Speakers, speakers, speakers. They come in every shape and every size imaginable, so it’s no wonder they can be perceived as confusing. When you’re adding the crowning jewels to your system – which type of speaker do you go for? Well, it obvious mostly boils down to personal choice, but having a little bit more information on what the differences are in the first place can’t hurt, can it?
In order to answer yet another of hi-fis greatest questions – we’ve put together a little guide to help you make up your mind.
Starting with the cabinet type…
Front Mounted or Rear Mounted…
Whether a speaker is front mounted or rear mounted rather simply boils down to where the driver is mounted in the cabinet – to the front… or to the back! It is widely believed that a front mounted speaker is superior, due to the fact that this improves the ‘seal’ of the cabinet and assists in isolation, but the relative simplicity of a rear mounted speaker means it is usually the more popular choice. The difference between front and rear mounted speakers is most hotly contested when discussing the use of ‘speaker cabs’ with live music, with musicians arguing a front mounted speaker offers a tighter bass response.
Bass Reflex (i.e. ported)
A bass reflex enclosure is quite the contrast to most speaker cabinets, which consider a complete seal (thus, isolation!) to be paramount. A bass reflex speaker has opening (i.e. a port or a vent) in the form of a pipe, in the bottom of the cabinet. A bass reflex speaker uses the sound from the rear side of the diaphragm to increase the efficiency of the system at low frequencies as compared to a typical closed box loudspeaker. A well vented cabinet can improve resonance to the extent that it produces frequencies on a much lower level – which is particularly useful when the cabinet is smaller. Some even believe that a well-ported speaker is a sufficient substitute for a sub woofer! Sadly, this extra resonance comes at a price: a time delay, which makes systems less dynamic.
Floor Standing
Floorstanding speakers (also known as ‘towers’) are the big boys of the loudspeaker world. They have larger cabinets and – as the name suggests – they stand on the floor (well, on spikes on the floor, if you care about your optimised isolation. And you definitely should). The larger cabinets boast the ability to house larger (and a greater number of) drivers, which makes for an improved soundstage, and a greater bass response. Floorstanders make excellent hi-fi speakers – although some prefer the tightened dynamics and speed of the smaller, more efficient bookshelf speakers.
Speaking of which…
Bookshelf
Bookshelf speakers are often the first port of call for hi-fi enthusiasts – and one of the first tings we’ll recommend for a system. And with very good reason! Bookshelf speakers are compact, versatile and – depending how much you want to spend – can hold their own against any other type of speaker. When paired with a decent set of speaker stands (quite essential if you want improved resonance and isolation – don’t put these on an actual bookshelf, whatever you do!), bookshelves are dynamic, with a broad soundstage, and are much more easily placed than their much larger and heavier counterparts.
Ceiling mount/Wall Mount
Also known as (and more broadly defined as) a custom-install – this is a much larger genre of speaker, and basically describes anything that doesn’t fit into the more standard of speaker genres! Wall and ceiling mounted speakers all have the same thing in common: aesthetic and discretion. They are designed to blend discreetly into their surroundings – be that as intriguing works of art, or by being as invisible as possible. Sound quality and the like varies wildly, but if you are looking for speaker which doesn’t take centre stage (without sacrificing the sound itself) and don’t mind a few holes in your walls, these are the speakers for you.
And there we have it – some of the most important distinctions between the different types of speakers you will ever find. But, as I said before, every speaker is different and will come with its own array of pros and cons. So, if you want to know any more, it’s always best to speak to an expert. Luckily, we have a few of those to hand! Give us a shout if you want to know any more, about speakers or otherwise!