SPEAKING OF SPEAKERS: A HIGH-TECH AUDIO SYSTEM
It’s time to start thinking seriously about the end of the line.
No, we’re not being morbid. We’re just talking about the end of the line in your home-tech equipment. Especially your TV-VCR hookup and your audio gear.
The end of the line in the first system is the TV itself, or “monitor/receiver.” And the end of the line in your hi-fi audio equipment is the speakers. Monitors and loudspeakers have always been crucial components, but with the advent of the newest sound-and-vision technology, their importance has grown even more.
However, consumers generally tend to underrate both.
Speakers, in particular, get less attention in the planning of an audio system than they should, so in this column we’ll take a look at the reasons for it, and some solutions. In a future column, we’ll discuss what to look for in a television monitor/receiver.
After spending a great deal of money on a turntable, a phonograph cartridge, a cassette deck, a compact disc player, an amplifier and a tuner (or, more likely a receiver that combines the functions of the last two items) and other equipment, the typical consumer tends to think of speakers last--and budget them lowest.
The tendency to settle for cheap speakers is doubled once the buyer gets a look at the prices of what audiophiles consider “good speakers”--$200 and up. That’s $200 per speaker, and since you need at least two for a stereo setup (and some people want extra pairs for other rooms or for a “surround-sound” ambiance), that means a layout of $400 or more for a pair of the least expensive good speakers. It’s not unusual to find some pairs for $1,000--or more.
Until now, the common solution has been to make do with the sort of adequate speakers that come with “combos” (combined components) or that can be bought separately for less than $100 each.
But now something has come along to make that solution even a less satisfactory compromise than it already was--the compact disc.
Audiophiles frequently point out that there’s little point in getting a CD player if you don’t have good speakers--especially ones capable of delivering compact discs’ much-improved bass response.
This position is perhaps a bit overstated. You can enjoy the improved sound of compact discs (and of hi-fi videotape and multi-channel television sound, once you’ve hooked your TV and VCR to your audio system) on even low-price audio equipment. But it is true that to be able to appreciate the complete digital impact of CDs, you’ll probably need better speakers than you now own.
Don’t worry. For most people, this doesn’t mean you have to put off the kids’ college education and put out $1,000 for a pair of CD-age speakers. In fact, the most expensive speakers may not be as suitable for your situation as smaller, less costly ones--especially if your listening room isn’t too large, and if it’s in an apartment where you want to stay on reasonably good terms with your music-hating neighbors.
The best solution for most people (those, anyway, who are able to spend a few hundred dollars to upgrade their audio equipment) is probably what’s called “the medium-priced speaker.” We’ll rely on Consumer Reports’ definition of “medium-priced” here as speakers carrying suggested list prices between $400 and $600 (actual prices at discount audio stores should be considerably lower). And since Home Tech doesn’t test equipment itself, here are some of Consumer Reports’ recommendations.
The best news in the magazine’s October ’86 report (reprinted in the “Consumer Reports 1987 Buying Guide”) is that the least expensive “medium-priced” speaker tested, the Advent Legacy ($399 a pair), also rated highest. It scored particularly well in lack of bass distortion. Other models that impressed CR, in order of what the magazine termed sound “accuracy”: Allison CD7 ($500); Infinity RS4000 ($458); AR AR38BXi ($470); Cerwin-Vega D3 ($530); EPI T/E 320 ($500); ADS L570 ($460); Boston Acoustics A150 II ($500), and JBL L60T.
Note that you’ll need a fairly powerful receiver or amplifier to run these speakers--preferably one with at least 25 watts per channel. Oops, that means a further expenditure for many folks. (And if you’re purchasing a new receiver, get one with plenty of inputs for all your present and potential gear.)
Another tip: Once you get your new speakers home, try positioning them in several different ways to find how they fit into your listening room’s unique acoustics. Don’t just go by manufacturer’s directions regarding space between speakers and distance away from walls or corners, or how far off the floor (if at all). Experiment. Also, don’t place speakers too close to your television--their magnets can interfere with the picture.
Check used magazine stores for back issues of Stereo Review, Audio, High Fidelity and other audio magazines for test reports on specific models. Ask knowledgeable friends about their speaker-buying experiences. Shop around--and double-check anything a salesman tells you. Above all, trust your own ears during comparisons. After all, they’re what you’re buying speakers for, aren’t they?
