Nowadays it is difficult to imagine a personal computer without speakers. Many are even surprised if the computer is without them. In this case, watching movies, listening to music and playing games is simply not possible. Therefore, when purchasing a computer, everyone tries to immediately buy all the necessary components, incl. columns.

It is worth noting that computer speakers do not produce high-quality sound. Therefore, for those who value high-quality sound while watching a movie or listening to music, it is recommended to immediately purchase stereo systems for a home theater. Computer speakers are more suitable for people for whom sound quality is not a priority. But even in this case, choosing good speakers is not an easy task. They must be small in size, suppress magnetic radiation, have special connectors and be compatible with the computer's sound card.

Types of computer speakers

There are active and passive speakers. Active speakers have a built-in amplifier. Passive speakers are used for laptops and require an amplifier and additional power. Passive speakers have poor sound and low cost. Therefore, they lose to active speakers that provide high-quality sound.

Columns are distinguished by configuration. In this case they can be 2.0, 2.1, 4.1, 5.1 and 7.1. The simplest speakers of modification 2.0. They have two speakers and no additional devices or amplifiers. Speakers from other modifications have more parts, as well as a subwoofer.

Speakers 2.0 and 2.1 are mid-priced and designed for listening to music, videos and games. They are quite sufficient for home or office use. May have one or more speakers. The 2.1 modification speakers have a subwoofer, which is responsible for outputting low frequencies, while the speakers are responsible for outputting high and medium frequencies. In this case, the sound becomes more voluminous and realistic.

5.1 and 7.1 speakers allow you to fully immerse yourself in the gameplay or watching a movie. They have multiple channels and the sound quality is much better than the two previous configurations. But here it is very important that the speakers match the sound card of the computer itself. 5.1 and 7.1 modification speakers allow you to create a home theater.

The 5.1 modification has two front, two rear, one center speaker and a subwoofer. Modification 7.1 resembles 5.1, but only supplemented with two more rear speakers.

What to look for when choosing speakers?

When choosing speakers, you should always pay attention to the material of manufacture. The sound quality largely depends on the material. Plastic speakers reduce sound quality and are cheap. From such speakers you can only expect rattling, poor sound reproduction and many other troubles. Wooden speakers, on the contrary, allow you to create high-quality sound and good acoustic properties. But here you may encounter the high cost of speakers. Solid wood speakers are produced only for professional use. For other cases, wood is replaced with chipboard, MDF and multi-layer plywood. Speakers made of any material should not have any holes, because they degrade the sound. The exception is the bass reflex, which has holes on the front side for bass playback.

But still, the material is not the main characteristic of high-quality sound. It is necessary to pay attention to speakers, amplifiers, filters, build quality and speaker system settings.

Before we begin to consider the technical characteristics that you need to pay attention to when choosing speakers, it is worth noting that many consider power and volume to be the same indicator. This is a misleading opinion. Power affects acoustics, and volume is related to sensitivity. Sound volume parameters should not be higher than 85 decibels.

Now let's talk more about the technical characteristics.

Power

There are two types of power - peak music power (P.M.R.O - Peak Music Power Output) and root mean square power (RMS - Root Mean Square). When choosing, you should pay attention to the second type of power. It characterizes the maximum power at which the speaker system can reproduce sounds for a long time without distortion or damage. With this power, comfortable and high-quality music reproduction occurs. Peak musical power can be several times higher than the second power.

For a computer that does not have special requirements and will be placed in an average-sized room, it is enough to have a power of 20-50 watts.

Speaker range frequency

This parameter refers to the frequency that the speakers are capable of reproducing. The ideal playback frequency is 20-20000 Hz, but they are only found in professional acoustic systems. In ordinary columns, the characteristics often indicate a frequency from 40 Hz to 18 kHz. In principle, this is enough for a person to normally perceive high-quality sound. If the frequency is lower or higher than the specified parameter, the sound will be accompanied by crackling, hissing, dip and distortion. In addition, it is worth considering that a cheap speaker system cannot have a frequency of 20-20,000 Hz. This is not true.

Sensitivity

This parameter, which directly affects the sound volume and indicates the level of sound reproduction at a distance of one meter at a power of 1 W. The indicator is measured in decibels. The optimal option is considered to be a sensitivity of 85-89 decibels.

If you purchase speakers that have different sensitivities, the best sound will come from the speaker with the higher sensitivity.

Number of lanes

This parameter characterizes the number of speakers. Single-way speaker systems have one speaker. A two-way speaker consists of two speakers, where one speaker reproduces low-frequency sounds, and the second one reproduces mid- and high-frequency sounds. Three-way speakers have three speakers. The first speaker produces low sounds, the second - mid-range sounds, and the third - high-pitched sounds.

There are speaker systems with more than three bands. In this case, the sounds are more colorful.

Size

For many, this parameter may not play a role during selection. But, if, after all, the speakers should not attract attention, then you should choose a size so that you can hide them. The best option is speakers measuring 10.4x16.5x15 cm. They can be hidden behind the computer.

Control

The control panel (basically the volume control) is located either on the subwoofer or on one of the speakers. On the column it can be on the side, front or back. It is best to control the speakers from a computer. Frequent use of the volume control leads to its erasure and failure.

Modern speakers have wired or remote controls

How to choose speakers?

When buying speakers, it's worth doing a little test. Turn on the speakers and gradually increase the volume. Stop at the moment when the sound begins to distort. Listen to the sound and determine if it is enough for you to listen to music, watch a movie or play games.

Additional functions

An excellent addition to the speakers would be the presence of a headphone output, a control panel, an information display, a function for playing radio or music from a memory card or flash drive.

Speaker Manufacturers

Speakers are produced by a fairly large number of companies. Therefore, we will focus on the most popular companies that are in demand among buyers.

Creative, Defender, Edifier, F&D, Logitech, Microlab and Sven companies produce high-quality speaker systems. The speakers are not cheap, but the sound quality is worth the money.

Cheaper options for speakers that are in demand among users are presented by A4Tech, Acme, Codegen, Gembird, Gemix, Genius. But, unfortunately, the sound is quite bad.

Acoustic systems for laptops are produced by A4Tech, Defender, Divoom, HQ-Tech, Jabra, Philips, Sanyoo, Sony, Speed-Link.

Price

The cost of the speakers depends on the modification. The cheapest speakers are modifications 2.0 and 2.1. They cost from $10 to $50. The 5.1 and 7.1 modification acoustic system costs over $70.

Where to buy speakers?

You can purchase speakers at an electronics store or online stores. But before you make a purchase, you should decide on the parameters that the speakers should have and the brand, and also not rush into the purchase.

How to use speakers?

Using the speakers is quite simple. First they need to be connected to the computer. After that, turn on the sound and adjust the volume. Next, choose your favorite music or movie and enjoy.

The sound quality of speakers largely depends on their design and design. Therefore, first we will consider the main types of speakers that are widely used in modern electro-acoustic devices. First of all, we note that the columns are divided into several types according to the type of box:

• ordinary, in a rectangular box (in the form of a parallelepiped);
• in a box with a cross-section in the form of a trapezoid or triangle (in general, with non-parallel walls);
• in a spherical or ellipsoidal body.

An ordinary box in the form of a parallelogram with right angles is the most common and cheapest type of acoustic design for speakers. Its main drawback is the noticeable manifestation of its own resonant phenomena, which creates unevenness in the frequency response and phase response of the speaker in the low frequency region and deteriorates the quality of sound reproduction in this band. To combat resonances, thick walls and special types of wood are used, which dramatically increases the cost of the speakers. Some companies make boxes from pressed marble chips, thick plywood with a bitumen coating, etc. For the same purpose, the inside walls of the column are covered with sound-absorbing materials - porous rubber, foam rubber, glass wool, etc. The joints of the boards are coated with special materials - even children's plasticine gives good results.

A very unpleasant phenomenon is the appearance of standing waves in a box, in which the maxima and minima of the oscillation amplitude seem to freeze in space. Any object in the housing (up to the conductor going to the speaker), falling into the antinode of the waves, can experience strong vibrations and lead to the appearance of loud unnecessary sounds. But, first of all, the speaker body itself and its parts - the front and rear panels, side covers - vibrate. To suppress standing waves, it is also useful to use sound-absorbing coatings and choose a rational box shape. Conventional rectangular cases are by no means the best in this sense.

Standing waves can form not only in the volume of the box, but also in the speaker diffuser. To suppress them, you have to carefully select materials for the diffuser. For example, the company B&W (Great Britain) uses a special fibrous material for this - Kevlar, which has transverse and longitudinal fibers woven like the straws of a basket. Kevlar diffusers do not produce standing waves because friction in the fibers effectively dampens them.

Some developers produce wideband sound units in which one or two high-frequency speakers are placed inside a massive woofer diffuser (coaxial arrangement). This eliminates the acoustic interaction of non-coaxial cones of radiation and, when aligning the initial phases of oscillations of the emitters, significantly increases the spatial purity of sound. But such a design can increase the influence of modulation and intermodulation distortion. Such speakers are often used for sound in car interiors, where Hi-Fi and even High-End pay great attention to the quality of sound reproduction.

Plastic cases are currently used only in cheap speakers that do not claim to be Hi-Fi class. Although there is no scientific reason to believe that special types of plastic will be worse than wood, music lovers argue that only from wooden speakers can you get a “live” reproduction of the sounds of a Stradivarius violin, soft and juicy bass of a double bass and sharp, but without any impurities sounds of percussion instruments. This may be true - wood has been used for centuries for the bodies of many musical instruments. The elasticity of the air mass in a small-sized housing leads to a noticeable increase in the resonant frequency of the woofers, which is difficult to obtain low without this. Filling a box with sound-absorbing materials (and spikes) is equivalent to increasing its volume by up to 30 percent. The bottom of the box or a special stand for it is important. The box of a high-power speaker system vibrates noticeably, and the transfer of these vibrations to the floor can dramatically change the sound of the low frequencies. It's even worse if it creates an audible rattling sound - which is not uncommon. Therefore, the bottom of the speaker box must be massive and have special sound-absorbing stands. There are a lot of special stands for speaker systems - including those that raise them to the height of human height - it is desirable to place the speakers at ear level.

Having dealt with the shape of the box, we note that the columns are divided into two more types:

• with a tightly closed housing;
• with a housing having bass reflex holes.

The closed type housing completely absorbs acoustic short circuits. But, alas, it reveals another factor that limits the reproduction of low frequencies - the elasticity and resonance of the internal volume of air. Due to the elasticity of the internal air volume, the resonant frequency of the speaker in such a housing usually increases noticeably. Heating of the air during compression and changes in its acoustic parameters are also important, which creates additional nonlinear distortions. The housing must be durable and have fairly thick walls.

As a result, no matter how you look at it, to reproduce frequencies below 50-60 Hz you still need a large case and speakers with a low resonant frequency (up to 25-40 Hz). To suppress the resonance of the internal volume of the case and no less harmful reflections of waves from the walls of the box, the case is filled with sound-absorbing material - often inside such cases you can find “pillows” with glass wool or foam rubber.

The optimal shape of the box is a ball or an ellipsoid. However, making wooden boxes of this shape is too difficult and expensive. Pressing such boxes from fiber materials is also expensive. Many companies from time to time produce spherical-shaped speakers, but with molded plastic boxes. Rather, this is a tribute to their unusual appearance than to improved sound quality - so far, besides wood, wood-based panels or plywood pressed under high pressure, there are no decent and affordable materials for a speaker box.

Speakers with an acoustic bass reflex to improve bass reproduction (BassReflect) have become widespread. It is created by a hole in the body and a pipe of a certain section and length. The phase inverter outputs low-frequency sound vibrations emitted by the rear side of the speaker cone outward, changing their phase to the opposite. As a result, sound vibrations from the front and rear sides of the diffuser are added and the speaker's output in the low-frequency region increases noticeably. Particularly good results are obtained when the peak output falls at frequencies slightly lower than the resonant frequency of the speaker - this leads to a noticeable leveling of the frequency response in the low-frequency region. Precise adjustment of the frequency response in this area is achieved by changing the length of the bass reflex tube - twice the length of the bass reflex tube is equal to the wavelength of the resonant frequency.

Most often there is one bass reflex; less often, two bass reflexes are used. The bass reflex holes can be placed on both the front and rear sides of the speaker. In a cylindrical or square bass reflex tube, reflections and standing waves often occur, which impairs the reproduction of percussive sounds. Good results are obtained by making a pipe with a smooth (for example, hyperbolic) change in cross-section with its oval shape. This improves the aesthetic appearance of the speakers and allows you to get a lower lower cutoff frequency than with a conventional bass reflex. However, the sound quality at low frequencies does not depend too much on the type of bass reflex hole itself - therefore, in many even high-quality speakers, the bass reflex hole simply looks like a round hole. To suppress reflections and resonances of the pipe, you can cover the hole with a cloth. But this is rarely done - the air flow at the bass reflex output is so strong that the fabric can sway like a sail in the wind, which can create unnecessary overtones. For this reason, many companies make a bass reflex pipe with smooth contours.

An example of speakers with an open-type cabinet is the SB-M20 audio speakers from the Japanese company Technics, shown. Their bass reflex hole is located at the back of the body. A distinctive feature of these speakers is the use of a tweeter with a mica diffuser, which expands the frequency range of reproduced frequencies to 45 kHz. The nominal and maximum power of these speakers is 50 and 100 W, the filter crossover frequency is 2.5 kHz, sensitivity is 87 dB/W/m, resistance is 6 Ohm, dimensions are 202x324x234 mm and weight is 6 kg. The speakers use a woofer with a diameter of 14 cm and a high-frequency speaker with a diffuser diameter of 2.5 cm. The special core shape of the magnetic system ensures uniformity of the magnetic field throughout the entire space of movement of the coil, which reduces nonlinear distortions at low frequencies, where the amplitude of oscillations The coils are great.

One way to reduce the size of speakers is to introduce a sound labyrinth into them. It is created using numerous partitions inside the housing. Although the labyrinth can significantly improve the level of low-frequency reproduction, it significantly complicates the assembly and setup of sound speakers. And therefore it is rarely used. The role of a labyrinth is sometimes played by spikes that fill the space inside the speakers - however, more often they are used as sound-absorbing materials in closed-type speakers. Generally speaking, the debate about which speakers (closed or open with a bass reflex) are better has not subsided for many years. Closed speakers with high-quality sound-absorbing materials provide a more uniform frequency response in the low frequency region. But at the same time, their output drops significantly and to drive such speakers you have to use more powerful amplifiers. Speakers with a bass reflex make it easier to achieve high output at low frequencies, but they are often characterized by some booming at these frequencies. Ultimately, the sound quality depends primarily on the size of the speaker box and the thoroughness of their acoustic design.

What is important in such a peripheral device as laptop speakers? The supply market is colossal, how can you choose good speakers without overpaying or being disappointed by the terrible sound? Read our short educational program, which will guide you on how to choose computer speakers.

Agree that the computer is now a kind of combine that implements the functionality of several devices and performs complex tasks for our work, entertainment, training, control and security, and communication.

In any case, having one computer connected to the Network, you can not buy a radio, a TV, a game console, or even books (!), or a telephone, but still have music, videos, and games, and with books online, as well as communication thanks to instant messengers.

So for many, a PC or laptop is a multifunctional device that replaces several gadgets. And for modern life, this is probably a convenient format: saving money, one (after all, the total amount for a separate TV, stereo, speakers, set-top boxes, e-reader, telephone will be colossal), two - very ergonomic in a small apartment, or if temporary housing - transport the laptop, and voila, there is no need to transport more equipment.

But even for a laptop that has integrated speakers, not to mention a stationary desktop PC, it’s worth buying a speaker system. Simply put - computer speakers.

Because the sound from the speakers of a laptop - even the most expensive one - is no good. The sound of your favorite track, even in mp3 format, also through those weak channels that are installed in laptops due to their compact form, it will be distorted, to put it mildly. The bass will be lost, the mid frequencies won't be picked up, in short, you can't listen to music through the laptop's speakers. Some sounds from the system or from messengers are one thing. But to listen to music tracks, the laptop’s playback will, to put it mildly, not be enough. And even to watch videos you need speakers - so as not to constantly listen to the sound of the movie.

Acoustics for a computer can be very cool - from well-known sound brands, capable of producing very accurate and rich sound - everything will depend on the quality of the audio content itself that the computer will reproduce. But such a product is practically not in demand on the consumer market, and is not needed for media entertainment via a computer HIFI- columns. Although, of course, if you already have a 7.1 stereo system for your home theater, you can probably connect it to your laptop.

Read also:

However, the most common requests are simply to find speakers for a laptop. In principle, this is determined by the class of acoustics itself, which has its own parameters indicating the quality of sound that they will produce.

Types of computer speakers

The simplest ones are 2.0 - that is, the usual 2 pieces of columns. The next level is with a subwoofer - 2.1. 5.1 or 7.1 systems - this indicates the number of speakers with different frequency ranges.And for such systems it is important that the laptop or PC have an appropriately powerful video card.

The most common speakers for a PC or laptop are 2.0 or 2.1 systems. They can be wired or wireless - but let's not get ahead of ourselves, let's start from the beginning.

Before choosing, you must understand the specific characteristics of acoustics - they are fundamental. They will “explain” to you not only the price tag, but also the capabilities of the device - what kind of sound you can expect from them. Even if you're buying with the help of a consultant rather than online yourself, knowing the basic specifications of speakers will help you buy exactly what you need, and the numbers about power and frequency ranges won't be "white noise" for you.

Characteristics of laptop speakers

1. Dimensions and materials of the speaker system

2.Connection method (wired/wireless)

3.Power

4. Frequency range

5. Sensitivity

6. Number of stripes

7. additional features (way to adjust volume, adjust frequencies

8.Brand

And now in more detail about each of the characteristics.

Speaker sizes matter, because, whatever one may say, the more, the more sound capabilities they can produce (the size of the speaker, for example, clearly determines the higher volume). Miniature speakers are quite suitable for office purposes when there is a limitation on space.

The body material also plays an important role in the sound, but not as important as, say, for class acoustics HIFI or HI-END. However, it is impossible to say that there is no difference what the speakers are made of. Of course, speakers made from wooden materials will sound better a priori than from plastic, since plastic absorbs sound. And it is desirable that the thickness of the case is neither thin nor too thick.

If you carry a laptop constantly, then the speakers, of course, cannot be too large. Miniature, preferably wireless, is what you need. Although, of course, you can’t count on any stereo sound with them. As well as for power and volume indicators.

Connection method can be wired via USB connector, or maybe through a socket and jack 3.5 connector mm. Wireless s e models connect via Bluetooth connection.

Power

Numbers indicating power should not always be taken as absolute figures. Therefore, it is advisable to distinguish and clarify exactly what power the manufacturer-seller indicates: nominal, maximum or peak.

Nominal is pure, noise-free, high-quality sound, and peak is how much the system can withstand at its maximum, maximum power is the “working” state of sound reproduction with possible defects.

The actual sound of the speakers will be indicated by a combination of a number of indicators, although, of course, power is an important parameter.

The power of speakers for a PC or laptop can be 2/3 W - if we are talking about office speakers, then this is quite enough. However, it would be more optimal if this figure were more than 3 W. Recommended for a medium-sized room up to 20 sq.m - from 10 W, 5 W for each speaker. Ideally - about 20 watts.

Frequency range

The wider it is, the steeper the sound will be. The human ear is capable of distinguishing waves at a frequency of 16-20 to 20,000 Hz. So if it is stated that laptop speakers have a range from 19 Hz to 15000 Hz, these are cool speakers. But on average, the range of PC speakers is between 40 -10000Hz.

Sensitivity

This characteristic determines the volume. If the power levels of two speakers are equal, the one whose sensitivity is higher will be more effective. The sensitivity range is traditionally within 84 – 120 dB. The optimal sensitivity figure is not lower than 87 dB.

Number of lanes

For many who are not familiar with the nuances of stereo sound, this characteristic is not clear.

But it's very simple: stripes = number of speakers. If the speakers have one speaker, it means single-band sound; the speaker “produces” all the sounds from one speaker. And if 2-3 speakers are built into the speakers, this means that each speaker is assigned the task of reproducing sounds of different frequencies. So, three-way speakers - one speaker for low-frequency sounds, the second for medium-frequency sounds, and the third for high-frequency sounds. And multi-band, naturally, produce a richer, richer, more spacious sound than single-band.

Additional details

There are often models where the sound control is located at the rear - unfortunately, this is not the best option. Choose speakers with volume controls on the front or side. A wireless control panel is not bad, but as a backup option, not the only one.

Please note that a number of functionality can be transferred specifically to the remote control - switching inputs, timbre. It’s good if each frequency range is regulated separately.

Brand

Of course, when choosing equipment (and speakers are no exception), you should use the rule - brand profile. That is, those brands that specialize in a specific type of product and have been creating it for a long time are preferable. Therefore, brands such as Logitech, Edifier, Microlab are a very worthy choice.

More budget options, but also with decent characteristics in a number of models - from manufacturers Sven, F&D, Gemix, Genius.

As practice shows, in most cases, standard speaker systems do not provide high-quality sound reproduction. At least that's what many music lovers think. This is why most car enthusiasts resort to speakers to achieve better sound quality. How and what types of devices there are - we will talk about this below.

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What types of car audio systems are there?

If you want your car radio to provide high-quality reproduction of both low and high frequencies, while the sound itself is clear, you need to first pay attention to the speakers. To begin with, we suggest you familiarize yourself with the types of devices.

Types

Car audio systems can be divided into several types:

1. Broadband. In this case, reproduction of the entire available frequency range will be carried out by one speaker. This option is more relevant for car enthusiasts who prefer to listen to the radio or play loud music for a short time. As practice shows, broadband systems are installed on almost all cars as standard.
2. Coaxial. This option is more relevant for car enthusiasts who want to achieve better sound reproduction with “fat” bass. In this case, a set of speakers involves installing several devices along one axis. Since each audio system allows you to output low, mid and high range frequencies, in coaxial acoustics a separate head will be responsible for each range. In cheaper versions, speaker systems are equipped with built-in crossovers, in more expensive ones - external ones.
3. Component speakers. In such systems, the audio range is divided by frequency. The cost of such speakers is higher, but if installed correctly, they will allow you to achieve the highest quality and surround sound with powerful bass. This option is more relevant for music lovers who cannot drive without high-quality music (the author of the video is the Radioblogful channel. A soldering video blog).

Standard sizes

As for standard sizes, speakers for cars are also divided among themselves and by size. Be it round or oval speakers, the sound quality is in no way dependent on the shape of the speakers. Dimensions when purchasing must be taken into account in accordance with the dimensions of the seats provided in the car for acoustics.

As a rule, the diameter of standard seats in the front doors can be 10, 13 or 16 cm. As for the rear doors or shelves, as a rule, oval products measuring 15x23 cm or 6x9 inches are mounted in them. Before purchasing acoustics, be sure to measure the dimensions of the seats for the speakers.

How to choose speakers for a specific car?

As for the choice itself, when purchasing you should be guided by the following criteria:

1. Price range. In accordance with your financial capabilities, you will have a certain assortment.
2. System type. As stated above, acoustics can be one of three types. Decide on the type and you can narrow down the range of devices.
3. Manufacturer. Currently, the automotive electronics market offers customers a fairly large assortment of speaker systems from different manufacturers. It is necessary to understand that a high price will not always mean the same quality of speakers, but as a rule, cheap speakers still perform worse than expensive ones. The most popular brands preferred by our compatriots are Pioneer, Kenwood, Infinity, Focal, Alpine, etc.
4. The next parameter is the choice of suspension. According to many experts in the field of car audio, it is better to give preference to rubber suspensions rather than fabric ones. Rubber surrounds will prevent vibrations if the acoustics are turned on at full power.
5. Presence of tweeters. This criterion is relevant if you want to equip your car with serious acoustics. According to many experts, it is desirable that the tweeters be silk.
6. Standard sizes. As mentioned above, before purchasing, you should measure the dimensions of the seats and select devices accordingly.
7. In addition, you should take into account other features of the radio installed in the car. Cheap Chinese radios, as a rule, cannot produce high-quality sound due to the fact that they have a low-quality amplifier installed. More expensive options usually work with all types of speakers. In any case, you should consider the features when purchasing.
8. An equally important parameter is the power of devices; it can be peak and nominal. You should not pay attention to the peak power, take into account only the nominal, this parameter will ensure high-quality sound. Peak power is the value that the acoustics can withstand for a short period of time, after which the product may overheat and, accordingly, fail. If the purchased speakers have high power, they will have to be used through a subwoofer. It is necessary to take into account the fact that in order to prevent the failure of the acoustics, one rule should be taken into account - the peak power value in any case should be greater than the maximum power of the subwoofer.
9. Another criterion is sensitivity, this parameter is measured in decibels. The higher this value is, the higher quality sound the products will be able to produce without connecting a subwoofer. If you plan to use an additional amplifier, then its installation will be relevant when the sensitivity of the devices is 90 decibels or less.
10. Resonant frequency. This parameter determines the quality of the bass depth. The lower the resonant frequency value, the better and more powerful the bass will be.
11. Make sure that the devices come with instructions - as a rule, they indicate all the necessary requirements for radio tape recorders and standards that should be taken into account when installing a particular model.
12. There is a hole for installing products. It happens that after purchasing a product, a car owner is faced with an installation problem due to the holes located in the columns. If you do not want to additionally drill holes for mounting speakers, the choice of acoustics should be made in accordance with this factor.

Photo gallery “Car speakers from different manufacturers”

Proper installation of speakers to create a spacious sound stage

Now let's move on to the issue of arranging a sound system in a car. If we compare an acoustic system with a home one, then in this case the principle of arrangement of its elements will be different. In home systems, speakers need to be installed above the listener; in the case of car speakers, everything is different. If we are talking about coaxial speakers, then you just need to install new speakers instead of the installed standard ones. They must be securely fixed in order to prevent the occurrence of vibrations during operation, which, in turn, will affect the quality of the reproduced sound.

Connection diagram for component acoustics

As for coaxial systems, for the correct arrangement of such acoustics you should rely on several points:

1. Products should be mounted as close to the front of the cabin as possible. That is, such an option as installing products in the rear part of the door, which is closer to the center of the car, is not suitable. Of course, when installed in such a place, the sound will not be spoiled, but truly high-quality sound will not be achieved. It is best to install the devices at the front of the door, which is closest to the center console. Many car owners install products directly in the dashboard, but to do this they will have to redo it and also close the holes in the door panels.
2. If you purchased multi-frequency products that will belong to a specific channel, then the best option would be to install them as close to each other as possible. This will result in a consistent as well as seamless sound.
3. As for the orientation of products, this issue is not fundamental. Some speakers can be directed towards the driver's seat, others towards the windshield, this will reflect sound waves. But in this case, you will have to act experimentally, since a lot depends not only on the speakers, but also on other factors.

Price issue

The cost of speakers varies from 600 to 30 thousand per set, but you can also find more expensive options.

Dedicated to the acoustics of a room, we found out that any room is a kind of resonator that dramatically affects the sound character of the system. Now it’s time to talk directly about the sources of this very sound, that is, about speaker systems.

In order to properly understand the processes occurring in a box on the wall of which one or more speakers are mounted, you need to thoughtfully read a couple of books, each of which contains more formulas than the entire school physics course. I won’t go into such depths, so this material is not worth it as a comprehensive analysis or guide to building audiophile speakers. However, I really hope that it will help beginning music lovers (and some chronic ones too) to properly navigate the variety of acoustic solutions, each of which its developers, of course, call the only correct one.

For some time after the invention of the electrodynamic emitter with a conical diffuser (okay, just dynamics) in 1924, its wooden frame served primarily decorative and protective functions. This is understandable - after many years of listening to records through mica membranes and gramophone bells, the sound of the new device, even without any acoustic modifications, seemed simply the apotheosis of euphony.

However, recording technologies quickly improved and it became clear that it was extremely problematic to more or less plausibly reproduce the audible range with a speaker simply mounted on some kind of stand. The fact is that the dynamic head, left to its own devices, is in a state of acoustic short circuit. That is, the waves from the front and rear surfaces of the diffuser, emitted, of course, in antiphase, seamlessly overlap each other, which most sadly affects the efficiency of operation, and primarily on the transmission of bass.

By the way, in the course of this story I will most often talk about low frequencies, since their reproduction is a key point in the operation of any speaker cabinet. Due to the short length of the emitted waves, HF drivers do not need to interact with the internal volume of the speaker at all, and are most often completely isolated from it.

Soul wide open

The easiest way to separate the front radiation of a speaker from the rear is to mount it on a shield as large as possible. From this simple idea, the first acoustic systems were born, which were a box with an open back wall, since for compactness the edges of the shield were simply taken and bent at a right angle. However, in terms of bass reproduction, the success of such designs was not very impressive. In addition to the imperfection of the body, the problem was also in the suspension travel of the diffusers, which was very small by modern standards. To somehow get out of the situation, speakers were used as large as possible, capable of developing acceptable sound pressure with a small vibration amplitude.

Despite the seeming primitiveness of such designs, they also had some advantages, and they were so specific and interesting that adherents of open speakers have not died out to this day.

To begin with, the absence of any obstacles in the path of sound waves is the best way to increase sensitivity. This point is especially valuable for audiophile tube amplifiers, especially single-ended or feedbackless ones. Large-diameter paper diffusers, even at a power of about four to five watts, are capable of creating a rather impressive, and at the same time surprisingly open and free sound.

As for the rear radiation, in order not to introduce distortion into the direct sound, it must arrive to the listener with a noticeable delay (over 12-15 ms) - in this case, its influence is felt as a slight reverberation, only adding air to the sound and expanding the musical space . The subtlety is that to create this very “noticeable delay”, the speakers, of course, must be located at a fair distance from the walls. In addition, the large area of ​​the front panel and the impressive size of the low-frequency drivers have a corresponding impact on the overall dimensions of the speakers. In a word, owners of small and even medium-sized living rooms, please do not worry.

By the way, a special case of open systems is acoustics built on electrostatic emitters. Only due to the almost weightless diaphragm of a large area, in addition to all the advantages described above, electrostats add the ability to delicately transmit even the sharpest dynamic contrasts, and due to the lack of signal separation in the midrange and treble zones, they also have enviable timbral accuracy.

Open design

Pros: High-end open-back speakers are a great way to get a real kick out of listening to purist tube single-ended speakers.

Minuses: It’s better to forget about fat compression bass right away. The entire sound path must be subordinated to the idea of ​​open acoustics, and the speakers themselves will have to be chosen from an extremely limited number of proposals.

Locked in a box

With the increase in power and improvement in amplifier parameters, the ultra-high sensitivity of acoustics has ceased to be the main stumbling block, but the problems of uneven frequency response, and especially the correct reproduction of bass, have become even more pressing.

A giant step towards progress in this direction was made in 1954 by the American engineer Edgar Vilchur. He patented a closed-type speaker system, and it was by no means a gimmick in the style of today's patent trolls.

By that time, the bass reflex had already been invented and, of course, a speaker was also tried on a box with a bottom more than once, but nothing good came of it. Due to the elasticity of the enclosed volume of air, it was necessary either to lose a significant part of the energy of the diffuser, or to make the body prohibitively large in order to reduce the pressure gradient. Vilchur decided to turn evil into good. He greatly reduced the elasticity of the suspension, thus transferring control of the movement of the diffuser to the volume of air - a spring that is much more linear and stable than a corrugation or rubber ring.

In this way, it was possible not only to completely get rid of the acoustic short circuit and increase the output at low frequencies, but also to significantly smooth out the frequency response throughout its entire length. However, a minor point also emerged. It turned out that damping with a closed volume of air leads to an increase in the resonant frequency of the moving system and a sharp deterioration in the reproduction of frequencies below this threshold. To combat this problem, it was necessary to increase the mass of the diffuser, which logically led to a decrease in sensitivity. Plus, the absorption of almost half of the acoustic energy inside the “black box” could not but contribute to the reduction in sound pressure. In a word, the new type of speakers required amplifiers of quite serious power. Fortunately, at that time they already existed.

Today, closed design is used mostly in subwoofers, especially in those that claim serious musical performance. The fact is that for home theaters, energetic development of the lowest bass is often more important than dynamic and phase accuracy throughout the low-frequency range. But by combining a relatively compact closed sub with decent satellites, you can achieve a much more correct sound - albeit not filled with super-deep bass, but extremely fast, collected and clear. All of the above can also be attributed to full-range speakers, “closed” models of which occasionally appear on the market.

Closed box

Pros: Exemplary attack speed and low-frequency resolution. Relatively compact design.

Minuses: A fairly powerful amplifier is required. Ultra-deep bass on the verge of infrasound is very difficult to achieve.

The case is a pipe

Another way to curb anti-phase rear radiation was the phase inverter, in Russian literally “phase reversal”. Most often it is a hollow tube mounted on the front or rear surface of the housing. The principle of operation is clear from the name and is simple: since it is difficult and irrational to get rid of radiation from the back side of the diffuser, it means that it needs to be synchronized in phase with the front waves and used for the benefit of listeners.

In fact, a pipe with air is an independent oscillatory system that receives impulse from the movement of air inside the housing. Possessing a very specific resonance frequency, the bass reflex works more efficiently the closer the diffuser oscillations are to its tuning frequency. Sound waves of higher frequencies simply do not have time to move the air in the pipe, and although lower frequencies do, the lower they are, the more the phase of the bass reflex radiation shifts, and, accordingly, its efficiency. When the phase rotation reaches 180 degrees, the tunnel begins to frankly and very effectively muffle the sound of the bass driver. This is what explains the very steep drop in speaker sound pressure below the bass reflex tuning frequency - 24 dB/oct.

In a closed box, by the way, at frequencies below the resonant frequency response decay is much smoother - 12 dB/oct. However, unlike a blank box, a box with a pipe in the side wall does not force designers to go to any lengths to minimize the resonant frequency of the speaker itself, which is quite troublesome and expensive. Setting up a bass reflex tunnel is much easier - just select its internal volume. This is, however, in theory. In practice, as always, unforeseen difficulties arise, for example, at high volume levels, the air exiting the hole can make a noise almost like the wind in a stove chimney. In addition, the inertia of the system often causes a drop in attack speed and deterioration of articulation in the bass. In a word, the scope for experimentation and optimization before the designers of bass reflex systems is simply incredible.

Bass reflex

Pros: Energetic response to low frequencies, the ability to reproduce the deepest bass, relative simplicity and low cost of production (with considerable complexity of calculation).

Minuses: In most implementations it is inferior to a closed box in terms of attack speed and clarity of articulation.

Let's do without a reel

Attempts to get rid of the genetic problems of the bass reflex, and at the same time save on the volume of the cabinet without compromising the depth of the bass, gave the developers the idea of ​​​​replacing the hollow pipe with a membrane driven by vibrations of the same working volume of air. Simply put, another low-frequency driver was installed in a closed box, only without a magnet and voice coil.

The design was called “passive radiator”, which is often not very correctly translated from English as “passive radiator”. Unlike a subwoofer pipe, a passive diffuser takes up much less space in the case, is not so critical to the location, and besides, like the air inside a closed box, it dampens the leading driver, smoothing its frequency response.

Another plus is that with an increase in the area of ​​the radiating surface, to achieve the desired sound pressure, a smaller amplitude of vibrations is required, which means that the consequences of nonlinear operation of the suspension are reduced. Both diffusers vibrate in phase, and the resonant frequency of the free membrane is adjusted by precise adjustment of the mass - a weight is simply glued to it.

Passive radiator

Pros: Compact design with impressive bass depth. Lack of bass-reflex overtones.

Minuses: An increase in the mass of emitting elements leads to an increase in transient distortions and a slower impulse response.

Exit from the maze

Acoustics, armed with bass reflexes and passive radiators, reproduce deep bass thanks to resonators operating through the mediation of air inside the speakers. However, who said that the volume of the speaker cannot play the role of a low-frequency emitter in itself? Of course it can, and the corresponding design is called an acoustic labyrinth. In essence, it is a waveguide with a length of half or a quarter of the wavelength at which it is planned to achieve resonance of the system. In other words, the design is adjusted to the lower limit of the speaker frequency range. Of course, using a full-wavelength waveguide would be even more efficient, but then for a frequency of, say, 30 Hz, it would have to be made 11 meters long.

In order to fit even a structure twice as compact into a column of reasonable dimensions, partitions are installed in the housing to form the most compact curved waveguide, with a cross section approximately equal to the area of ​​the diffuser.

The labyrinth differs from the bass reflex primarily in its less “resonant” (that is, not accentuated at a certain frequency) sound. The relatively low speed and laminarity of air movement in a wide waveguide prevents the occurrence of turbulence, which, as we remember, generates unwanted overtones. In addition, in this case the driver is free from compression, which increases the resonant frequency, because its rear radiation encounters virtually no obstacles.

There is an opinion that acoustic labyrinths create fewer problems with standing waves in the room. However, with the slightest miscalculations in development or manufacturing, standing waves can arise in the waveguide itself, which, unlike a bass reflex, has a much more complex structure of resonances.

In general, it must be said that competent calculation and fine-tuning of an acoustic labyrinth are very difficult and labor-intensive processes. It is for this reason that this type of case is rarely found, and only in speakers of a very serious price level.

Acoustic labyrinth

Pros: Not only good response, but also high tonal accuracy of the bass.

Minuses: Serious dimensions, very high complexity (read - cost) of creating a properly functioning structure.

Hey, on the ferry!

The horn is the oldest and, perhaps, the most provocative type of acoustic design. It looks cool, if not shocking, it sounds bright, and at times... In old films, characters sometimes shout something into each other's mouthpieces, and the characteristic coloring of such a sound has long become a meme in both the music and film worlds.

Of course, today's acoustics have moved very far from the tin funnel with a handle, but the principle of operation is still the same - the horn increases the air resistance for better coordination with the relatively high mechanical resistance of the moving speaker system. Thus, its efficiency increases, and at the same time a clear directionality of radiation is formed. Unlike all previously described designs, the horn is most often used in high-frequency speaker sections. The reason is simple - its cross-section increases exponentially, and the lower the reproduced frequency, the larger the size of the output hole should be - already at 60 Hz a bell with a diameter of 1.8 m will be required. It is clear that such monstrous designs are more suitable for stadium concerts, where they really can be found periodically.

The main trump card of adherents of horn playback is that acoustic amplification allows, for a given sound output, to reduce the membrane stroke, and therefore increase sensitivity and improve musical resolution. Yes, yes, again a nod to the owners of single-ended tube circuits. In addition, with proper calculation, bells can play the role of acoustic filters, sharply cutting off sound outside their band and allowing you to limit yourself to the simplest, and therefore introduce minimal distortion, electric crossovers, and sometimes even do without them.

Skeptics never tire of reminding us of the characteristic horn coloring, which is especially noticeable on vocals and gives it a characteristic nasal quality. It’s really not easy to overcome this problem, although judging by the way the best examples of High-End horns play, it’s quite possible.

Horn

Pros: High acoustic efficiency, which means excellent sensitivity and good musical resolution of the system.

Minuses: Characteristic, difficult-to-remove sound coloration, non-childish sizes of mid- and especially low-frequency structures.

Circles on the water

It is with this analogy that it is easiest to describe the nature of the radiation of counter-aperture acoustic systems, first developed in the Soviet Union in the 80s of the last century. The principle of operation is non-trivial: a pair of identical speakers are mounted so that their diffusers are located opposite each other in a horizontal plane and move symmetrically, either compressing or decompressing the air layer. As a result, annular air waves are created that diverge evenly in all directions. Moreover, the characteristics of these waves during their propagation are minimally distorted, and their energy decays slowly - in proportion to the distance, and not its square, as in the case of conventional speakers.

In addition to long-range and omnidirectionality, counter-aperture systems are interesting due to their surprisingly wide vertical dispersion (about 30 degrees versus standard 4-8 degrees), as well as the absence of the Doppler effect. For speakers, it manifests itself in signal beats caused by a constant change in the distance from the sound source to the listener due to vibrations of the diffuser. True, the actual audibility of these distortions still causes a lot of controversy.

The mutual penetration of the concentric sound fields of the right and left speakers creates a very wide and uniform zone of surround perception, that is, in essence, the issue of precise positioning of the speakers relative to the listener becomes irrelevant.

A characteristic feature of counter-aperture is that the sound coming to the listener from virtually all directions, although it creates an impressive presence effect, cannot fully convey information about the sound stage. Hence the stories from listeners about the feeling of a piano flying around the room and other wonders of virtual spaces.

Counterperture

Pros: A wide zone of spectacular volumetric perception, naturalistic timbres thanks to the non-trivial use of wave acoustic effects.

Minuses: The acoustic space is noticeably different from the sound stage conceived when recording the phonogram.

And others...

If you think that this is the end of the list of speaker design options, then you greatly underestimate the design enthusiasm of electroacoustic speakers. I described only the most popular solutions, leaving behind the scenes a close relative of the labyrinth - the transmission line, the bandpass resonator, the housing with the acoustic resistance panel, the load pipes...

This kind of exoticism is quite rare, but sometimes it materializes in a design with a truly unique sound. And sometimes not. The main thing is not to forget that masterpieces, like mediocrity, are found in all designs, no matter what the ideologists of a particular brand say.

Prepared based on materials from the magazine "Stereo & Video", June 2016.