker system, you will be spoilt for choice. They come in various ranges of quality and pricing, thus you need to decide carefully what caters to your specific set of requirements. Good audio companies make available a host of choices for speaker systems that can gel with your audio systems. They also provide different designs and creations of speakers that fit into your décor. You can place your systems in such a way that it gives you the optimum output.

Author: Jeff Hyndman