Expensive speaker systems from the highest price segment have long ceased to be simple speakers, a kind of boxes that produce sound with a pair of speakers. Engineers from year to year contrive, turning the industry and every device into a small work of art, which not everyone can repeat. There were new types of speakers, new ways to output sound, change in power and amplitude, and so on and so forth. Over time, a whole multi-component structure appeared, describing different types of acoustic systems. Actually, this will be discussed in the material below.
Categorization of speakers
So, first, let's look at the basic aspects of what acoustic systems are, and only then find out what they are and how they differ from each other.
The following types of speakers exist:
- Shelf and floor systems. From the name it is clear that they differ in the principle of installation in the room and in their size.
- Also, acoustic systems differ in the number of bands (in fact, the number of speakers) - from one to seven.
- There are dynamic, electrostatic, planar andother speakers, depending on the design of the speakers, which may not fall into any category at all (it all depends on the imagination of the engineers).
- Depending on the acoustic design of the cabinets, speakers are divided into systems with an open cabinet, a closed cabinet, with a bass-reflex design, with an acoustic labyrinth, and so on.
- Also, the speakers are divided into passive and active, depending on the presence of a built-in sound amplifier.
Single and multi-way loudspeakers
Single-way loudspeakers are equipped with a single driver, and since it is impossible to set one driver to reproduce all frequencies well at once, manufacturers have to use several differently tuned drivers at once.
There are also 2-way speakers (also 3, 4). In such systems, two emitters are installed. One takes care of the reproduction of low and medium frequencies, and the second reproduces only high frequencies. Due to this approach, in 2-way speakers, a perfect balance of sound is achieved, which is impossible with a single speaker (even if it is very good). The sound of such speakers is usually sufficient for inexperienced people who do not own more advanced systems, but there are also more acceptable options, for example, 3-way systems. 3-way speaker systems share all three types of frequencies at once. One emitter is engaged in the reproduction of low frequencies, the second - high, the third -medium. 3-way speaker systems are more common than others, since it is thanks to this design that the highest quality of reproduction of frequencies audible to the human ear is achieved.
Passive and active speakers
Active and passive systems differ in the presence of an integrated power amplifier in the design of the speakers themselves.
Active speakers have this amplifier, so they can be directly connected to the pre-amp with an interconnect cable, and each individual speaker is powered from the mains without connecting additional power supplies.
Passive speakers, although more complex in the device, are still much more common and are a priority for users who value high-quality sound. Such speakers are connected to a power amplifier through a specialized crossover filter. The connection is made using acoustic wires. Many manufacturers (companies) of acoustic systems prefer the production of just such speakers, because they bring a lot of profit and allow engineers to realize their sound ideals. In addition to certain installation difficulties, there is also a financial problem, because a good amplifier and speaker cables cost a lot of money, and you won’t “start” such a system without them.
Horn speakers
This is a special type of speaker system. Their feature is the horn installation above the emitter. The advantage of such speakers is the high sensitivity of the speakers. This makes theman ideal complement for inexpensive and low-power tube amplifiers that are unable to give their owner enough volume. Such speakers require proper placement in the room where they are planned to be used, but if you spend some time on it, you can achieve the most realistic and rich stereo image.
Electrostatic speakers
Such systems are distinguished by their unusual design. Instead of classic speakers, a film of conductive material is used, which is pulled vertically along the column. The principle of operation is as follows: a sound signal is applied to the film at a certain frequency, and a constant voltage is applied to the conductors located on the sides (in some cases, the reverse order is observed when a constant voltage is applied to the conductive film). An electrostatic field is created between the film and the conductors, on which an alternating field is superimposed. Because of this, vibrations of the film arise, which reproduce sound radiation. The sound of such acoustic systems is distinguished by high detail, clear transmission of each individual frequency. The music seems more free and open. Of the minuses, it is worth highlighting the insufficient amount of bass that cannot convey the full depth, especially when it comes to genres such as hip-hop or trap.
Center Channel System
As acoustic systems for cinemas (home of course) sets of 5 speakers and one subwoofer are used. This is a classic system that has provenitself and used by most lovers of good sound. A key element of this system is the center speaker, which reproduces movie dialogue and main musical passages. Such a column is installed directly in the center. Some users use it in computer speakers, as they watch movies on it.
Front and rear speakers
The front system is a classic pair of speakers that create a stereo effect. Such speakers often form a full-fledged speaker system for computers (since usually nothing else is needed). If we are talking about a home theater, then between the two front speakers (or under the TV) the center channel speaker huddles. Relying on the front pair of speakers, you need to collect the remains of the 5.1 speaker system, since they reproduce the main array of sounds.
The rear of the system is two small speakers located behind the audience. Their use is optional, but they are always included with 5.1 speaker systems to achieve maximum immersion in the atmosphere of the reproduced films. If the movie's soundtrack supports surround sound technology, then certain events and scenes in the movie will only play sound on the rear speakers (this happens when someone sneaks up behind the movie character). When using acoustic stands, you can implement this system in computer acoustics.
Subwoofer
This is a separate column that is capable ofplay only low frequencies and bass. Often used in conjunction with paired speakers and complements a computer speaker system, since front speakers cannot handle the full range of sound. The subwoofer brings balance to the speaker system. Visually, the subwoofer looks the same as a regular speaker, but it has one massive radiator in the open. The subwoofer is installed in the corner of the room or under the computer desk. Because of this, by the way, neighbors often suffer.
Shelf and floorstanding speakers
Such speakers can also be called desktop and floor (or computer and home theater). Bookshelf speakers take up much less space and at the same time weigh much less, which means they can be installed higher. For example, if you are building a home audio system that will connect to a TV (to create sound depth), you can even put bookshelf speakers on top of a cabinet (this provides maximum area coverage). To bring out the maximum potential from such compact speakers, they are usually installed on special speaker stands.
Floor-standing systems are much better suited for larger venues (often referred to as cinema loudspeakers). Larger speakers are installed in them, and their number varies from one to seven. Installing such speakers in a small room can cause excessive bass boost and a very noticeable hum. Floor systems are much more expensive than shelf systems and requireconstructors much more attention in the calculations when creating them.
Speakers with bass reflex
A phase inverter is a hole in the body from which a pipe goes to the inside of the column. Thanks to this design, acoustics can reproduce low frequencies that are inaccessible to standard speakers without a phase inverter. When designing a speaker, the engineer needs to choose the diameter and length of the pipe in accordance with the frequency that the future sound source should reproduce. At the moment when music is being played, the volume of air in the bass reflex tube resonates and enhances the reproduction of the frequency to which the tube diameter was originally set. The size of the speaker itself does not matter, the phase inverter is built into both huge home audio systems and compact headphones. The air outlet pipe can go to any part of the speaker or earphone, but the position of the speaker in the room will depend on this (the pipe should not be obstructed by anything).
Acoustic Labyrinth Speakers
At its core, the acoustic labyrinth is the same phase inverter. The difference is that the pipe going into the body has many bends and is much longer. The task of the pipe is the same - to increase the volume and saturation of the sound of low frequencies. Unfortunately, such speakers are much more expensive than conventional bass reflex options, as their production takes much longer and requires special precision from engineers, and materials are more expensive. As in the case of bass-reflex speakers, the sizeThe device that outputs sound can be anything, but you will not find such a system in headphones.
Closed and open speakers
Some loudspeaker companies make open type speakers. The acoustic design of such speakers is distinguished by the absence of a rear wall. Thanks to this, the diffusers have some freedom. This approach provides a sound close to electrostatic audio-acoustic systems.
There are also closed speaker systems. Actually, they differ precisely in that there are no holes in their cases. This approach makes the sound more "elastic". This is due to the fact that the air has nowhere to go, the movement of the diffuser becomes constrained. To avoid the negative effect of this design, speakers of this type are made very large so that the cone has more freedom to move. The big advantage of such systems is the absence of any excessive noise, cod and others like them.
Passive Radiator Speakers
A passive radiator performs the same task as a phase inverter, for example. It is necessary in order to ensure the normal sound of low frequencies. There are no pipes in such columns. A hole is simply made in the column, and a passive speaker is installed inside (a speaker without a magnetic system, built on the basis of one diffuser, suspension and frame). The advantage of a passive radiator is the ability to reproduce bass and any, even the lowest frequencies. These types of speakersare very valuable and require remarkable skill of engineers.
