Shopping for a good speaker can be a challenge. After all, how can you tell if one speaker is much better than the other? That’s why it’s important to understand what makes a good quality speaker. Here’s a quick overview on how you can properly compare the quality levels of speakers.
Are good quality speakers made with different components compared to low-quality speakers?
Yes. A component speaker is a speaker that is made of the following parts – separately mounted woofer, tweeter, and crossover. Fewer quality speakers are known as coaxial speakers. With coaxial speakers, you do not have these separate components working together. The result is that the coaxial speaker can’t give you the accurate reproduction of sound that a component speaker offers.
When it comes to component speakers, the quality of each of these components will determine the quality of the overall speaker. For instance, a top-quality speaker will have well-designed components that allow for more accurate reproduction of sound.
Let’s take a look at what constitutes a well-designed component speaker. The tweeter, for instance, will be made from top-quality materials such as silk, aluminum or ceramic. Also, a top-quality component speaker will not only have well-designed components, they will also have top-quality connector terminals and casing materials.
Does the speaker manufacturer tell me what the speakers are made with?
Different speaker manufacturers use their own specific designs and materials when it comes to creating their products. As an example, there are some speaker manufacturers that will use iron plates as the base for a speaker cone. More high-end speaker manufactures will use brass or other top-quality materials.
Some of the more reputable speaker manufacturers in the market today include Bose, JBL, Bowers & Wilkens, and Klipsch.
A top speaker maker such as Bose uses their own proprietary silicone-based material. By creating their own material for their speakers, Bose speakers can create a high-quality sound that can not be duplicated by other manufactures.
For their professional speakers, JBL uses Aluminum, Nickel and Cobalt in the creation of a high power alloy for the alnico magnets on their speakers. Also, JBL was the first speaker company to titanium in high-frequency diaphragms on their speakers.
Bowers & Wilkens used to use Kevlar for their midrange and bass drivers. Today, the company uses its own material, known as Continuum.
Klipsch also uses their own propriety material in their speakers. For instance, the company uses Kapton®, which is an extremely light and rigid material, in the tweeter suspension. This unique material allows for improved resolution and higher efficiency.
How much does a high quality 6×9 speaker cost?
A high-quality 6×9 speaker will cost anywhere from $500 to over $2,000 per pair. For instance, the Virtually Invisible® 791 in-ceiling speakers II cost $599 on the Bose shopping site. Other price examples include the JBL Control® 67 P/T which is available for $578 per pair at Crutchfield.
How much does a low quality 6×9 speaker cost?
You can find low-quality 6×9 speakers for under $100. For example, you can purchase BOSS Audio Systems BE694 6 x 9 Inch Car Speakers for about $50 on Amazon. Another price example of low-quality 6×9 speakers is the Blaupunkt 6 x 9-Inch 450W 4-Way Coaxial Car Audio Speaker Set available on Amazon for about $33.
Do high quality speakers need an amplifier?
A high-quality speaker is not going to need an amplifier. The function of an amplifier is to turn the low voltage signals from your source equipment into a signal with enough gain to be used to power a pair of speakers. However, high-quality speakers will be powered speakers which will have an amplifier built into the speaker.
What is an example of a high quality speaker?
An example of a high-quality speaker is the Bose Surround Speaker 700. These popular speakers are designed to create an immense audio experience for both music and home theater audio.
Determining if a speaker is high quality
Because there are many speaker companies in the market, it is important to know which companies make high-quality speakers. If you are looking for the best speakers, be sure to start your such with the top brands such as Bose, JBL, Bower & Wilkens, and Klipsch. While you will be paying more for these high-quality speakers, they will be well worth the price if good audio is important to you.
