Stereo Speakers: Pair Down the Choices

Stereo speakers come in pairs, and they are for people who really enjoy a great audio experience. Today's marketplace is flooded with surround sound speaker systems, but there are still plenty of great choices for traditional stereo speakers. The combination of quality and affordability is more prevalent than ever before, so whatever your price range and sonic requirements, good options are abound.

The advent of internet-direct sales is bringing numerous high-quality products to the marketplace at bargain prices. Without the overhead costs associated with traditional brick-and-mortar stores and marketing, these companies offer incredible speaker values. In addition to the internet, mass retailers as well as mom-and-pop stores also have familiar brands in all price ranges. Here are some of our favorite new stereo speakers.


Axiom M3

Axiom prices its M3 speakers at about $330 per pair, and this is a steal. These large bookshelf models use a two-way, rear-port design with 6-1/2-inch drivers, and they work best on open bookshelves or speaker stands. The unique wedge-shape cabinet suppresses internal resonance that can negatively color the sound, and it also makes for a unique look. The M3 speakers are available in black oak, Boston cherry, Mansfield beech and light maple finishes.

This is a fantastic all-around bookshelf speaker that sounds great on it's own for music, but it can also be used in a matched surround system with a subwoofer for incredible home theater performance. Reasonably priced, the Axiom M3 represents great value in a versatile bookshelf speaker.

Axiom M3 speakers

Jamo C 803

At around $900 per pair, the Jamo C 803's are some of the most expensive bookshelf speakers we have tested. They are also our favorites and are worth every penny. The C 803 is a large, rear-port, two-way speaker with a 7-inch woofer and 1-inch dome tweeter. The cabinet is gorgeous, with a sculpted and curvy shape that will garner attention from your guests. It is available in a black ash or dark apple finish.

This is a very high-quality speaker with excellent build quality, and it produced a very musical tone. When placed on stands in our listening room, the C 803's sounded better than many floorstanding tower speakers we have auditioned. They had a wide soundstage and reproduced music with astonishing detail and clarity. If your budget allows, the Jamo C 803 represents one of the best choices among bookshelf stereo speakers.


Polk Audio Monitor 60

Polk Audio's Monitor 60 tower speakers deliver solid stereo performance and would serve as a respectable foundation for a home theater system. Polk has a history of producing affordable, high-performance speakers, and the Monitor 60 continues that tradition with aplomb.

At about $650 for the pair, the floorstanding Monitor 60 speakers represent a great value. Each tall, slender speaker boasts three 5-1/4-inch drivers and a 1-inch dome tweeter, delivering powerful sound for both music and movies. Sonically they were full and rich, with a detailed soundstage that we would have expected from speakers costing hundreds more. If you are looking for full-size towers that will live up to Polk Audio's sterling reputation, check out the Monitor 60.

Polk Audio Monitor 60 speakers

AV123 x-ls

The AV123 x-ls is a large bookshelf speaker offered exclusively online at www.av123.com. This high-quality speaker has an entry-level suggested price of about $220 per pair, but it performs like a much more expensive model. The x-ls has a two-way, rear-port design with 6-1/2-inch drivers. Each cabinet is very heavy, relatively speaking, but that is a result of the quality construction. The exterior is offered in a satin black or white shadow maple (additional finishes will be available later in 2007), both of which are furniture-grade finishes that rival that of the most expensive speakers out there.

Although suitable for seating on open bookshelves, we achieved the best results from the x-ls speakers by placing them on 23-inch stands. They exhibited a fantastic soundstage no matter what genre of music we played. In fact, the x-ls performed better than speakers we have tested costing twice the price. The AV123 x-ls speakers are a fantastic value.


Pioneer Pure Malt (S-A4SPT-PM)

For a truly unique set of small speakers, Pioneer's Pure Malt bookshelf speakers are just the ticket. The Pure Malts are handcrafted from retired 50-year-old oak whiskey barrels, which are flattened and dried, then cut and assembled into speaker cabinets. The resulting finish has a beautiful and luxurious aged-oak look.

The Pure Malt speakers have 4-inch drivers, but they produced a remarkably full sound that could easily fill a small room or office. The aged hardwood contributed to a rich, mellow tone that was quite enjoyable at moderate volume levels, whether we were listening to pop, jazz, classical or acoustic music. Craftsmanship comes at price, and with a suggested price of $299 each (available only at www.pioneerelectronics.com), you should think of the Pioneer Pure Malts as both speakers and art.

http://products.howstuffworks.com/stereo-speakers-pair-down-the-choices-article.htm

Car Speaker Buying Guide

The Basics: Car Speakers

Upgrading the speakers in your car is perhaps the easiest and most popular mobile entertainment improvement possible. Due to the popularity of this upgrade, you'll find more choices than any of the other categories. Just walk into any car audio specialist and you'll see the vast array of options. The speakers that come in most cars are usually not quite top of the line, although many automobile manufacturers have recognized the importance of good speaker design, so they are using some really good components as an incentive for the entire automobile purchase.

Subwoofers are the most immediately evident improvement one could make to an automobile's sound system. The speakers that most manufacturers install in their cars are too small to properly and accurately produce low bass frequencies. In this case, size does matter. Speaker size does dictate the volume and ranges of frequencies it will be able to produce. However, a driver that is too large might take too long to react to the demands of music--they don't have an accurate transient response.

Subwoofers are available in two forms--raw and enclosed. An enclosed subwoofer consists of a driver mounted in a box, or it can refer to a band-pass box. A raw subwoofer is just the driver--a speaker cone suspended in a "spider," the metal frame that holds the speaker. The motor consists of the voice-coil and magnet. Enclosed subwoofers are typically unpowered, so you'll need a channel of amplification. However, there are some enclosed systems that include an amplifier specifically designed for the subwoofer component, which takes a lot of guesswork out of the equation.

How to Shop

"Drop-ins" are designed to fit exactly in the cutout spaces used by the factory speakers. This eliminates the need to alter the interior of your car in any way (ideal for a leased vehicle) and installers can usually incorporate the existing speaker grilles for a truly stealthy look. This is probably the easiest option for do-it-yourselfers. Simply remove the speaker grille, unscrew and remove the original speaker, disconnect the speaker wires, and connect and attach the new speaker. If you're planning on a more intrusive upgrade, most cars have additional speaker cutouts (for upgraded factory systems) hidden in a variety of locations throughout the interior frame. Any good installer will know where they all are. Many audio manufacturers design speakers in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit a variety of factory cutouts. Some retailers have a detailed listing of what speakers can be placed in what cars using cutouts or to use as drop-ins.

Once you've determined where you want speakers, you'll need to determine what kind to get. Replacement speakers come in two basic designs: coaxial or component. A coaxial speaker has the tweeter suspended over the woofer. A typically more expensive component speaker system consists of a separate woofer and a tweeter that can be positioned for a more accurate high-end response and a wider stereo image. They usually come with the necessary crossover electronics. Although usually considered a separate upgrade, you can also add a subwoofer.

Depending on what other components you are using, you should look at the sensitivity rating of the speakers. This indicates how efficiently the speaker handles the power that is supplied by your amplifier or head unit. Also called an efficiency rating, the higher the number, the louder your speakers can play given the same amount of amplification.

http://products.howstuffworks.com/car-speakers-buying-guide.htm

Car Signal Processor Buying Guide

The Basics: Car Signal Processors

Signal processors, or digital signal processors (DSPs), are the final stage in fine-tuning the sound in your automobile. The term covers a variety of components--by definition, digitally affecting the sound to alter it from the input signal. Signal processors can refer to an equalizer/crossover unit, a surround sound decoder, speaker steering (allowing you to turn on and/or off specific speakers) and delays for the speakers, sometimes referred to as digital time alignment.

An add-on equalizer might be just what you need to finally make your car audio system live up to its full potential. An equalizer lets you finely adjust the sound that gets fed to your speakers, allowing you to compensate for deficiencies in the frequency response of a speaker or an audible shortcoming in a component. Equalization also lets you attempt to control a car interior's typically troublesome acoustics. In very basic terms, equalization boosts or cuts certain ranges of frequencies from an audio signal--a very sophisticated tone control, with more than just bass and treble adjustments.

Stand-alone crossover units remain in the realm of high-end audio gear. While a few amplifiers do some sort of crossover-type frequency division, there are times when an audiophile wants and needs an external crossover unit. It's easy to see why--an external crossover unit usually offers the ability to fine-tune adjustments in a way no amplifier or head unit can.

How to Shop

Your reasons for purchasing a signal processor really determine what features you should look for. As most cars already have the amplification needed for four channels of speakers, some signal processors include amplification for the additional center channel and subwoofer that are required to reproduce 5.1 Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound. In addition to these set formats, some signal processors will add an artificial surround sound field to a regular stereo signal. These make the music sound like it's being played in a stadium, jazz club, or whatever the engineers decide to call their programs. These come as prenamed presets, however, you might want to take control and program your own personal sound fields and store them in user presets. Some processors have a wonderfully useful feature that compresses the audio signal. By reducing the overall dynamic range, the softer passages of music aren't lost under engine noise, and the loud peaks won't blow out your speakers.

A feature that is found on some higher-end processors is an independent equalizer for the left and right speakers. This feature helps to compensate for the sometimes non-ideal placement of speakers that are found in many vehicles. Digital time alignment also compensates for the placement of speakers, since you will rarely find yourself sitting in the perfect sweet spot evenly placed between all four speakers. This works more effectively than just using volume to control the balance of the speakers. Time alignment uses digital delays; psychoacoustics to fool the ear into thinking the speakers are centered on the drivers seat.

http://products.howstuffworks.com/car-signal-processors-buying-guide.htm

Car Amplifier Buying Guide

The Basics: Car Amplifiers

Sometimes, you just need to crank up the volume. Car audio systems must overcome a good deal of ambient noise--a vehicle traveling down the highway in the company of other loud engines is surrounded by a high background noise level. Factory-installed head units have a modest amount of amplification (generally about 10 watts per channel or less), and many aftermarket head units have at least twice that. The more power the amp included with your CD or cassette player delivers, the cleaner the sound from the speakers. But be careful--a receiver rated at 50 watts maximum power probably has no more than 20 watts of clean power. For that reason, serious mobile listeners eschew the modest amplifiers built into head units and instead opt for powerful external amplifiers.

How to Shop

For the easiest and typically least expensive installation, look for a single amplifier to power all the speakers in a car system. This would be the number of channels listed on the amp, as a single channel is only capable of powering one speaker. Moreover, look for an amplifier that contains its own crossovers; these circuits split the music frequencies so (for example) the highs go to the front speakers while the lows go the rear speakers. This helps maximize power delivery to the speakers and improve sound. When shopping, look at the way an amplifier lets you control these crossovers. Some use rotary controls, while others have less accessible inset controls requiring a screwdriver for adjustment.

You could consider amplifiers with one, two, or four channels, but you'll need a channel for each speaker; this soon increases the complexity and cost of the system. Also, if you'll be adding a subwoofer for killer low-ends sound, you'll usually need a separate amplifier. Remember, every speaker will use one channel of amplification. Four-channel amps are, by far, the most popular.

Amplifiers don't really come with a massive array of features, but there are a few to consider. Soft-start circuitry eliminates the thumps and thuds that can be annoying and potentially damaging to car speakers. Depending on your application, the number of speaker-level and line-level outputs and inputs need to be considered. Make sure you have enough for the setup you are currently installing, while leaving room for at least one future upgrade.

Amps generate a significant amount of heat that affects their efficiency. Numerous methods of dissipating this heat are used--everything from metal fins that create more surface area for air cooling to a few systems that actually use liquid coolant to keep the temperature down. Read reviews and specs to choose between hype and facts.

http://products.howstuffworks.com/car-amplifiers-buying-guide.htm

Car Alarm Buying Guide

The Basics: Car Alarms

While most purchases from the local car electronics shop are purely for entertainment, an alarm's sole purpose is to protect your investment, not only in your automobile and your mobile electronics, but in your personal safety as well. Other safety and security items include remote starters and backup sensors.

Alarms have come a long way from the systems that merely sounded when a door was opened improperly. They now flash the vehicle's lights, disconnect the ignition, and act as keyless car entry systems. Some can even use a computer interface to completely customize their performance. Alarms use a combination of techniques, the most common being motion sensors and dome light detectors. When a door opens, the overhead light comes on, triggering the alarm. Many of today's security systems provide multizone protection, which lets you decide what you want the alarm to protect and selectively arm and disarm individual components.

Most remote starters can start a car from 500 feet away or more, and if you've set your climate controls before you got out the last time, your car will be just right when you're ready to go. While comfort is one advantage, this is also a way to preserve other components--people with a short commute know that mufflers need a certain amount of drive time to blow out accumulated moisture. The extra warm-up time might cut down on the frequency of muffler replacements.

Some car owners feel every scratch and ding on their vehicles as though the damage was done to their own bodies, and accidents they cause themselves are even more painful. People back into things every day, including light poles, garage walls, garbage pails, stray toys and bicycles, shopping carts, and other cars. In addition, the size and design of vehicles these days (think SUVs) make reversing more challenging. While these minor accidents are unfortunate and annoying, incidents involving children are immensely more serious. All of these accidents might be avoided with the aid of backup sensors.

A backup sensor transmits an ultrasonic signal from its mounting position on the back of a car. If the signal encounters an object, it bounces back to a receiver, which can then determine the distance between the transmitter and said object. This works along the same principles as radar; the length of time between the signal's emission and reception determines the distance. The ultrasonic pulses work through all kinds of low-visibility situations, and they are also helpful in the blind spot. Many new systems now combine sensors with a small video camera to really let drivers see what's going on behind them, while others rely solely on a camera and a dashboard-mounted video screen. With the rapid increase in popularity of in-vehicle DVD systems and displays, some manufacturers are now offering cameras specifically designed to work with car audio/video systems.

In no way do these systems replace common sense. They do not offer 100-percent coverage, especially at extremely close range. Always proceed with caution.

How to Shop

Security systems come with a wide range of features. An essential option is a panic alarm, which sets off the alarm via a button on the keyless remote. Dual remotes are handy for cars that generally have more than one driver. Some systems add a safety feature that will turn on the interior car lights when the system is disarmed, allowing for safe entry. A field-disturbance sensor sounds with any movement inside the car, and a back-up battery keeps the system armed even if the car battery dies or is disconnected.

Remote starters are operated from a small controller that is designed to fit on a key chain--most systems come with two remotes to accommodate two drivers of the same vehicle. They can work on their own, but remote starters work more securely and efficiently when used in conjunction with a car alarm system. Not only can they be programmed to start the engine, but also they'll perform basic functions like unlocking a door or opening the trunk with the touch of a button. Check to see that the package you're looking at will work on the type of car you have--automatic transmissions, keyless entry doors, and fuel injected systems are sometimes required. Also, some systems will not work with diesel engines.

You want to look for a backup system that includes all of the required wiring cables and harnesses, and make sure you're comfortable with the installation. Some backup systems can be easily installed at home, but others require professional installation.

http://products.howstuffworks.com/car-alarms-buying-guide.htm

Boom Box Buying Guide

The Basics: Boom Boxes

Boom boxes have become a generic term for any portable audio device with speakers. The word started out as a description of the basic sound they all made--plenty of muddy "boom" to fill a room with no high-end clarity. Technology has improved the sound quality, but the name remains the same.

Boom boxes are commonly confused with minisystems. However, minisystems don't have carrying handles and they only run on AC power, where as boom boxes usually do. And although they can run off an AC power supply like minisystems, boom boxes are given away by their battery compartment.

How to Shop

If you've already started looking at boom boxes in the stores or online, you'll immediately be struck by the enormous variety of styles available. When they first became popular, all boomers looked alike: rectangular boxes with two forward-facing speakers on either end, cassette decks on the front, controls on the top, and of course, the handle.

What has really changed the most in the boom box industry is the choice of features. Every combination of formats is available. Your choice of a boom box should begin by determining what's important to you. Most players have the basics, such as an AM/FM tuner, a cassette player, two speakers, and a CD player. Then, the options take over. The radio can have a digital tuner, which makes preset selection easier. The cassette player can be a dual transport (double deck) that allows for hours of continuous playback or dubbing from one deck to the other. A number of newer units omit the cassette decks entirely.

CD players and CD changers are generally standard issue on boom boxes. A single player, three-disc changer, and even a five-disc changer are options. A changer can use separate disc drawers or use a carousel to store discs. Which one you choose is entirely up to your personal preferences, but separate drawers have always seemed more convenient.

Programmability of track order, track repeat, and random playback are features that add to the usefulness of a boom box. Another feature of interest is a synchronous start that coordinates between the CD player and cassette to start recording. Playback of MP3 and other digital audio files is a relatively new feature in boom boxes, and this will no doubt become more common in the near future.

All features aside, the only thing that really matters are the speakers. Unfortunately, that's usually the worst part of boom box design. Recently, however, small speakers are being designed to output a fuller range of frequencies, and amplifiers are getting more efficient. Inexpensive boom boxes typically save money by skimping on speaker components and design. The best advice is simple: listen before you buy. Unlike other audio products that don't vary much in actual sound quality, boom boxes vary greatly.

http://products.howstuffworks.com/boom-boxes-buying-guide.htm