What Are The Best Speakers For Listening To Music?
Having the right speakers can transform your favorite music and really boost the enjoyment you get from your listening experience. What type of speakers should you choose, and what do you need to consider when buying new hi-fi equipment to listen to music at home or at work?
Types of speakers
One of the first choices you will have to make is what sort of speaker or speakers you want. Your options include a floor-standing option such as the Totem Forest Floor Standing Speaker or a satellite speaker or subwoofer such as the Totem Kin Subwoofer. You will also need to consider where you are going to locate your speakers. Think about options such as outside speakers like the Sonos Move Outdoor Speaker and those that fit on the ceiling or on the wall.
What you should ultimately choose will depend on a range of factors, such as your personal requirements in terms of setup, your musical tastes, and how much money is in your budget. In general, subwoofers offer excellent performance from a small package, while floor standing speakers take up much more space but can offer outstanding frequency ranges and rich, deep bass. Of course, the quality will also depend on the specific brands and speakers you choose and the amount of money you have to spend.
Subwoofers are great if you like the deep thump of the bass in music, but choosing the right ones is important. Large subwoofers can offer extremely deep bass sounds, but this can result in poor overall sound quality. Smaller subs can therefore be a better choice if you want crystal-clear sounds and aren’t prioritizing the deepest bass. Smaller subs can reduce irritating sound resonance, but whether these are the right option will depend on the type of sounds you want to receive and your own personal priorities.
Amplifier and receiver
Another important factor to consider when choosing the best speakers to listen to your music is how they will work with your amplifier or receiver. Your receiver will need to provide the power that your speakers require to operate and to handle musical peaks. The most efficient speakers, which have outputs of around 105bD, will need less power to offer the best performance levels. Strong amplifiers can compensate for less efficient or sensitive speakers, such as those with an output of around 85dB, but you may miss out on fidelity when listening to your favorite music due to the dynamic range on offer.
Sealed box speakers
For many music aficionados, sealed box speakers such as floor standing speakers are the premium choice for providing accurate and clean sound. Floor standing options such as Borresen 03 Floor Standing Speakers are undoubtedly a major investment but are the prime option if the best possible sound fidelity is a priority. Of course, budgets are often also a consideration, and there are less-expensive options available. There may be cheaper floor standing speakers, or you could choose to go for bookshelf versions, which can save on both space and money.
Listening location
Where you want to listen to your music may also be a consideration when choosing the right speaker choice for you. If you want to be able to move your speaker, for example, you will need to consider its portability, including its size and weight. If you want a really portable speaker, you should be looking for varieties that aren’t longer than eight inches and weigh less than a pound. If you’re looking for speakers to allow you to listen to music while exercising or simply moving around, you might want to look for very small speakers with an armband for a truly portable experience.
Invest in quality
You will generally get what you pay for when it comes to speakers. This means that you should spend as much as you possibly can if sound quality is a major priority when you are listening to your music.
As a general rule of thumb, it is always worth going for speakers from well-known brands. These companies have the financial backing that enables them to develop and research their products, which means these are the brands and products that are likely to offer you the greatest quality. Cheaper speakers may be necessary if this is all your budget will stretch to, but you will have to accept that this is likely to impact on the sounds you hear when playing your favorite tunes.