Home Audio Speakers

Not all home audio speakers are created equal--many pitfalls are out there for those shopping for speakers, so buyers should beware of false promises. For example, there is a myth that speakers that feature 7.1 Dolby Digital sound are better than 5.1 Dolby Digital. This simply isn't true. The standard in the industry is 5.1 because only a small percentage of DVDs support Dolby Digital in 6.1 or 7.1 capabilities. Once this becomes more prevalent, than 7.1 will probably make 5.1 obsolete, but for now, there's no need for 7.1 since the technology hasn't caught up. This difference can save you hundreds of dollars.

Also, just because flat TVs are popular doesn't mean that flat speakers are better, too. The closer to the wall the speaker gets, the higher the interaction between the wall and the speaker, causing a greater likelihood for distortion and "flat" sound. A wider or "boxier" speaker will add dynamic dimension to the interaction between the speaker and the wall, causing more vibrant and robust sound.

However, one myth does that hold true is the notion that bigger is better. While this is not always the case, generally speaking bigger speakers provide better quality sound than their smaller counterparts. The smaller the speaker, the less likely it is to deliver any kind of real volume, and that applies to all frequencies. Also, a bigger speaker will most likely have a tweeter to ensure quality performance at high frequencies.

However, if one is determined to find small speakers that deliver high quality sound, there are a few options available. Certain systems, like the Bose Acoustimass Speaker System, incorporate a subwoofer or bigger speaker to use in conjunction with the smaller speakers. These types of solutions will improve the quality of sound that one would expect from small speakers, but overall the performance is still unlikely to match the superior sound of really large, top-notch speakers.