REVIEWS OF THE BEST LOUDSPEAKERS : A BUYING GUIDE

At CulturaSonora we are specialized in comparing the best loudspeakers on the market, as well as introducing our readers to the best deals. Before you delve into this subject, you should know that there are different types of loudspeakers. It is important to understand that the human ear is only capable of perceiving the sound spectrum between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz. What that means is that it is impossible to reproduce this entire frequency range faithfully with a loudspeaker that has only one driver. For this reason, it is necessary to combine several transducers of different sizes. In this way, it will be possible to reproduce almost the entirety of the frequency range. For this purpose, several filters are used to separate the different frequencies for each transducer. A channel is defined as the number of internal loudspeakers that make up a loudspeaker/acoustic enclosure. Answering the million dollar question: What types of loudspeakers are there?

• Woofer or bass: it is the woofer in charge of reproducing bass sounds (from 50Hz to 1000Hz). Therefore, it is a large loudspeaker. This is because as it has to reproduce the lower sounds it has to move more air and therefore needs a lot of surface area.
• Subwoofer: this type reproduces even lower notes than the woofer (from 20Hz to 80Hz), such as those deep sounds that are capable of reproducing musical instruments like tubas, cellos or bass drums. They are also present on the big screen, especially in some special effects. If you are a movie buff, this is a must-have device for your home cinema. One note: they are usually larger than the woofer, and are usually purchased separately.
• Tweeter or treble: these are the speakers that are in charge of reproducing the treble sounds (from 3000Hz to 20,000Hz). The frequencies are so high that the speakers have their own characteristics. They are usually much smaller than a woofer.
• Supertweeter or super treble: the range of the super treble is on the highest end of the range of hearing perception, in even sharper scales than those reproduced by the tweeter, reaching up to 90,000Hz. That is why they are smaller speakers than the latter. They are so loud that in some cases they can go unnoticed by the human ear. There are some instruments, such as cymbals, that have a part of their spectral components there.
• Midrange: it is in charge of reproducing the medium sounds (from 500Hz to 4000Hz), where the human ear is more sensitive to all the details. Not all boxes have a midrange speaker, but often only have a woofer and tweeter. In this case, the subwoofer is also responsible for the mid-range sounds.

• What is a two-way loudspeaker? It is an acoustic box with two differentiated loudspeakers. They usually have a tweeter and a woofer. The tweeter would respond to the treble and higher frequencies, while the woofer would reproduce the mid and low frequencies.
• What is a three-way loudspeaker? It is an acoustic box with three different loudspeakers. They usually have a midrange, a tweeter and a woofer.

The world of loudspeakers is so wide and specialized that there are speakers of all types, depending on the purpose for which they were made. before buying speakers, you should know that the choice depends on the space in which you want to use them, the use you are going to give them, the color you prefer and the budget you have. It also depends on how you like the sound. Do you appreciate bass more? Do you like cleaner sound? In addition, there are certain basic issues you should know, such as:

What is a 5.1 speaker?

• 2.0 speakers are all speakers with stereo sound: those that have a left and a right sound channel.
• The 2.1 speakers are the same but with the addition of a sub-woofer that takes care of the bass.
• The 5.1 speaker is on a higher level. It will create a much more immersive sound experience , as if your room were a movie theater. It has five full-bandwidth channels and one channel for bass.

Bluetooth speakers: Bluetooth speakers are slowly becoming fashionable. Above all, a giant leap has been made when it comes to incorporating this wireless connectivity technology into portable and outdoor speakers. One of the biggest advantages is that with this technology, we say goodbye to cables. It also adds mobility and portability. The biggest drawback is that although Bluetooth has come a long way, the audio signal still loses some quality. It should also not be forgotten that the bluetooth signal has a limited range of about 10-30 meters, and that bluetooth speakers need a good battery, especially if they are to be used outdoors.

TV speakers: the problem with flat TVs is that their sound leaves a lot to be desired. Therefore, if you are a big movie buff and want to enjoy the best sound when watching a movie, there are several very interesting options:

Sound bars: auxiliary audio systems that are usually installed under the television and serve to enhance its sound. They are usually elongated and relatively humble in size compared to a home theater. They were born to solve the sound problem of flat TV sets. The difference with a home theater system is that soundbars are the best choice for smaller living rooms and homes with limited space. The good thing about the sound bar is that it has separate elements, some even incorporate separate sub-woofers, which improves playback quality.

Sound bases: they are similar to sound bars. They are another auxiliary audio system that is installed under the TV, but differ because they have all the elements included (speakers and sub-woofer). In addition, they are a little more expensive than sound bars.

Home Cinema 5.1 and 7.1: the sound quality of a home cinema is in some cases even superior to that of some movie theaters. Obviously, their quality is also superior to that of sound bars and sound bases.

At CulturaSonora, we make comparisons and reviews of the best speakers according to their connectivity. But… what is connectivity? It is the ability of a speaker to connect to different electronic devices: PC, cell phone, MP3, game console, TV, tablet or stereo. What types of connectivity are most common in loudspeakers?

• Wired connectivity: wired connectivity is the same as always: plug a cable between the speaker and the device that emits the audio (stereo, TV, mobile …) et voilà. Far from being obsolete, this type of connectivity is in very good health. In fact, this is the modality that most manufacturers continue to choose for their Hifi products. The audio quality is better as compression and interference free transmission is guaranteed. It is also the most valued option for those who want to reduce the emission of electromagnetic waves at home. However, there are many types of cables: from the most common(2.5mm, 3.5mm and 6.35mm jack and RCA), to other balanced sound cables such as XLR.
• Bluetooth connectivity: is a type of wireless connectivity using Bluetooth technology. It is one of the most popular options for its simplicity, transmission speed and compression quality that are being achieved with new codecs and improvements to existing ones, such as aptX. The biggest advantage is that it eliminates that annoying tangle of cables that we usually have at home behind the TV or stereo cabinet, that are used to connect our audio systems. It also adds mobility and portability. In fact, this technology is often used extensively in portable loudspeakers. The biggest drawback is that although Bluetooth has advanced tremendously, the audio signal still loses quality. This is mainly due to compression, and in addition, depending on the codec, there may be some delay in the signal (lag), compared to systems that use cable. It should also not be forgotten that the bluetooth signal has a limited range of about 10-30 meters , and that bluetooth speakers need a good battery.
• NFC connectivity: Near Field Connection technology is a wireless proximity connectivity that allows a very fast connection ( two NFC-enabled devices need to simply be brought close together) and data transmission superior to Bluetooth. This type of connection in the audio world is primarily used to connect your mobile device or tablet to your audio system or speaker.
• Wifi connectivity: Wifi connectivity offers several advantages over other wireless connections (such as bluetooth). First of all, it has a higher transmission resolution (basically, it can transmit more information and therefore also higher quality). This is especially relevant if you plan to use high quality formats such as DSD. Another highlight is the greater range of this connection, which will allow you to place the speaker anywhere in the house without being concerned about walls in between. Finally, the convenience of being connected to the wifi network at home or in the office.