Speakers: Research your needs

In order to end up with the speakers best suited to your needs, you have to clearly understand what you are looking for and what options are available to you. This is done by researching in two areas.

Firstly, you research the market to find out what kinds of speakers are available, familiarizing yourself with the different features, styles and price ranges etc. Secondly, you examine your own unique requirements in speakers.

Research the market: Speaker essentials

The first part of the research step is to investigate just what's available in the speakers market. The range of options can seem daunting, but you can make a good start by understanding the following major features:

Type: Built-in to music player, separate, free standing, built into the wall, subwoofers, main speakers, surround speakers.

Durability: The main concern with speakers and durability is how they will transmit sound without overheating or 'blowing' out. This factor relies on the overall construction of the speaker itself - what it's made out of, as well as the ability of the receiver to only transmit as much power as the speakers can handle.

Power Output: The power output for individual speakers ranges from 8 to 350 watts, and you want to find specifications that list power output for each speaker, rather than giving the combined power for the entire system.

Controls: Some speakers will come with controls that power the bass tones as well as the treble and mid-tones.

Colors: Speakers come in a wide range of colors and styles to suit your mood as well as your home décor and your existing entertainment center.

Parts: Two cone or three cone; woofers, tweeters.

Volume levels: Speaker volume is generally controlled by the main music system, though some speakers can have individual volume controls.

Screen: Some speakers will have a digital readout of the tones that are being played as well as the volume.

Cost: The more speakers that are involved in a music system the more costly the system will be. And it's also true that the bigger the speaker, the greater the cost. But bigger does not always mean that you will get better sound quality.

Research your needs: Questions to ask yourself

Now it's time to determine what your requirements are in a speakers. For example, will you use the speakers only for your music player or do you need to fit them to a home theatre system?

You can start this process by considering the following questions - as well as any others you think of yourself - and recording your answers.

Have I owned speakers before?
	If you have, work out what you did or didn't like about the speakers. You may be looking for some exactly the same, hoping to upgrade, or even trying to avoid any particular features that you found inconvenient.

Do I want something that I can take with me when I'm on the move?
	Some speakers are small and portable for use with iPods and other portable players but other speaker systems are large and wall mounted or free standing on the floor.

Do I have special needs for speakers?
	You might have a variety of music genres to play and there are certain formats of music that you may want to be able to hear more clearly.

How large is the area where I will be using the speakers?
	You can choose speakers that will create sound in either one room or many rooms, in your car or in your home. The size of the space can determine the speakers that you will buy.

How experienced am I in setting up a sound system?
	You may be able to set up and rearrange your speakers if you are electronically savvy but you may require the help of a professional if you are uncertain. Check whether the shop can arrange people to assist you with this. Ask what fees they might charge.

How much money do I want to spend on speakers?
	Much of the expense that comes with speakers is based on the number of speakers that you would like as well as the sounds that you want to amplify with them.

Understanding your needs is the key to a successful purchase and you can revisit your list of needs at any time during the buying process.

Once you complete this Research step, having informed yourself about the essentials of speakers and identified your needs, you are ready to move on to the next step: Evaluation.

Video Links

Yamaha NS SP7800PN Surround Sound Speaker System - Promo
An infomercial for the Yamaha NS SP7800PN Surround Sound Speaker System. (4m 12s)